Beware of harmful algae blooms that can be dangerous to swimmers, pets

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — If you’re heading to the lake this Fourth of July weekend, it may not be the safest place to swim.

The combination of the drought and extreme heat can be a recipe for harmful algae blooms and other toxins.

Channel 9’s climate reporter Michelle Alfini explains what that means for our beaches.

The water’s shallower this year. But holiday crowds are still happy to enjoy it.

“A lot of my family lives on the lake and we enjoy it every year,” said John Case, who was out on Lake Wylie.

Soaking rains in May and June helped pull us out of the worst of the drought designation. Brandon Jones with the Catawba Riverkeeper says we have a long way to go before water restrictions can be lifted.

“We’re slowly coming out of that,” he said.

The drought is getting better, but it’s still impacting our lakes and rivers.

“On one side it’s kind of a good thing,” said Jones. “We don’t have as much stormwater runoff.”

Jones says that typically brings in most of the everyday pollutants, from trash to fertilizer that can spark harmful algae blooms.

Our extreme heat isn’t helping.

“That being said, whenever we do have a rain event, it can all rush in at the same time,” Jones said. “If we have shallow stagnant water and high temperatures, that’s a recipe for algal blooms.”

A possible recipe for the wrong kind of algae. One that can be dangerous to swimmers and pets.

Since 2024, the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group has been working to treat a type of bacterial algae called lyngbya on Lakes Wylie and Norman. It tends to grow in the shallow places where water moves less, and where many of us swim.

“You cannot tell the difference just by looking at them. They all look green,” Jones said.

So if you’re out on the lakes, stay away from any unknown growth in the water. And remember, parts of our lakes and rivers may not look like they did last summer.

“Having low water is a challenge and having dirty water is also a challenge,” Jones said.

If you see algae blooms report it to the Department of Environmental Quality of the Catawba Riverkeeper.