LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Water Resources Department said Thursday that concerned residents who reported a chemical spill along certain stretches of Clear Lake's shoreline actually were seeing an early blue-green algae bloom.

Water Resources Director Scott De Leon issued an advisory explaining that his department has received numerous inquiries over the past week regarding suspected paint or chemical spills along Clear Lake's shores near Nice and across the lake near Soda Bay.

The turquoise colored “spill” that residents reported seeing on the water's surface is likely the blue-green algae – or cyanobacteria – Aphanizomenon in bloom, which De Leon said often is mistaken for turquoise paint.

Aphanizomenon and several other blue-green algae are natural inhabitants of Clear Lake, De Leon explained.

He said that the blue-green algae bloom is an annual phenomenon in Clear Lake, although it is rare for the bloom to occur so early in the year.

The combination of water clarity and warm February temperatures may have triggered the early bloom, De Leon said.

Some types of blue-green algae can produce toxins, so as a precaution De Leon recommended that individuals of all ages and all pets avoid swimming in or ingesting lake water in the affected areas.

For more information contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources by calling 707-263-2344 during regular business hours.

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