Always Use Caution

It’s that time of year again, where the sun is shining and the water is getting warm. With that sun and warmth comes algae growth. Each summer, algae shows up in lakes across the country. Big Bear Lake is no different with algae growing throughout the summer months. That being said, not all algae is dangerous. Many species of algae form the base of the food chain, acting as tiny plants providing energy for larger creatures.

Recently, the term “Harmful Algae Bloom” or HAB, has become a popular buzz word in the media, describing a large number of different situations. The intent behind the term is to denote an area in which there is a high number of cyanobacteria cells, which can have a negative effect on water quality, animal, and human health.

While Big Bear Lake does have algae, its cell counts rarely get high enough to be considered a bloom. To date, there has never been an algae related health incident on Big Bear Lake, including pets and wildlife. That being said, Big Bear Lake’s baseline is a Caution level for the presence of algae year round. This means that there is algae present in the Lake and we discourage drinking water from the Lake and encourage you to rinse yourself and pets off after swimming in the Lake. Additionally, if you arrive to an area and you feel that it is not safe to swim, do not swim. Move up the beach until you find a clear area that feels safe to swim. Should anything change with regards to water quality, we will post signs around the Lake and on our website.

When in Doubt, Stay Out!