Why is the McKinley Park duck pond a bright turquoise? Your Sacramento question, answered
If you stumble upon the pond at McKinley Park on Alhambra Boulevard in Sacramento, you might find large ducks and geese gliding atop bright blue-green water.
For the past month, Judith Poxon, took notice of the unique hue of the lake. Poxon, a resident of Sacramento for most of her life, told The Bee that she’s usually in the park at least once or twice a week, taking a walk or going to the library.
The first time she saw the blue waters a month ago, she said it was weird but thought it wouldn’t last that long.
After seeing that the colors of the water hasn’t changed, Paxon asked Bee Curious — a community-driven series where reporters answer reader questions: “Why has the water in McKinley Park pond been bright turquoise for the past ten days or so?”
The Bee reached out to the city to find out.
Why is the lake turquoise?
It all stems from an effort to clean up the lake.
Gabby Miller, the city’s spokeswoman, said that the pond’s color is from a dye that helps reduce algae from forming in the water.
“An overabundance of algae reduces the amount of saturated oxygen in the water which has negative effect on animal species that live underneath the water,” Miller said in an email.
According to Michigan State University, aquatic dyes typically add a blue or blue-green hue to the water to reduce sunlight from getting into the water, which in turn, curtails algae growth by blocking photosynthesis.
Is the dye dangerous to animals?
These dyes are likened to food dyes, the university states, and do not harm wildlife or fish.
It’s also not an herbicide, so it won’t kill plants inside the lake.
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