A California lake turned pink this week — in the name of science

Stockton’s McLeod Lake is looking pretty in pink this week.

The splash of color is part of a study being conducted by the California Department of Water Resources, which is dumping pinkish dye into the water to figure out why the lake has become a hot spot for harmful algae.

Hazardous algal blooms, which can be toxic to humans, pets and aquatic life, popped up in McLeod Lake in 2020 and 2022…