MERIDIAN, Texas — The Meridian State Park lake will be closed until further notice due to presumed blue-green algae bloom in the lake, based on the recommendation from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departments.
The lake will be closed to boating, swimming, and fishing. The rest of the park is still open to all other activities. Visitors who have reservations for the lake are being contacted to make them aware of the recent update.
Earlier Friday morning, park staff found algae on the surface of the lake along the entire east bank. This is a sign of an algae bloom according to the TPWD website.
Algae blooms can have large impacts on fish and wildlife. The algae blooms pose a danger to humans and pets when they are exposed to direct contact or by swallowing the algae. The toxins in the algae can cause mild to severe side effects.
A team from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will have ongoing quality testing of the water, along with staff from Baylor University.