Lake Hartwell under harmful algal bloom watch after new reports

WYFF 4 reports that Before you head to Lake Hartwell this weekend, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Service has issued a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Recreational Watch.

Survey follows reports of algal bloomOn May 27, SCDES Aquatic Science staff conducted a survey of Lake Hartwell, including the Coneross Creek lake arm following multiple reports of an algal bloom.

Field teams collected water samples and confirmed the presence of a cyanobacteria algal bloom with the potential to produce cyanotoxins.

Cyanotoxin levels from the May 27 samples are currently low and below state recreational criteria.

The cyanobacterium in the May 27 samples is the same species identified during the 2025 HAB event on Lake Hartwell.

What areas are affected as of Friday, May 29?