How Burlington tracks blue-green algae at beaches

Hot weather led to more beach closures Monday. Part of Oakledge Park's waterfront is off-limits to swimmers right now because of blue-green algae. And late Monday afternoon, the city tweeted that Texaco Beach is closed, too, and the water at Perkins Pier is not safe for swimming either.

Our Cat Viglienzoni found out what steps the city takes before they decide to close.

Monday-- a familiar sight: closure signs going up at the Cove at Oakledge Park because of blue-green algae.

"We came down here just to do the daily check and happened to spot what I thought was the beginning of a bloom and as it sat, it actually bloomed," said Alec Kaeding, the manager of the Burlington Campground & Beach.

Kaeding says when they find the telltale blue-green film on the water, they get people out.

"Once we see it, we close it," he said. "Better to be safe than sorry, that's our motto."

Kaeding is one of several employees trained to identify the algae, which can be toxic.

The safety of the swimmers at North Beach isn't the only thing the lifeguards are keeping an eye on. They're actually looking for cyanobacteria in the water, too. It's part of the daily monitoring that occurs at all of Burlington's beaches.

Doing visual checks often is especially important in areas like the Queen City.

"The blooms in Burlington tend to come and go," said Bridget O'Brien, a toxicological analyst with the Vermont Department of Health.

O'Brien says with the hot days we've had recently, it's not unusual to see blooms.

The health department counts on volunteers trained to identify cyanobacteria to report in conditions from waters around the state.

"We found that that is actually a good method," O'Brien said.

She says if a volunteer spots a suspected bloom, they'll take pictures and report what they saw to her department, which will confirm it. Sometimes-- but not always-- they will test the water in their lab to see if the algae is actually producing toxins.

"You cannot tell by just looking at cyanobacteria whether it's producing toxins or not," O'Brien explained. "The direction is to stay out of the water."

As for when swimmers can get back into the water at the Cove-- that will be up to Tuesday morning's testing.

"The blooms are kind of funny that way. Sometimes they're gone within a matter of minutes. But the state requires that once we do close a beach, we have to leave it closed until at least the next morning," Kaeding said.

Monday we also learned from the health department that two dogs in Vermont have died from cyanobacteria. Health officials said it was a private pond and the owners did not want to disclose where it was. But we do know the water tested positive for the bacteria and it was also found in the dogs.

The health department says kids and pets are more likely to get sick from cyanobacteria because they are smaller and are more likely to swim in icky water and put things in their mouths.