LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — As the beaches of Lake Geneva reopen after a brief closure due to blue-green algae blooms, people are coming out to swim and boat for Labor Day weekend.
The closure was prompted by the discovery of toxic algae by the Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services. These blooms, known to produce harmful bacteria, can pose serious health risks to both humans and animals. In extreme cases, exposure can result in illness or even death.
One beach, however, remained closed as of Friday evening. Big Foot Beach, located on the lake’s east side, is still deemed unsafe by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Nick Robison, a boat driver with Elmer’s Boat Rentals, has witnessed the impact of the algae first-hand.
“We had some blue-green algae the past couple weeks,” Robison said. “Last weekend, all the beaches were shut down. They didn’t let anyone come on the beach. People were kind of swimming at their own risk. Nobody really wanted to go into the water. I don’t blame them. You could see almost a level of algae foam at the top of the water. It was kind of gross.”
Robison has spent the summer navigating Lake Geneva’s waters.
Robison said one of the areas that has been most affected by the algae is Big Foot Beach.
“A lot of the boats come here on the weekends to anchor,” Robison said. “You can kind of stand on the water. It’s nice and shallow. But since this is on the east side of the lake, we had a lot of the algae collecting over here.”
Despite the challenges of the past week, Robison is optimistic about the weekend ahead.
“This past week though, you could kind of see it come a lot down more,” Robison said. “This weekend, it looks pretty clear, so it should be a pretty busy weekend.”
For some visitors, the reopening of the beaches comes as a pleasant surprise.
Hilda Juarez, who traveled from Los Angeles to visit her grandson, Mateo, was initially concerned by the news of the algae.
“I was surprised, actually, because I just came a few minutes ago and I saw people in and I said, ‘Oh I guess it’s ready again,’” said Juarez. “When my daughter told me, she said, ‘We couldn’t jump in,’ and I said, ‘Oh no,’ and I know that they love to be in the water.”
Juarez, like many others, looks forward to spending time in the lake this weekend.
“Now that I know it’s open, I will let my son know and we can have some fun,” she said.
Robison plans to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, too. He said it’s a busy time for people to be on the water.
“This weekend will feel a little bit more like work,” Robison said. “You kind of have to be on your game. There’s going to be a lot of boats out on the water and probably a lot of drinking, too. So, it’s important to be on your game and be on the watch for people that might not be paying as much attention, so probably will be a busier weekend than we’re used to.”