Windsor Lake Reopening After Clear Tests for Blue-Green Algae

After Windsor Lake closed on July 23 when the Town of Windsor found harmful algae in the water, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has finally cleared it to reopen.

On July 19, Windsor issued a caution to the town about the water and what they had found, and closed it that same Friday.

In a release from the Town of Windsor, as of Monday, Aug. 9, all operations are back up and running at the lake. This includes Windsor's Parks, Recreation & Culture Department, which will resume their normal operating hours for their offered services.

The CDPHE required Windsor Lake to pass two consecutive tests in order to reopen to make sure it was within safe levels. However, the lake will still have signs posted to caution visitors about the algae issue and warn them to swim at their own risk. Be aware that the aglae found can be harmful and deadly within hours to animals if they swallow it.

Staff will continue to monitor the water and run tests for the next several days to ensure it remains safe.

Kendra Martin, Parks, Recreation & Culture operations and facilities manager, reminds people that "Windsor Lake also serves as an irrigation lake and with every outdoor body of water comes uncontrolled natural hazards".

According to OutThere Colorado, blue-green algae, the algae found at Windsor Lake, has been reported in multiple bodies of water around Colorado in 2021. An alert had been sent out for these bodies of water:

• DeWeese Reservoir in Westcliffe
• Sloan's Lake in Denver
• Pikeview Reservoir in Colorado Springs
• Potentially Milavec Lake southeast of Longmont

Keep an eye out for the blue-green blooms in water and floating green scum layers along shorelines. They can sometimes vary in color, so it's always best to air on the side of caution.