North Platte, Neb. – It’s all clear for visitors to use Hershey Beach at Sutherland Reservoir.

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) was notified Thursday by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) that sampling results indicated blue-green algae found earlier this week were within the standards established by the agency, and not a health concern for the public.

Monday, NPPD had requested NDEQ to take water samples and test what appeared to be blue-green algae in the water and along the shoreline of the beach.

As a precautionary step to protect the public, NPPD advised visitors to Hershey Beach not to swim or walk in the water until sampling results were returned. With NDEQ’s results, recreational activities at the reservoir can resume.

NDEQ conducts weekly or bi-weekly sampling for toxic blue-green algae and bacteria at a number of public recreational lakes across Nebraska from May through September, including Sutherland Reservoir and Lake Maloney that are owned and operated by NPPD. Samples are typically collected on Monday and posted on the website on Thursday or Friday. Results are updated weekly on the website at www.deq.state.ne.us.