‘Severe harmful algal bloom’ predicted for Lake Erie

IDL TIFF file
The green scum shown in this image is the worst algae bloom Lake Erie has experienced in decades. Vibrant green filaments extend out from the northern shore – Photo credit by NASA, 2011

Researchers in the United States are predicting more ‘severe’ algal blooms for Lake Erie this summer.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their research partners are predicting that the 2015 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom season will be among the most severe in recent years, and could become the second most severe behind the record-setting 2011 bloom.

A NOAA report states the effects of the cyanobacterial blooms include a higher cost for cities and local governments to treat their drinking water, as well as risk to swimmers in high concentration areas, and a nuisance to boaters when blooms form. These effects will vary in locations and severity with winds, and will peak in September.

“While we are forecasting a severe bloom, much of the lake will be fine most of the time,” stated Richard Stumpf, Ph.D., NOAA’s ecological forecasting applied research lead. “The bloom will develop from west to east in the Lake Erie Western Basin, beginning this month. It is important to note that these effects will vary with winds, and will peak in September.”

The bloom will be expected to measure 8.7 on the severity index with a range from 8.1 to potentially as high as 9.5. This is more severe than the last year’s 6.5, and may equal or exceed 2013, which had the second worse bloom in this century. The severity index runs from a high of 10, which corresponds to the 2011 bloom, the worst ever observed, to zero. A severity above 5.0 indicates blooms of particular concern, a NOAA report states.

The 2015 seasonal forecast uses models that translate spring nutrient loading into predicted algal blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie.

The NOAA states after a relatively dry April and May, the heavy rains in June produced record discharge and nutrient loadings from the Maumee River, which runs through Toledo, Ohio as well as northeastern Indiana, will result in a more severe bloom.

This marks the fourth year that NOAA has issued an annual outlook for western Lake Erie.

“Last summer’s Toledo water crisis was a wake-up call to the serious nature of harmful algal blooms in America’s waters,” said Jeff Reutter, Ph.D., senior advisor The Ohio State University’s Sea Grant program and Stone Laboratory. “This forecast once again focuses attention on this issue, and the urgent need to take action to address the problems caused by excessive amounts of nutrients from fertilizer, manure and sewage flowing into our lakes and streams.”

Read the NOAA’s full report here.

The topic of algal blooms in Lake Erie has been a topic of conversation locally, as the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission continues to deal with the issue, as the city of Chatham receives their drinking water from Lake Erie.

Stantec Consulting, who was hired by the Chatham-Kent PUC to do an environmental assessment about the future of Wallaceburg’s drinking water, says the “preferred alternative” for Wallaceburg is to connect to the Chatham water supply, which gets its water from Lake Erie.

Read the latest on the story here: ‘Passionate’ meeting held about Wallaceburg’s water

A preferred solution is expected to be presented to the PUC by October of this year.


– Photo credit: NASA

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