Toledo, Ohio — The toxic blob of algae that turns western Lake Erie a terrifying shade of green each summer threatens drinking water and fish should be on the small side again after another dry spring this year , scientists predicted on Wednesday.
Researchers expect this will be the first time in more than a decade that relatively light algae blooms have been seen back-to-back in the shallowest part of the Great Lakes. But they caution that this is no sign that the lake is yet to turn.
That’s because they say the rosy outlook this year is mainly due to a lack of heavy rain that typically washes phosphorus-laden livestock manure and chemical fertilizers from farm fields and into the lake where it feeds on algae. .
“While this is good news, phosphorus concentrations still remain the same as in recent years,” said oceanographer Rick Stumpf. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Unless we start seeing a decrease in phosphorus concentrations, there will be more severe blooms next year with above-average rainfall.”
Ohio’s leaders have been under pressure to bloom since algae poisoning in 2014, leaving more than 400,000 people around Toledo unable to drink their tap water. So far, very little progress has been made.
republican government mike devine is betting on cleaning up the lake through an ambitious 10-year plan, offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new farming practices and a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from farms is being built.
But those efforts are just getting started. The approach is being closely watched by states battling rising numbers of algae outbreaks. Some environmental groups are skeptical, but others who disagree with the agriculture industry are hopeful.
Forecast for this summer released by NOAA predicts that the blossom will come in at 3 on its severity index – a light reading comparable to the previous year. Anything above 5 indicates serious blooms.
Algae outbreaks have become more frequent and severe since 2008. But if the forecast for this summer is correct, three of the last four years will be below 5 on the rating scale.
During that time, farmers are planting more cover crops and using new methods to reduce fertilizer runoff, said Jordan Howisher, Ohio Farm Bureau’s director of water quality and research.
“There is no point in giving all the credit to the season in years when there is a small bloom and if there is a big one then all the blame is put on the farmers,” he said.
The blooms contain blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, which can produce a liver toxin called microcystin that is harmful to people and can be fatal to animals, including dogs. Even in years when flowers are small, they can still produce dangerous toxins.
NOAA and other US and Canadian agencies set a goal to reduce the Lake Erie blooms to 3 on the index.
Ohio, Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario have also pledged to reduce phosphorus runoff by 40% by 2025 from the 2015 amount.
Laura Johnson, director of the National Center for Water Quality Research, said this year’s measurements in the Maumee River, which carries the majority of farmland flow into the lake from Ohio and Indiana, show there are still high concentrations of phosphorus. Heidelberg University in Ohio.
That said, the big difference is that it is very dry, which has greatly reduced the amount of water flowing into the river.
Unless significant and consistent reductions are made in the amount of phosphorus in the agriculturally heavy Maumee River watershed, bloom will remain a problem, said Don Scavia, a professor emeritus. University of Michigan and a member of the forecasting team.
“We can’t just keep our fingers crossed and expect the dry weather to keep us safe,” he said.
Researchers expect this will be the first time in more than a decade that relatively light algae blooms have been seen back-to-back in the shallowest part of the Great Lakes. But they caution that this is no sign that the lake is yet to turn.
That’s because they say the rosy outlook this year is mainly due to a lack of heavy rain that typically washes phosphorus-laden livestock manure and chemical fertilizers from farm fields and into the lake where it feeds on algae. .
“While this is good news, phosphorus concentrations still remain the same as in recent years,” said oceanographer Rick Stumpf. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Unless we start seeing a decrease in phosphorus concentrations, there will be more severe blooms next year with above-average rainfall.”
Ohio’s leaders have been under pressure to bloom since algae poisoning in 2014, leaving more than 400,000 people around Toledo unable to drink their tap water. So far, very little progress has been made.
republican government mike devine is betting on cleaning up the lake through an ambitious 10-year plan, offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new farming practices and a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from farms is being built.
But those efforts are just getting started. The approach is being closely watched by states battling rising numbers of algae outbreaks. Some environmental groups are skeptical, but others who disagree with the agriculture industry are hopeful.
Forecast for this summer released by NOAA predicts that the blossom will come in at 3 on its severity index – a light reading comparable to the previous year. Anything above 5 indicates serious blooms.
Algae outbreaks have become more frequent and severe since 2008. But if the forecast for this summer is correct, three of the last four years will be below 5 on the rating scale.
During that time, farmers are planting more cover crops and using new methods to reduce fertilizer runoff, said Jordan Howisher, Ohio Farm Bureau’s director of water quality and research.
“There is no point in giving all the credit to the season in years when there is a small bloom and if there is a big one then all the blame is put on the farmers,” he said.
The blooms contain blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, which can produce a liver toxin called microcystin that is harmful to people and can be fatal to animals, including dogs. Even in years when flowers are small, they can still produce dangerous toxins.
NOAA and other US and Canadian agencies set a goal to reduce the Lake Erie blooms to 3 on the index.
Ohio, Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario have also pledged to reduce phosphorus runoff by 40% by 2025 from the 2015 amount.
Laura Johnson, director of the National Center for Water Quality Research, said this year’s measurements in the Maumee River, which carries the majority of farmland flow into the lake from Ohio and Indiana, show there are still high concentrations of phosphorus. Heidelberg University in Ohio.
That said, the big difference is that it is very dry, which has greatly reduced the amount of water flowing into the river.
Unless significant and consistent reductions are made in the amount of phosphorus in the agriculturally heavy Maumee River watershed, bloom will remain a problem, said Don Scavia, a professor emeritus. University of Michigan and a member of the forecasting team.
“We can’t just keep our fingers crossed and expect the dry weather to keep us safe,” he said.
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