The beach and swim area at Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield reopened Friday, nearly a week ahead of predicted.  Lifeguards at the park alerted the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection last Thursday to blue-green algae that can emit toxins possibly harmful to people and dogs.  A DEEP spokesman Dennis says they monitored the water quality to assess conditions.

None of the scum associated with the algae remains in the area. 

Potential health effects to exposure of the blue green algae toxins could include skin irritation, vomiting, and even liver or nervous system effects if large amounts of the algae are ingested.

This is different than the typical short closings after heavy rain when storm water runoff can increase the amount of bacteria in the water.  That can clear up in a matter of a day or two.