Children’s and Pier Beach at Chautauqua Institution are open for swimming. Any future lake conditions affecting the beach will be posted under News and Announcements on the homepage of chq.org.

As you may recall, the beaches were closed for a short time last weekend over concerns about algal blooms in Chautauqua Lake.  After testing the Algal Bloom was determined to be nontoxic.

We are working closely with the NYS Department of Health and Courtney Wigdalh-Perry, PhD, an associate professor of Biology at SUNY Fredonia and a leading scientist who studies algal blooms in Chautauqua Lake. Wigdahl-Perry told us the water samples taken during the algal bloom were made up of Gloeotrichia (a cyanobacteria), which is not typically toxic in Chautauqua Lake. She says this species is much less toxic than other species in the lake, but it was good to close the beaches out of caution. 

We are advised to stay vigilant in monitoring lake conditions and will continue to monitor the situation, working with state and local agencies to ensure the health and safety of our patrons.

Decisions regarding beach closures are made daily, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. Be assured, if there are any changes in water quality, the public will be notified immediately.