Lake Erie – On the Topic of Algae Bloom

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Desirée Lina Vought

Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Press release: Environmental groups call for urgent action to protect Lake Erie following NOAA algae bloom forecast

Environmental deference, Canadian Freshwater alliance, and Freshwater Future Canada.

For immediate release: July 11, 2019

Toronto, Ont. – Environmental groups are calling the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast of a significant algae bloom for Lake Erie a reminder that federal and provincial efforts to address runoff pollution into the lake have been woefully inadequate.

NOAA predicts this year’s bloom, forecasted to be 7.5 out of 10 on their index, will be much more severe than 2018. The severity could range from 6 to 9 on the scale, and has the potential to be one of the worst blooms since 2015.

“It is clear from today’s announcement that we need to be moving swiftly to address the algae blooms plaguing Lake Erie,” said Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future Canada. “Ontario and Canada must step up to the plate and release their work plan to combat this increasingly severe threat to our drinking water, tourism and recreation, and the Lake Erie ecosystem”.

“Work plans to implement the Action Plan were due months ago, but they still haven’t been completed,” said Raj Gill, Great Lakes Program Director with the Canadian Freshwater Alliance. “We simply can’t afford these delays. At this rate Ontario will fail to meet its pollution reduction commitments by the 2025 deadline, and it is putting incredible stress on Lake Erie.”

To read the full Press Release, please CLICK HERE.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Report

Lake Erie’s algae blooms are on a rise this year, 2019. Therefor, they are causing a toxic mix.

According to a REPORT by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

“A Microcystis cyano bacteria bloom is present in the western basin of Lake Erie. Satellite imagery from 7/17 indicates the bloom extends from Maumee Bay up to 20 miles north a long the Michigan coast, and up to 11 miles east a long the Ohio coast. Sampling from 7/15 indicates toxin concentrations have increased since last week, but remain below the recreational threshold”

To see the report, CLICK HERE.

Remember the Crisis of 2014

Advocates protest at a recent May 2019 Toledo City Council meeting, Photo by Hilary Tore via James Proffitt

The crisis of 2014 should have been the wake up call needed to make sweeping changes at the source of the problem. Instead, we find ourselves once again preparing for the worst case scenario and wondering what else it will take. This time the public is well informed and certainly not willing to endure such an environmental catastrophe without making some noise about it. ~ Markie Miller