COLORADO SPRINGS — Prospect Lake in Memorial Park is closed effective immediately until further notice due to the presumed return of blue-green algae, according to the City of Colorado Springs.
The city says this follows a visual inspection by Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (PRCS) staff and a water sample by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) on Wednesday.
During the closure, the following activities are not allowed:
- swimming
- bathing
- paddle boarding
- tubing
- water skiing
- non-motorized boating
The city says no pets are allowed at the lake. Fishing areas will remain open, but the city says to clean fish well and remove guts.
“It is always a difficult decision to close a popular recreational area, especially in the middle of summer, but when it comes to the health and safety of the public, it is important that we take all the necessary precautions,” said Erik Rodriguez, senior environmental, health and safety specialist for PRCS. “Algae blooms can produce toxins that can be harmful to humans and pets, so we decided to temporarily close the lake until the levels of algae are safe again.”
According to the city, testing will be performed weekly to ensure the lake is up to the recreational water quality levels set by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) before the lake reopens.
The city says Prospect Lake closed in the summer of 2020 for blue-green algae. Since then, PRCS staff has applied an enzyme-based, non-pesticide treatment that consumes the biomass at the bottom of the lake, which helps oxygenate water.
According to the city, PRCS is scheduled to install an aeration system in the fall.
What is blue-green algae?
The city says it is a bacteria that is common in lakes across Colorado.
With the right conditions, including hot weather, stagnant water, and polluted stormwater runoff, blue-green algae multiplies quickly.
According to the city, these conditions result in too much nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in the water, which causes the bacteria to grow faster.
The bacteria then harm the water quality by decreasing the amount of oxygen available to animals in the water and can produce a toxin that is harmful to humans and pets.
Blue-green algae eventually phase itself out of bodies of water, according to the city.
For more information about blue-green algae, visit CDPHE's website.
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