Alert: Toxic Marblehead Redd's Pond Blue-Green Algae Bloom Suspected

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead residents and visitors are being advised to avoid the water at Redd's Pond because of a suspected harmful blue-green algae bloom.

The Marblehead Board of Health issued the warning based on a visual inspection of the pond that showed a potential bloom of cyanobacteria.

These blooms may produce toxins that can make people and pets sick. Residents are urged to avoid contact with any areas of algae concentration, even on the shore.

Those in the area of the pond are urged to not to swim in it, not to swallow the water, keep animals away and rinse off after any contact with the water.

Blue-green algae can form harmful blooms in lakes, ponds, and rivers that make the water murky, and can sometimes make the water look like pea soup or paint.

Ingestion of the toxins can cause acute gastrointestinal distress and, depending on the specific toxin, can affect the functioning of the kidneys, liver, and/or neurological systems and in severe cases cause death.

Call a veterinarian immediately if your dog has been around an algae bloom and shows symptoms such as vomiting, staggering, drooling, or convulsions. These symptoms present themselves soon after exposure. Dogs have been known to eat the scum that washes ashore and/or lick scum out of their fur.

In Massachusetts, and many other states, canine deaths have been documented due to the ingestion of harmful algae.

Algae blooms appear in the summer and can dissipate quickly or last for weeks.

The Marblehead Board of Health will coordinate with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health over the coming weeks to take water samples and determine when the advisory can be lifted.

Those with questions and concerns can contact the Marblehead Board of Health at 781-631-0212.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)