Brookfield Officials Close Candlewood Town Park Indefinitely Due to Dangerous Blue Green Algae

A representative from the Town of Brookfield, Mary McGuirk, sent out a notice Monday that the Brookfield Town Park beach is closed until further notice.

The town is closing the beach until further notice due to an area that may contain blue green algae. Officials will test the area before the Health Department can allow swimming at the lake. Brookfield Town Park is one of several beaches on Candlewood Lake that is currently closed while undergoing further testing.

Earlier this month Patch reported that the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) was warning residents about the toxic blue green algae. The algae is known as Cyanobacteria and can produce harmful toxins. The CLA warns that these are potentially dangerous and should be avoided when swimming, fishing or boating. Contact with blue-green algae can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. Ingestion of the algae can cause vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CLA.

If the algae produce toxins, symptoms can be more serious, especially for children and small pets. These symptoms can affect the liver and kidneys and can cause possible neurological functions. Anyone who is exhibiting these symptoms should contact their doctor immediately. Click here for safety precautions.

Patch reached out to the Brookfield First Selectman, Health Department and Parks and Rec, however, as of this posting nobody was available for comment. An employee in the Health Department said the Health Department was at the beach Monday afternoon where they are doing site testing.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

Related:

Candlewood Lake Authority Warns of Blue-Green Algae