Lake Superior beach closed for three weeks after persistent algal bloom, staff says

Parks staff told the committee the Lake Superior beach site experienced an extended closure this summer after a persistent algal bloom that did not clear for several weeks.

"It was a very long stretch, and we had an algal bloom that just would not clear," Heather said, describing the closure from July 27 through Aug. 18. Staff explained the combination of heavy storms that produced runoff, followed by warm weather, created conditions favorable to blooms; they said monitoring continues and they will look upstream at tributaries such as Chestnut Creek to assess potential nutrient sources.

Staff emphasized public health as the primary reason for the closure and said the county is limited in interventions once blooms occur; the committee discussed communications to the public and potential upstream mitigation steps but no new policy was adopted at the meeting.