SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Days like the past two Saturdays, where areas in Michiana saw intense rainfall and flooding conditions, aren’t only a hassle in the moment, but can also cause issues in our waterways
“When we have really intense rainfall events, that’s going to create more of an opportunity for that phosphorus to get into an aquatic system because water is always going downhill, right? So, a more intense rainfall is not going to just not only saturate the soil, but then the soil is over saturated so then it starts running off the surface. And as the water is running off the surface that’s when it’s picking up soil particles it’s picking up phosphorus molecules and moving them downhill and what’s downhill? Our lakes and our steams.”
Dr. Nate Bosch for the Lilly Center of Lakes and Streams says that hot, stagnant water combined with an influx of nutrients is one of the main drivers for blue-green algae production.
Michiana has seen plenty of days in July with runoff from storms causing an uptick in nutrients getting into bodies of water, followed by hot days.
With hot weather continuing through the coming months Kristen Arnold from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, says we are far from over with the blue green algae season.
“When the temperatures are warmest, both water temperature and the air temperature is when you’re going to see the bull of your harmful algal bloom. So, I would say typically July through early October, mid-October is when we’ve been seeing the bulk of the blooms,” said Bosch.
Blue-green algae blooms can carry harmful toxins that can affect you and your pets, which is why it’s important to stay on the lookout for these algae, like what the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams are doing, albeit a little more advanced
“We define our program as a non-response program, so we have a set monitoring program meaning we monitor the same beaches every month and we have for the past several years.”
Kristen Arnold from IDEM tells me their organization only tests Indiana DNR designated swimming zones. The one in Michiana they test is Worster Lake in Potato Creek State Park.
The Lilly Center only tests in Kosciusko County, and both test only until Labor Day. However, leaders from both programs, including Bosch, tell me that when the threat of blue green algae is particularly prevalent, you’ll be able to notice it
“Under really extreme bloom conditions you’re going to be able to see it, even at the surface because there’s so much blue green algae that it’s going to be pretty obvious, not necessarily that it’s producing toxin, but you’ll be able to see the high population because it will be there at the surface.” said Bosch.
Again, not all blue green algae blooms carry the toxin but it’s still the best idea to avoid the water if you do see an algal bloom, especially keeping pets away.
Arnold said, “You don’t think about it, pets, in terms of how they’re actively drinking the water. They’re actually, cyanobacteria, tastes good to a dog and also when they go in the water and it sticks to them, they come out and what do they do? They lick their fur to clean themselves so they’re actively ingesting these toxins. So, the toxins can affect a dog much faster.”
While there isn’t anything particularly you can do about algae growing, you can stop algae transfer by making sure you wash any swimming gear that you use in one lake before you go into another or even a public pool.