Algae Bloom

bostonjd · 08-05-2014, 12:17 PM

Noticing a big green algae bloom in Wolfeboro over the past two days. Seems a bit earlier than last year. The forum search reveals several people saying that the past two years was the first time they had seen it. Seems unlikely that it is a new phenomenon on the lake. Anyone have more experience on the lake and can tell us whether it is cyclical and/or whether it is a problem beyond just the annoying slimy feel?

Merrymeeting · 08-05-2014, 01:29 PM

Indicator of things to come?

Flooded by tides of phosphorus washed from fertilized farms, cattle feedlots, and leaky septic systems, the most intensely developed of the Great Lakes is increasingly being choked each summer by thick mats of algae, much of it poisonous. What plagues Toledo and, experts say, potentially all 11 million lakeside residents, is increasingly a serious problem across the United States.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nati...TodaysHeadline

Lakegeezer · 08-05-2014, 05:06 PM

The article linked to by Merrymeeting shows how good we have it here in the Winnipesaukee watershed basin. Much of Lake Winnipesaukee is pristine with algae blooms infrequent and widely scattered. We have a good watershed, and are a head water source of the Merrimack watershed, leading out to the sea.

Within our lifetimes, this could change. Traffic, population and building growth will add additional stress to the ecosystem. Without widespread use of best practices, the result is additional silt to fill up the lake and nutrients to promote plant growth.

You can tell how your part of the lake is doing by looking at the bottom. If it is sandy, you are probably in good shape. However, as the lake ages, additional parts change from a sandy bottom to a mucky one. Once the muck gets more than a few inches deep, it is difficult to recover large areas back to a pristine nature.

Hopefully we will learn about any tipping points well ahead of time. With local support, it might be possible to sustain the Winnipesaukee watershed as pristine until the end of the century. That's only 86 years away.

garysanfran · 08-05-2014, 06:24 PM

Convince Washington to harvest the stuff, so Oabma can turn it into bio-fuel.

SIKSUKR · 08-06-2014, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Convince Washington to harvest the stuff, so Oabma can turn it into bio-fuel.

Venice has a pretty bad algae growth problem, mainly because of so much waste went into those stagnant canals. Here's what they are doing.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/...52N59E20090324

SIKSUKR · 08-06-2014, 10:33 AM

Last time I was there they were using one of these harvesters.

watrskir · 08-06-2014, 02:17 PM

Hope it doesn't get this big!!

'Dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico is the size of Connecticut http://news.msn.com/us/dead-zone-in-...cticut#tscptmt

ApS · 08-06-2014, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bostonjd

Noticing a big green algae bloom in Wolfeboro over the past two days. Seems a bit earlier than last year. The forum search reveals several people saying that the past two years was the first time they had seen it. Seems unlikely that it is a new phenomenon on the lake. Anyone have more experience on the lake and can tell us whether it is cyclical and/or whether it is a problem beyond just the annoying slimy feel?

About 15 years ago, Wolfeboro's Winter Harbor had a really big algae problem which started early in the season. Big algae clumps would form on anything, and would roll like Tumbleweed on the bottom. The algae caused clogged water intakes all around the harbor, and caused me to rebuild (overbuild) and relocate our water intake.

Tiny snails could be seen "browsing' within the clumps, so that may have been the source of the seasonal episodes of "Duck Itch" that followed for years. (Snails are necessary to complete the Duck Itch parasite cycle. Duck Itch is not so bad this season).

dickiej · 08-06-2014, 06:29 PM

Just finished Dan Brown's new book "Inferno" about over population and the strain on natural resources.......yikes!!!

DickR · 08-06-2014, 06:39 PM

Back around 1974-75, when I was considering a property over on Lake Winnisquam, I obtained a copy of a lengthy study on the algae bloom that occurred most years in August. While the algae bloom was not considered a health problem, it was a big aesthetic issue, and it caused a great reduction in water clarity in areas. The algae was determined to be a direct result of excessive inflow of phosphorous.

The report tabulated all the water inflows and exits, plus in absolute terms the inflows of phosphorous. By far the greatest source of water inflow was the Winnipesaukee river, which was said to be large enough to fill Lake Winnisquam three times over in the course of a year. However, the total phosphorous that flow brought was only a percent or so of the total. The lion's share of the total phosphorous came from the secondary sewage treatment facility at Laconia (IIRC) and from the laundry facility at the state school up the shore.

The solution already was being implemented. I spoke with one of the state engineers at Concord during that winter, and at that time he said that the new facility would be online soon. The sewage and state school laundry outflow, plus various flows from the Meredith area, would be piped over to a treatment facility in Franklin. He thought there might be one more summer with an algae bloom over there, as kinks were ironed out, but that afterward the annual bloom ought to be no more. Perhaps someone can comment on how things turned out on Winnisquam.

If the bloom in Wolfeboro also is phosphorous-limited, this would be a sure sign that tougher regulations on phosphorous usage around the lake are appropriate. Looking the other way when your neighbor fertilizes his waterfront lawn or leaf blows stuff into the lake is no longer acceptable.

welch100 · 08-28-2014, 09:45 AM

The Jody Connor Limnology Center (JCLC) Cyanobacteria Hotline at (603) 419-9229.

See also excellent info, including photos, at
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis..._connor_sh.pdf

beagle · 08-28-2014, 11:13 AM

Are you talking about those little tiny green specks that are floating in the water or the fluffy green stuff on the bottom of the lake or something else?

tis · 08-28-2014, 11:17 AM

What we have now is not cyanobacteria. I was told years ago by a lady from the state it is good, it means the lake is healthy. And if you notice, it eats the bottom and makes it nice and clean.

Jeanzb1 · 08-28-2014, 12:41 PM

The trillions of tiny greenish brown specks that are in the top water column are called "gloeotrichia." It blooms usually in mid-August when the water is warm and there has been lots of sun. It is an algae.

glennsteely · 08-28-2014, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanzb1

The trillions of tiny greenish brown specks that are in the top water column are called "gloeotrichia." It blooms usually in mid-August when the water is warm and there has been lots of sun. It is an algae.

....but, is it good or bad?

tis · 08-28-2014, 05:09 PM

As I said, what we have is good according to the lady from DES.

Jeanzb1 · 08-29-2014, 07:20 AM

If you Google "gloeotrichia," you can read all about this cyanobacteria. It is recommended that humans and pets DO NOT drink the water.

tis · 08-29-2014, 08:21 AM

Oh no, you do not want to even swim where there is cyanobacteria -not even let your dogs swim in it. But fortunately that is not what we have now.

BrownstoneNorth · 08-29-2014, 08:54 AM

Tis, you may have misunderstood what a DES lady told you some years ago -- cyanobacteria Gloeotrichia tends to occur in lakes that are generally clean/good.

After encountering large quantities of these specs a few days ago at Point Breeze on and just below the surface of Lake Wentworth, I inquired of both the DES and Lake Wentworth Association. Copying below the email I received from sonya.carlson@des.nh.gov and the post on the LWA website. We've temporarily switched our swimming to Brewster on Winni instead, which is so far clear.

DES:

It is most likely the cyanobacteria Gleotrichia. It is a cyanobacteria that appears in large, low nutrient lakes like Wentworth, Winnipesaukee and Squam. At this point, it is known that it does have the capability to produce microcystin, a liver toxin, but the concentration of the cells weren't large enough in Winnipesaukee to be of concern.

It could be responsible for skin irritation or gastrointestinal issues, but not enough is known to say when the threshold is crossed from harmless to potentially harmful.

LWA: http://www.lwa.org/2014/08/blue-gree...ack/#more-2547

Blue-Green Algae Is Back

Again, many people reported seeing lots of “little green dots” in the water this summer. Yes, it is a Blue-Green Algae but it also seems to be a relatively benign kind. Was here last summer in large numbers and for the past 4 or 5 in smaller numbers.

The Algae, called Gloeotrichia, was found throughout the lake most of the summer in low densities. Last year, there was a reasonably large bloom of this algae so it was expected this year. There are places with higher densities, most likely associated with the direction of winds. Last year, samples were sent to UNH to test for toxins (this species can produce toxins at times) but this species doesn’t seem to be as dangerous as other forms of blue green algae. There have been reports on this lake of rashes and some digestive issues after swimming which might have been due to this bloom or another cause (such as duck itch or normal indigestion). The bloom will probably disappear in a week or so but it is quite likely to come back next year because it has a life cycle that allows it to winter over at the bottom of the lake. More information is available in a brochure produced by the Lake Sunapee Assoc. with regard to their bloom of Gloeotrichia. The link is: Lake Sunapee Bloom. (It will download as a PDF separate from this web page.)

What individuals can do…reduce phosphorus input to lake. The Lake Wentworth Watershed Plan is designed to do just that. Gloeotrichia is tough to get rid of because it forms resting cells on the sediments and can draw from sediment phosphorus (accumulated from past loading) to start the cycle again. This species seems to be found in lakes that are relatively pure like Lake Wentworth, according to people from the New Hampshire Lakes Assoc., but the more phosphorus available, the worse the blooms may become.

Jeanzb1 · 08-29-2014, 11:36 AM

BrownstoneNorth: Yes, you are correct, as this is the same information I was given several years ago when I inquired of the state about Gloeotrichia. There are shallow areas and sandy beaches located downwind where the concentrations of it are HORRIBLE. It looks like coffee grounds dumped in the lake. YECH! And when you swim in those areas, you will see the "specks" on the inside of your bathing suit. But in deeper waters you will see much less of it.

tis · 08-29-2014, 01:00 PM

I think I need to explain. What we have now in the water we have had for many years in the month of August. The lady from the state said it is a good bacteria and means the lake is healthy. I don't know what it is called. I don't know if she was wrong but I know for sure what she told me because it was the first time I had ever seen it and I was worried.

I have never seen the cyanobacteria but from being told by talking to someone from the Mirror Lake Assn. and reading the newspaper that people who lived on Mirror Lake were not supposed to use it at all and not let their dogs use it.

That is all i know.

Jeanzb1 · 08-29-2014, 01:37 PM

I think we are talking about the same stuff. Take a clear glass jar and take a sample of the water and you will clearly see many little brownish "dots" suspended in the water. THAT is Gloeotrichia. It has appeared every August as long as we've been coming up here. Apparently, from what I've read and been told, it is always in the water, but it lies dormant on the bottom until the temperature and sunlight conditions are right for it to bloom. It's okay to swim as long as it is not too concentrated (shallow coves where it is so thick that it floats on the surface) but it's not okay for humans and pets to drink water where there is an active Gloeotrichia bloom.

08-05-2014, 12:17 PM	#1
bostonjd Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 8 Thanks: 2 Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts	Algae Bloom Noticing a big green algae bloom in Wolfeboro over the past two days. Seems a bit earlier than last year. The forum search reveals several people saying that the past two years was the first time they had seen it. Seems unlikely that it is a new phenomenon on the lake. Anyone have more experience on the lake and can tell us whether it is cyclical and/or whether it is a problem beyond just the annoying slimy feel?

08-05-2014, 01:29 PM	#2
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,217 Thanks: 299 Thanked 795 Times in 365 Posts	Indicator of things to come? Flooded by tides of phosphorus washed from fertilized farms, cattle feedlots, and leaky septic systems, the most intensely developed of the Great Lakes is increasingly being choked each summer by thick mats of algae, much of it poisonous. What plagues Toledo and, experts say, potentially all 11 million lakeside residents, is increasingly a serious problem across the United States. http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nati...TodaysHeadline

08-05-2014, 05:06 PM	#3
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,657 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 342 Thanked 618 Times in 278 Posts	Can we keep it pristine until 2100? The article linked to by Merrymeeting shows how good we have it here in the Winnipesaukee watershed basin. Much of Lake Winnipesaukee is pristine with algae blooms infrequent and widely scattered. We have a good watershed, and are a head water source of the Merrimack watershed, leading out to the sea. Within our lifetimes, this could change. Traffic, population and building growth will add additional stress to the ecosystem. Without widespread use of best practices, the result is additional silt to fill up the lake and nutrients to promote plant growth. You can tell how your part of the lake is doing by looking at the bottom. If it is sandy, you are probably in good shape. However, as the lake ages, additional parts change from a sandy bottom to a mucky one. Once the muck gets more than a few inches deep, it is difficult to recover large areas back to a pristine nature. Hopefully we will learn about any tipping points well ahead of time. With local support, it might be possible to sustain the Winnipesaukee watershed as pristine until the end of the century. That's only 86 years away. __________________ -lg

08-05-2014, 06:24 PM	#4
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,491 Thanks: 604 Thanked 631 Times in 321 Posts	Bio-fuel? Convince Washington to harvest the stuff, so Oabma can turn it into bio-fuel. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

08-06-2014, 10:33 AM	#6
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Last time I was there they were using one of these harvesters. Attached Images __________________ SIKSUKR

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VitaBene (08-06-2014)

08-06-2014, 02:17 PM	#7
watrskir Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 49 Thanks: 38 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Hope it doesn't get this big!! 'Dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico is the size of Connecticut http://news.msn.com/us/dead-zone-in-...cticut#tscptmt

08-06-2014, 06:29 PM	#9
dickiej Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: White Salmon, WA Posts: 291 Thanks: 21 Thanked 165 Times in 90 Posts	Just finished Dan Brown's new book "Inferno" about over population and the strain on natural resources.......yikes!!!

08-06-2014, 06:39 PM	#10
DickR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 735 Thanks: 4 Thanked 254 Times in 166 Posts	Back around 1974-75, when I was considering a property over on Lake Winnisquam, I obtained a copy of a lengthy study on the algae bloom that occurred most years in August. While the algae bloom was not considered a health problem, it was a big aesthetic issue, and it caused a great reduction in water clarity in areas. The algae was determined to be a direct result of excessive inflow of phosphorous. The report tabulated all the water inflows and exits, plus in absolute terms the inflows of phosphorous. By far the greatest source of water inflow was the Winnipesaukee river, which was said to be large enough to fill Lake Winnisquam three times over in the course of a year. However, the total phosphorous that flow brought was only a percent or so of the total. The lion's share of the total phosphorous came from the secondary sewage treatment facility at Laconia (IIRC) and from the laundry facility at the state school up the shore. The solution already was being implemented. I spoke with one of the state engineers at Concord during that winter, and at that time he said that the new facility would be online soon. The sewage and state school laundry outflow, plus various flows from the Meredith area, would be piped over to a treatment facility in Franklin. He thought there might be one more summer with an algae bloom over there, as kinks were ironed out, but that afterward the annual bloom ought to be no more. Perhaps someone can comment on how things turned out on Winnisquam. If the bloom in Wolfeboro also is phosphorous-limited, this would be a sure sign that tougher regulations on phosphorous usage around the lake are appropriate. Looking the other way when your neighbor fertilizes his waterfront lawn or leaf blows stuff into the lake is no longer acceptable.

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Mooseyme (08-29-2014)

08-28-2014, 09:45 AM	#11
welch100 Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Welch Island, Gilford Posts: 49 Thanks: 34 Thanked 12 Times in 5 Posts	Report Algae Blooms The Jody Connor Limnology Center (JCLC) Cyanobacteria Hotline at (603) 419-9229. See also excellent info, including photos, at http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis..._connor_sh.pdf Last edited by welch100; 08-28-2014 at 09:47 AM. Reason: add some info

08-28-2014, 11:13 AM	#12
beagle Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wolfeboro Posts: 172 Thanks: 177 Thanked 24 Times in 20 Posts	what does it look like? Are you talking about those little tiny green specks that are floating in the water or the fluffy green stuff on the bottom of the lake or something else?

08-28-2014, 11:17 AM	#13
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,410 Thanks: 719 Thanked 1,381 Times in 957 Posts	What we have now is not cyanobacteria. I was told years ago by a lady from the state it is good, it means the lake is healthy. And if you notice, it eats the bottom and makes it nice and clean.

08-28-2014, 12:41 PM	#14
Jeanzb1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Gilford Posts: 546 Thanks: 614 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	The trillions of tiny greenish brown specks that are in the top water column are called "gloeotrichia." It blooms usually in mid-August when the water is warm and there has been lots of sun. It is an algae.

08-28-2014, 05:09 PM	#16
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,410 Thanks: 719 Thanked 1,381 Times in 957 Posts	As I said, what we have is good according to the lady from DES.

08-29-2014, 07:20 AM	#17
Jeanzb1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Gilford Posts: 546 Thanks: 614 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	If you Google "gloeotrichia," you can read all about this cyanobacteria. It is recommended that humans and pets DO NOT drink the water.

08-29-2014, 08:21 AM	#18
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,410 Thanks: 719 Thanked 1,381 Times in 957 Posts	Oh no, you do not want to even swim where there is cyanobacteria -not even let your dogs swim in it. But fortunately that is not what we have now.

08-29-2014, 08:54 AM	#19
BrownstoneNorth Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 209 Thanks: 107 Thanked 117 Times in 69 Posts	The greenish brown algae specs are a form of cyanobacteria Tis, you may have misunderstood what a DES lady told you some years ago -- cyanobacteria Gloeotrichia tends to occur in lakes that are generally clean/good. After encountering large quantities of these specs a few days ago at Point Breeze on and just below the surface of Lake Wentworth, I inquired of both the DES and Lake Wentworth Association. Copying below the email I received from sonya.carlson@des.nh.gov and the post on the LWA website. We've temporarily switched our swimming to Brewster on Winni instead, which is so far clear. DES: It is most likely the cyanobacteria Gleotrichia. It is a cyanobacteria that appears in large, low nutrient lakes like Wentworth, Winnipesaukee and Squam. At this point, it is known that it does have the capability to produce microcystin, a liver toxin, but the concentration of the cells weren't large enough in Winnipesaukee to be of concern. It could be responsible for skin irritation or gastrointestinal issues, but not enough is known to say when the threshold is crossed from harmless to potentially harmful. LWA: http://www.lwa.org/2014/08/blue-gree...ack/#more-2547 Blue-Green Algae Is Back Again, many people reported seeing lots of “little green dots” in the water this summer. Yes, it is a Blue-Green Algae but it also seems to be a relatively benign kind. Was here last summer in large numbers and for the past 4 or 5 in smaller numbers. The Algae, called Gloeotrichia, was found throughout the lake most of the summer in low densities. Last year, there was a reasonably large bloom of this algae so it was expected this year. There are places with higher densities, most likely associated with the direction of winds. Last year, samples were sent to UNH to test for toxins (this species can produce toxins at times) but this species doesn’t seem to be as dangerous as other forms of blue green algae. There have been reports on this lake of rashes and some digestive issues after swimming which might have been due to this bloom or another cause (such as duck itch or normal indigestion). The bloom will probably disappear in a week or so but it is quite likely to come back next year because it has a life cycle that allows it to winter over at the bottom of the lake. More information is available in a brochure produced by the Lake Sunapee Assoc. with regard to their bloom of Gloeotrichia. The link is: Lake Sunapee Bloom. (It will download as a PDF separate from this web page.) What individuals can do…reduce phosphorus input to lake. The Lake Wentworth Watershed Plan is designed to do just that. Gloeotrichia is tough to get rid of because it forms resting cells on the sediments and can draw from sediment phosphorus (accumulated from past loading) to start the cycle again. This species seems to be found in lakes that are relatively pure like Lake Wentworth, according to people from the New Hampshire Lakes Assoc., but the more phosphorus available, the worse the blooms may become. Last edited by BrownstoneNorth; 08-29-2014 at 09:01 AM. Reason: remove stray asterisks and typo

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08-29-2014, 11:36 AM	#20
Jeanzb1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Gilford Posts: 546 Thanks: 614 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	BrownstoneNorth: Yes, you are correct, as this is the same information I was given several years ago when I inquired of the state about Gloeotrichia. There are shallow areas and sandy beaches located downwind where the concentrations of it are HORRIBLE. It looks like coffee grounds dumped in the lake. YECH! And when you swim in those areas, you will see the "specks" on the inside of your bathing suit. But in deeper waters you will see much less of it.

08-29-2014, 01:00 PM	#21
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,410 Thanks: 719 Thanked 1,381 Times in 957 Posts	I think I need to explain. What we have now in the water we have had for many years in the month of August. The lady from the state said it is a good bacteria and means the lake is healthy. I don't know what it is called. I don't know if she was wrong but I know for sure what she told me because it was the first time I had ever seen it and I was worried. I have never seen the cyanobacteria but from being told by talking to someone from the Mirror Lake Assn. and reading the newspaper that people who lived on Mirror Lake were not supposed to use it at all and not let their dogs use it. That is all i know.

08-29-2014, 01:37 PM	#22
Jeanzb1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Gilford Posts: 546 Thanks: 614 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	I think we are talking about the same stuff. Take a clear glass jar and take a sample of the water and you will clearly see many little brownish "dots" suspended in the water. THAT is Gloeotrichia. It has appeared every August as long as we've been coming up here. Apparently, from what I've read and been told, it is always in the water, but it lies dormant on the bottom until the temperature and sunlight conditions are right for it to bloom. It's okay to swim as long as it is not too concentrated (shallow coves where it is so thick that it floats on the surface) but it's not okay for humans and pets to drink water where there is an active Gloeotrichia bloom.