Algae contaminates Barrie’s Little Lake

Swimming in water with blue-green algae can cause itchy, irritated eyes.

The blooms thrive where water is shallow, slow-moving and warm.

Dragon boat regional championships at the lake this weekend will not be affected because rowers have little direct contact with the water. Swallowing contaminated water in small quantities could result in: headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The toxin is known to have killed dogs and livestock. “A lot of people asked the question, could that happen here?”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists earlier this month announced that simulations demonstrate this year could be one of the most severe for harmful algal blooms on western Lake Erie, the second-most serious after the record-breaking 2011 bloom.

Officials in Toledo say they are doing daily water testing for the unsafe toxin that led to a water crisis in the region a year ago that left some Monroe County residents without water for days.

Mike Winslow, a staff scientist with the Lake Champlain Committee, which runs an algae monitoring program, said it’s shaping up to be a bad season for blue-green algae.

“It’s been rough so far”, said Winslow.

The algae on nutrients in Lake Erie, with a primary source being the Maumee River and its watershed, which stretches through farm and industrial country from Indiana to Toledo.

Despite the tough summer, only a few samples of untreated water taken at treatment plants have shown low levels of algae while none has been found in treated water, Vose said. “So they are much more aware of what is occurring at their intake, which gives them five to six hours of notice if they need to make changes in their water treatment process”.