JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WVEC) -- Officials shut down Woodstock Pond to boating and fishing because of a harmful algal bloom.
People and pets are not allowed to enter the pond at York River State Park because of Mycrocistis aeruginosa. The blue-green algae produces toxins that can cause rashes or illnesses.
A combination of warm water temperature and nutrients in the water makes conditions favorable for algae to grow.
Anne Maust and her two kids found out the pond was closed on their very first trip to the park.
“They told us straight forward that please if you walk by the pond don't go in the water it's got some algae in it,” Maust says.
Park Manager Jonathan Tustin says they discovered harmful algae in the same pond three years ago, which forced them to close the pond for a little more than a month. The greenish color is an indication of the harmful toxin in the water.
“What's happening here is a natural phenomenon and it will dissipate and we will be back to normal again,” Tustin explains. “But in the meantime we will have to bite out tongue.”
Tustin says the only way this harmful algae can go away is for it to go away naturally, and that's where the weather comes into play.
“We're hoping for a lot of rain and cooler temperatures because that's the only thing that'll help that toxin go,” Tustin says.
Maust is happy to know that safety is on the minds of park officials.
“I wouldn't want my kids to get in the water if there was any harmful bacteria or algae out there,” Maust says.
Staff members at the park will monitor the pond. They will reopen it after two straight weeks of acceptable levels of algal cell counts.
