The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their research partners recently released their forecast for this year’s algae bloom in Lake Erie. They expect this year’s bloom to be larger than average. Though just how big it will be remains in question.
The Detroit Free Press notes that the NOAA developed a severity index they use to measure the of size of algae bloom. This year’s bloom is predicted to rank at 7.5 on the index—though it could range anywhere from 6.5-9.5. For comparison, last year’s alga bloom only ranked at 3.2 on the index. The worst algae bloom of the past decade occurred in 2015 and ranked at 10.5.
What causes algae blooms to be larger or smaller? The amount of phosphorous in the water. Phosphorous primarily gets into the water from fertilizer or manure land runoff, caused by rainfall. There’s been a lot of rain this year. The St. Thomas Time-Journal notes that NOAA estimates show “the amount of phosphorus entering the lake this year is double what it was a year ago”.
High algae levels can cause of number of problems, becoming irritating or dangerous to animals and humans, and hindering tourism. Algae blooms can make the water green and murky. While drinking water is typically not affected, it can be. In 2014, algae blooms affected the drinking water in Toledo, Ohio, and Monroe, Michigan, leading to a do-not-drink advisory for 500,000+ people.
