Pinto Lake algae makes water unsafe

The City of Watsonville says Pinto Lake is sick due to years of fertilizer runoff and leaky septic systems.

According to the city’s website, the runoff is feeding cyanobacteria, a harmful blue-green algae that releases dangerous toxins into the water.

The city has been working to clean up Pinto Lake for years. In 2014, it received $750,000 in grant funding to treat the lake and two creeks that carry pollutants into the lake.

The city says it will begin alum treatment in 2017 to trap the nutrients that are feeding the algae. The fix isn’t permanent and the lake will require ongoing monitoring.

For now, the city and Santa Cruz County have posted signs prohibiting contact with the water.