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[WedgeX]

The forecast for western Lake Erie for later this summer into fall?: Green and mucky.

The algae blooms that have plagued the lake in recent years are expected to be worse than normal this year, well above the size at which they can potentially become harmful to aquatic life and even humans, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters announced Thursday.

This year's algae bloom, which usually begins in late July and can continue into October, is expected to measure 7.5 on a severity index developed by NOAA and other researchers, but could range between 6.5 and 9.5. The largest blooms since the problem returned to Lake Erie in the late 1990s, in 2011 and 2015, were 10 and 10.5, respectively, on the severity index.

...

In western Lake Erie, blooms of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, can produce a toxin called microcystin, which can be harmful or even fatal to humans and animals. And boiling water doesn't help with microcystin; it makes it more concentrated.

It was alarming levels of this toxin that caused a do-not-drink advisory that shut down the water supply for almost 500,000 people in Toledo and southeast Michigan for a weekend in August 2014.

A large algae bloom doesn't necessarily mean the microcystin water problem is again imminent, said University of Michigan aquatic ecologist Don Scavia, a member of the forecast team, in a release. Local weather conditions, including wind direction and water temperature, play a role, he said.

"Even so, we cannot continue to cross our fingers and hope that seasonal fluctuations in weather will keep us safe," he said.

Courtesy the Detroit Free Press.

One possible solution, not mentioned in the article, that has been thrown around is the restoration of parts of the Great Black Swamp. The swamp existed up until the 1850s, covered most of northern Ohio from Lake Erie to Ft. Wayne Indiana, and acted like a kidney for Lake Erie. But Ohioans wanted more airable land, so all 1500 square miles was drained.

 

[WedgeX]

Well. As predicted:

Miles of Algae Covering Lake Erie - New York Times

A potentially harmful algae bloom covered more than 700 square miles in the western basin of Lake Erie last week, turning the lake bright green and alarming residents and local officials.

Scientists say that algae blooms have been a growing problem for Lake Erie since the 2000s, mostly because of the extensive use of fertilizer on the region’s farmland.

The algae blooms contain cyanobacteria, which, under certain conditions, can produce toxins that contaminate drinking water and cause harm to the local ecosystem.

During last week’s bloom, the amount of toxins in the algae remained low at the intake points where towns draw water from the lake, according to officials.

https://nyti.ms/2yFwvtb

Great pictures at the Times link.

The algae bloom effectively covers Lake Erie from Ohio to Canada.

Re-build the swamp if old.

 

[Rocketz]

Yeah Toledo is basically fucked. They get most of their water from the lake.

There was a reason never to go into the Maumee River.

 

[Kayhan]

Should have drained the swamp.