According to an East Bay Regional Park District spokeswoman, people who are looking forward to a holiday in Lake Temescal should think of some other place since lake has been closed for swimming as a result of the toxic algae produced by drought.

According to spokeswoman Carolyn Jones, visitors can still come to the lake for picnics, however people and their pets should avoid going to the waters since they can fall ill because of the blue-green algae.

Jones said, "We're very sorry to have to close this popular lake during the holiday weekend. We know it's a big inconvenience because people love to swim there. The warmer temperatures and more stagnant water create perfect conditions for algae to thrive".

Generally, rain and runoff remove impurities emerging from algae blooms in regional park lakes, however concentrations of the drought have reached toxic levels.

According to her, next week, the park district is looking forward to reopen the lake for swimming. During this time, crews will treat the water for reducing the algae levels. The algae could even kill animals.

In December and January, three dogs died following lapping up algae-infested water at Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley. Toxins released by algae can attack a dog's nervous system and liver.

According to reports, last year also, Lake Temescal was closed for swimming for 46 days and at that time, it was treated with chemicals.