Beaches of Lake Ponchartrain closed

The poor water quality of Lake Ponchartrain has prompted St. Tammany Parish officials to close Northshore Beach and fishing pier near Slidell, La. The proliferation of algae in the water also led to the Louisiana Health Department (LHD) issuing public warnings. The parish government announced June 25 the beach ad pier will be closed until further notice. In Mandeville, the city put temporary fencing around one of its beach. The closures were prompted by a June 21 advisory from LHD urging residents to avoid contact with the water. The advisory further urged residents not to harvest or eat fish from the lake during the bloom, according to St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister. LHD also warned of potentially large algae bloom in the lake. The harmful algae are made up of cyanobacteria, which can produce a variety of toxins and cause ailments ranging from rashes to diarrhea. Previous algae blooms in the lake have been linked to openings of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway along the Mississippi River. To date the spillway has been open for 89 days. (Source: NOLA.com 06/25/19)