RIDOH, DEM recommend lifting recreational restrictions for Tiogue Lake

CEOVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Department of Health and Department of Environmental Management recommended lifting the restriction on recreational activities on Tiogue Lake Thursday.

The advisory was put in place due to a large amount of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in the water. The algae looks like floating mats, thick paint, or pea soup.

Recent surveys showed that the algae was at acceptably low levels and no cyanotoxin was detected.

The departments said that blooms occur quickly and can return to the lake.

Officials said blue-green algae can produce toxins that can make people and pets sick, from minor symptoms like skin irritation to stomach issues and nausea. In rarer cases, exposure to the toxins have caused people to experience dizziness, fever, and liver and nervous system damage.