Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media swimmers are being advised by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to avoid Kinderhook Lake after the discovery of harmful algae blooms in the water. DEC test samples taken on June 26 confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria, a harmful algae bloom. The bloom is currently concentrated in one part of the lake, in a cove along a large segment of the northwestern shoreline. Three samples taken by DEC representatives tested at levels above the the agency's threshold for a confirmed bloom. Officials are urging people to stay away from discolored water, foul-smelling water, pond scum or foam, and warn that exposure by touching, swallowing or inhaling could cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, and skin, eye or throat irritation. The lake is privately owned and managed by the Kinderhook Lake Corporation, Kinderhook Town Supervisor Patrick Grattan said. “I have no recollection of this happening before,” he said. The corporation treated the water with copper sulfate June 25, and bloom counts have dropped since the DEC sampling. “The water clarity is good,” Bill Cleary, president of the Kinderhook Lake Corporation, said. “Activities should be in the normal range for the 4th of July.” Cleary urged residents to check the corporation website, take precautions and to make their own decisions about swimming in the lake. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.