ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — What should be one of the busiest weeks of the summer at Green Lake has instead turned into a waiting game.
The popular Orchard Park swimming area is temporarily closed after routine water testing detected unsafe levels of microcystin, a toxin associated with harmful algal blooms.
Town officials say the decision was made before a visible bloom developed, allowing crews to treat the lake early and reduce potential health risks.
"It's devastating, really," one beachgoer said. "Finally, after about a week of off and on rain, we get some straight sunshine, and can't really enjoy the beach to the fullest."
The closure comes during one of the recreation department's busiest times of the year.
"It's kind of like Christmas for us right now," Orchard Park Recreation Director Kristin Welch said.
About 400 children attend programs during the summer, making the temporary closure especially disruptive for campers, families and visitors hoping to cool off.
WATCH: Green Lake in Orchard Park temporarily closes after testing detects harmful algal toxin
Town officials say the closure is the result of routine monitoring that takes place throughout the summer.
In addition to testing for E. coli, the town also regularly screens the lake for microcystin, a toxin produced by certain harmful algal blooms that can pose health risks to people and pets.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to make sure the community is safe, we are always testing the lake to make sure we have good levels," Welch said. "We did identify that there were unsafe levels, so we took proactive measures to shut down the lake and let the public know."
Rather than waiting for a large algae bloom to become visible, officials say they chose to act immediately by treating the lake in hopes of shortening the closure.
"We're proactive in getting to it now before waiting for a large bloom," Welch said. "We should be able to salvage some of our summer."
The town says Green Lake will remain closed while treatment continues and additional water samples are examined.
Officials hope testing will show toxin levels have dropped enough to safely reopen the beach in the coming days.
Until then, visitors are being asked to stay out of the water.
