City officials urge continued caution over algae, close Red Bud Isle

City officials continued to urge caution Wednesday, warning dog owners away from Lady Bird Lake as they await tests to determine whether algae blooms in the lake are producing neurotoxins. Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano told reporters gathered at an afternoon press conference that the city had taken the precaution of closing Red Bud Isle – a popular dog park surrounded by water now filled with algae – until tests sent to the University of Texas at Corpus Christi come back. Preliminary results of those tests are expected Friday, and the full results, which were performed both upstream and downstream of the blooms, are expected Monday. In the meantime, Arellano advised the Austin public to keep their pets clear of the lake. At the press conference, a representative from Austin Public Health said that they had not seen any illness reported in humans related to the algae, but officials reminded those in attendance that swimming is not allowed in the lake.