Residents are being asked to avoid swimming or letting pets in the water at the Cobden Beach. The County of Renfrew and District Health Unit is warning residents of the current algae bloom. It’s recommended to avoid direct contact by not swimming, letting pets in the water, not drinking the water and avoiding eating the liver, kidneys and other organs of fish caught in the lake. The local health unit says swimming in water with high levels of bacteria can cause skin rashes, eye, ear, nose and throat infections, and intestinal or stomach sickness if the water is swallowed. Beaches owned and operated by municipalities are tested for e. coli and other bacteria. The Cobden Beach on Muskrat Lake is the only one in Renfrew County that is currently under a water quality advisory warning due to safety concerns. In August of last year the beach was also closed after suspected blue-green algae blooms were found in Muskrat Lake.