I've been asked (not told) to refrain from posting on this forum until I retire or move on. I have honored that request but, in this instance, I'm making an exception. This problem is real. This is not just pollen. Fertilizer is not the sole cause. Contributing factors include fertilizers, increased run-off, reduced nutrient uptake in the watershed due to reduced vegetative cover, more geese, higher stream water temperatures due to less tree shading on contributing waters, more nutrients released into streams due to poor soil stabilization practices sites during and after construction, higher water temperatures, lack of winter ice cover, increased mobilization of lakebed sediments and mixing of nutrients in the water column due to boat traffic, increased nutrient contributions from flooding... I could go on. Yes, cyanobacteria are naturally occurring and native to our waters. No, they shouldn't bloom so aggressively. That they do, indicates that the system is currently out of balance giving them a growth advantage until they outstrip the available resources and starve themselves out.
This is our legacy. There is no simple, immediate remedy. People here can, and will, disagree about the causes and the viability of solutions. That said, it would seem that the people here generally do agree that they like their dogs, cats, and kids. Please do not disregard these warnings when they appear. The risk, particularly to pets that may drink from the bloom area, is real. Hopefully, these blooms will pass quickly.
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