BELTON, Texas — We're just days away from the holiday weekend and it's one of the busiest for local lakes.
But Belton Lake has been through it the last couple of months after some areas tested positive for toxic algae and heavy rains led to flooding at parks.
So, what's it going to look like this weekend?
The toxic green stuff, called blue-green algae bloom, is still around at Belton Lake, the Brazos River Authority confirmed.
"They tests the solids in the water and it has come back positive every month unfortunately, but its only in the solids -- it's not in the free standing water," said Belton Lake Park Ranger Cassy Hill.
Hill said the algae is not only toxic to animals but, also humans. You would have to ingest large quantities for it to be an issue though.
"If you're skiing and you fall in and you drink some water, you're probably pretty safe," she explained. "If you're sitting on the shoreline and you're just grabbing a bunch of mud and eating that, that's not safe."
According to Hill, the water is safe for animals as long as it's not stagnant or standing water.
But Linda Lang who walks her dog around Belton Lake, almost everyday, isn't taking a chance.
"We don't let him go in because of the algae that was in the water and that may be all gone now, but there's just no need," Lang explained.
Lang urged other pet owners to be cautious for no tragedies.
"Stay away from the water, keep your pets away from the water, but that's just a safety measure," she said.
The warning signs come as lake traffic is expected to peak over the holiday weekend, which Lang avoids at all costs.
"Too many people, too much traffic, too many inexperienced boaters out there that don't pay attention to boating safety," she explained.
Recent heavy rains still have many parks around Belton Lake closed which could push more out to the open waters. Nine of the 16 parks around Belton Lake are partially closed due to flooding.
"Unfortunately all of our day-use areas where most people would recreate on Belton Lake are currently closed," Hill said.
Temple Lake Park is one of the parks that remains partially closed. The north boat ramp is the only thing open at Temple Lake and if you get a chance to see the rest of the park, you might wonder why. It's because of sandy point and the swim beach, although no longer submerged, are under strict protocols.
"It just started drying out and we have to wait a minimum of 14 days for that road base to dry out," Hill explained. "If we let people drive on that road prior to that 14 days, that road will deteriorate causing so many safety issues and hazards that we don't want our public to have to deal with."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not planning to open any more parks before the holiday weekend, however some areas could close at any given time, so it's important to check the status of each facility.
You can check the status of parks at Belton Lake here.