Lake Erie in store for another severe toxic algae outbreak: U.S

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Lake Erie will suffer a harmful algae bloom this summer, and may cause a public health crisis in the cities near the Great Lakes.

“We’re looking at potentially the second worst bloom, after 2011”. She says she’s used to it and has seen worse.

NOAA measures the severity of algae bloom on a 10-point scale. Ohio State University’s Sea Grant program and Stone Laboratory, Heidelberg University, the University of Toledo, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and LimnoTech will also be making field observations on water quality, algal biomass, and toxicity.

“The forecast is definitely worse than 2014”, Mr. Stumpf said. “This issue affects all Ohioans, and farmers will continue to demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement by increasing conservation practices, investing in vital research and participating in ongoing educational programs”. The practical problem will be the cost. But no matter what they do – nature is often unpredictable.

Stephanie Jenkins, who works for the Boise Regional Office of the DEQ, said that she has not found an evidence of a bloom. Most algae are innocuous.

Last August, high levels of cyanobacteria shut down Toledo’s drinking water supply.

Some of the blame was undoubtedly on the algae – which had been blown into the Maumee Bay by strong winds. “They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment”. Algae blooms most frequently occur in nutrient-rich, shallow, undisturbed surface water, particularly during hot, sunny, and calm weather. If a person ingests high levels of toxin, they could suffer liver and nervous system damage. “There will be no surprises”. “While bathing or showering with water not visibly affected by a blue-green algae bloom is not expected to cause health effects, some individuals may experience mild symptoms such as skin, eye, throat irritation or allergic reactions”.

The low snowpack and early runoff means “we are not flushing the nutrients” out of the lakes, Herron said. “Activities can still go on”. Shumlin has made cleaning up the state’s waters a priority and dedicated his inaugural address to the issue. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill in 2014. This would be a reduction of about 6,000 tons of phosphorus.

People are asked by health officials to evaluate the water conditions before recreating in or near the lake.