AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, a city memo from several city of Austin departments strongly suggested that Mayor Kirk Watson and the city council should continue the recreational ban on swimming in Lady Bird Lake.
The memo said the latest assessment of recreational swimming in Lady Bird Lake was in response to recent community inquiries.
The memo pointed out that despite the current long-standing ban, staff continue to observe significant and ongoing risks to humans and pets, including drownings.
Since 2019, six dogs have died, with their deaths being attributed to toxins from unpredictable blue-green algae proliferation. The ingestion of algae also represents a health hazard for humans, according to the city.
“Staff’s preliminary analysis indicates that providing reasonable safety measures for general swimming in Lady Bird Lake is both costly and impractical,” the memo said.
The document stated that the financial burden of swimming safely in Lady Bird Lake would be substantial, including site preparation and warning systems, as well as significant ongoing operational costs for daily monitoring, hazard removal, lifeguard staffing, emergency response, and infrastructure repair after floods.
The departments said even after these investments were to be made, staff anticipate an “inevitable” increase in injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
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