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MUSKEGON -
When it's 90 degrees, the beach is a popular place.
But the Lake Michigan water hasn't been living up to it's end of the deal, murky and full of algae.
A lot of people have been wondering if it's safe.
"It was dirty, we were disappointed it wasn't clear, definitely not clear," said Lisa Rozegnal at the Grand Haven State Park.
And she's not alone.
"I mentioned to my wife, I don't think I want to dive in this," said Bob Sciba, also in Grand Haven.
People from South Haven all the way to Oceana County are concerned about kids and dogs.
The Muskegon County Health Department received calls, so they called Alan Steinman from Grand Valley State's Lake Michigan Center.
He collected samples from Pere Marquette Park.
"Fortunately it's nothing harmful," said Steinman. "According to our microscopic observation, it's basically dead and decaying algae, not the harmful algal type, but of course it doesn't look very pleasant."
Steinman says the algae's common, just not this much of it. He says the weather plays a role--so much heat so fast.
There's also more pollution from run off, maybe due to all the rain.
Algae needs sunlight to bloom. There's more of it because invasive species have eaten the plantlife that would normally block it out.
"It probably formed in the last few days due to the hot, calm conditions right along the shoreline," said Steinman.
The algae is supposed to dissipate and break up as the winds blow and the weather changes.
This is different than the blue green algae, often reported on inland lakes.
That algae forms a toxin that can actually damage human livers if swallowed.
But the Lake Michigan water hasn't been living up to it's end of the deal, murky and full of algae.
A lot of people have been wondering if it's safe.
"It was dirty, we were disappointed it wasn't clear, definitely not clear," said Lisa Rozegnal at the Grand Haven State Park.
And she's not alone.
"I mentioned to my wife, I don't think I want to dive in this," said Bob Sciba, also in Grand Haven.
People from South Haven all the way to Oceana County are concerned about kids and dogs.
The Muskegon County Health Department received calls, so they called Alan Steinman from Grand Valley State's Lake Michigan Center.
He collected samples from Pere Marquette Park.
"Fortunately it's nothing harmful," said Steinman. "According to our microscopic observation, it's basically dead and decaying algae, not the harmful algal type, but of course it doesn't look very pleasant."
Steinman says the algae's common, just not this much of it. He says the weather plays a role--so much heat so fast.
There's also more pollution from run off, maybe due to all the rain.
Algae needs sunlight to bloom. There's more of it because invasive species have eaten the plantlife that would normally block it out.
"It probably formed in the last few days due to the hot, calm conditions right along the shoreline," said Steinman.
The algae is supposed to dissipate and break up as the winds blow and the weather changes.
This is different than the blue green algae, often reported on inland lakes.
That algae forms a toxin that can actually damage human livers if swallowed.
