Silver Lake in Hollis is a favorite for swimming, boating, fishing, and more - but right now, you'll probably want to avoid jumping in. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has issued a cyanobacteria advisory for the lake as of June 12, meaning that contact with the water can pose dangers to human and animal health ranging from painful skin rashes to, in extreme cases, death. Cyanobacteria, unlike some other types of bacteria commonly found in swimming areas and introduced by humans, come from blue-green algae blooms.
As the levels have fluctuated, the DES altered its advisory several times over the last couple of weeks, but as of this writing the lake advisory is still in place.
Algal blooms are fairly common occurrences in lakes throughout New Hampshire, and have gotten additional attention in recent years since researchers at Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire have begun to study the possibility that the cyanobacteria from these algal blooms might be a cause of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).
Blooms have also been reported, but are clear at the time of this writing, this year at other local swimming spots such as Goose Pond in Canaan, Elm Brook Park in Hopkinton, and Lake Waukewan in Meredith.
Hopefully, Silver Lake's bloom will dissipate soon and we'll all be able to return to the water - these blooms can come and go very quickly depending on weather and other factors.
We know it's hot and the water is refreshing - but if you see an advisory sign, or a warning from the DES, follow it! And if you see any blue-green algae in a lake without a current warning, report it to the state so they can test it. You can keep track of swimming warnings on the DES website, where you can also learn more about the hazards of cyanobacteria. They also maintain a Twitter account that you can follow to stay on top of the latest updates.
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