The algal bloom in Lake Erie this summer, fed in part by agricultural runoff, was roughly the same size as in 2013, the third-most severe bloom in 15 years of federal records, said the Associated Press. The algae was less toxic than in previous years, but at its peak in September, green scum covered 280 square miles of the lake.
“The potentially toxic algae blooms that are fed by farm fertilizer runoff and municipal sewage overflows are a threat to drinking water, aquatic life, and tourism,” said AP. “While steps have been taken to reduce the farm fertilizer runoff and municipal sewage overflows that feed the algae, environmental groups and some political leaders have been frustrated by the pace and depth of those efforts.”
Water temperature in Lake Erie was below 59 degrees F, which should discourage the growth of the cyanobacteria, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said. “Like 2016, this bloom had a ‘double peak’ — one in August followed by a decrease in biomass, then a strong reappearance in mid-September.”