A little info about Lake Erie algae blooms - [View all]

[hedgehog]

50 years ago, there was still significant dumping into the Great Lakes. Lake Erie is especially vulnerable because it is so shallow. The lake used to heat up every summer - I want to say up to 80 degrees + I can recall swimming in the lake as a little kid, and the water wasn't cold at all.

Algae blooms used to be an annual event. In Erie County NY (Buffalo) you could estimate the amount of algae in the water just by smelling your shower - there was a nasty undertone drowned out by copious amounts of chlorine. The bathroom ended up smelling like a swimming pool.

That's what I recall. I can't say that the algae blooms then were the same species as those hitting Toledo now. My husband recalls people getting sick on the water, and that his folks used to switch to well water for the summer.


So - it looks like global warming is hitting 50 years of progress in restoring the lakes. If the lakes are getting warm, it will make for an interesting winter. Lake effect snows occur until the lakes substantially freeze over.