It’s Hot Out There! Tips for Safe Swimming in Ohio’s Water Bodies

With all the recent news around swimming advisories and beach closings – it is easy to become concerned about our local water bodies where we go to swim, fish, or enjoy the view. Ohio Sea Grant, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and many other state and local agencies work to provide up-to-date information on our local water resources. Here’s some more information about your water quality and where to look to find information about keeping you and your family safe while also being able to take advantage of the wonderful recreational water resources Ohio has to offer.

Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory will host a free public webinar on Thursday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to explain NOAA’s 2018  Seasonal Forecast of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) for Lake Erie, including expert commentary, a discussion of the history of this issue on Lake Erie, Ohio’s response to the problem, and a Q&A session. 
Registration is required
.

Harmful Algal Bloom – what’s that?

This image shows a color spectrum of bloom density in Lake Erie on July 4, 2018, based on satellite detection of cyanobacteria. Grey indicates clouds or missing data.

Microcystis, and Planktothrix, and Dolichospermum oh my! Those names may sound foreign to you, but those are all species of harmful algal blooms, or HABs – any large increased density of algae that is capable of producing toxins. The HABs sighted on Lake Erie – and in some inland water bodies – tend to be cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.

Where and when do HABs start in Lake Erie?

Because blue-green algae prefer warm water and high concentrations of phosphorus, they usually occur first in Maumee Bay at the mouth of the Maumee River and in Sandusky Bay at the mouth of the Sandusky River. Both bays are very warm and shallow and the watersheds of both rivers have very high percentages of farm land (the Maumee is the largest tributary to the Great Lakes and drains 4.2 million acres of agricultural land). As a result, both streams contain very high concentrations of phosphorus. E coli at beaches is the result of sewage, pet, or livestock waste from a nearby discharge or stream, and is not related to a harmful algal bloom.

How do I know whether it is safe to swim?

  • Before traveling, it may be a good idea to google the beach you’re visiting, and if possible call them to ask about any active advisories or warnings. One good resource is the ODNR Office of Coastal Management’s list of publicly accessible Lake Erie beaches at http://coastal.ohiodnr.gov/gocoast.
  • See Ohio Algae Information for Recreational Waters – http://epa.ohio.gov/HAB-Algae for the most up to date information, and see the Ohio Beach Guard Recreational Swimming Advisories – http://publicapps.odh.ohio.gov/beachguardpublic/ page for beach advisories.
  • At the beach, look for orange or red signs – those indicate the two types of harmful algal bloom advisories/warnings.
    • An orange sign (advisory) means the water contains some toxin. Children and the elderly, people with health problems, and pets should avoid contact with the water.
    • A red sign (warning) means toxin levels are too high and everyone should avoid contact with the water.
    • If there are no signs, but the water looks bright green or has floating green scums, the Ohio EPA recommends a “when in doubt, stay out” approach.
  • Even if a beach has an advisory or warning posted, activities on land are perfectly safe, so there are still ways to enjoy a day at the beach.

What do toxin levels mean?

The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the maximum allowable concentration of microcystin in drinking water at 1 part per billion (ppb) — about equivalent to 1 drop of toxin in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Ohio has followed that recommendation so far, but is expected to convert to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines soon, which advise microcystin limits of 0.3 ppb for children under 6 and 1.6 ppb for the general population.

If toxins have been detected in one part of the lake, is the water in the whole lake unsafe?

Blooms are generally limited by water currents, winds and where nutrients enter the water. Toxin can persist in the water for more than 30 days, but is rapidly diluted and quickly reaches safe levels when the bloom dissipates and as one moves away from the bloom. Water treatment plants in Lake Erie’s western basin routinely monitor the water they bring in for human use, so affected areas can know about a problem quickly.

How is toxin removed from the water?

Water treatment plants use activated charcoal (also called activated carbon), as well as UV rays and other techniques, to remove toxic substances from the water. The toxins, such as microcystin, bind to the charcoal particles, which are then filtered out of the water again.

What about Lake Erie fish? Are they safe to eat?

The Toledo Blade has reported on this question. As long as standard guidelines are followed, such as properly cleaning and rinsing fish fillets, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources considers fish from the lake safe to eat.

What about drinking water advisories?

You can find a list of drinking water advisories on Ohio EPA’s Drinking Water Advisory GIS tool: http://oepa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5b1c1a32a7954cedb094c11dc7fd87b7

Be sure to follow Ohio Sea Grant for the most up to date info this summer! I recommend taking a look at our recent video on Harmful Algal Blooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvEJHzFzIL4.

Resources:

NOAA Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/HABs_and_Hypoxia/bulletin.html

Frequently Asked Questions about Harmful Algal Blooms: http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/issues/habs/faqs

Ohio Algae Information for Recreational Waters: http://epa.ohio.gov/HAB-Algae


Contact: Sarah Orlando, Ohio Clean Marinas Program Manager for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program
(419) 609-4120, orlando.42@osu.edu, @SarahAOrlando

“Ice Ice Baby”

In light of the recent stretch of below average temperatures, I thought it might be of interest to share some facts about ice on the Great Lakes. The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, or GLERL, has been studying ice coverage on the Great Lakes for over 30 years. Their data help us to understand ice’s role in water level changes, water temperature, and even plankton blooms in Lake Erie. Why should we care so much about ice? Read on to find out more about ice and its impacts.

Ice Generation

Lake Erie’s long term average ice concentration compared to current (2017-2018 winter) ice production.

During winter months, lakes lose energy to the atmosphere as the water near the surface cools. The cold, dense water sinks to the bottom of the lake while warmer water rises, and this cycle continues until the surface water reaches 32 degrees. Freezing begins and then extends down into the lake as the ice thickens. On average, it takes until early February for Lake Erie to achieve over 60% ice coverage. The recent stretch of cold temperatures across the Great Lakes has made for some record-breaking ice generation – Lake Erie went from 1.5% coverage on December 24 to over 85% coverage on January 8. For comparison, last year in early January, Lake Erie had only 7.6% ice coverage.

Ice and Lake Effect Snow

More ice on Lake Erie generally means less lake effect snow. When Lake Erie freezes over, less water is readily available to be drawn up from the lake to the air above. The ice acts like a cap, preventing moisture from evaporating and/or condensing and therefore creating lake effect snow. While those in the “snow belt” may appreciate the decrease in snowfall once Lake Erie starts freezing over, this usually comes at a price – colder weather!

Ice and Lake Levels

Increased ice coverage means more protection from evaporation in the winter and theoretically higher water levels – but the connection between ice coverage and water levels is not that simple. While the amount of available open water in the winter for evaporation plays a role, data have shown that evaporation peaks in the fall, before ice cover forms. In extreme ice cover years, the thermal structure of the lake could be impacted for the rest of the year, potentially leading to less evaporation from the lakes (and possibly higher water levels) in the following fall. It is important to note that evaporation and precipitation are the major drivers of seasonal water level changes in the Great Lakes. A winter of low evaporation due to ice cover could be negated by a dry spring with little rainfall.

Ice and Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms typically require a water temperature of at least 60 degrees to bloom. The percentage of ice coverage does play a part in water temperatures later in the year – the spring temperatures will have to melt the ice first before the water below the ice is able to warm up. In a year with a greater extent of ice cover, it will take longer for the lake to warm up to 60 degrees, and this could lead to a shorter harmful algal bloom season. However, factors such as nutrient runoff and spring/summer weather patterns can impact the extent of harmful algal blooms as well.

Want to learn more about ice? Check out NOAA GLERL’s Coastwatch program – with real-time observation of ice on the Great Lakes.

Ice coverage across the Great Lakes. Lake Erie has the largest coverage with over 85% as of January 8, 2018.

Resources:

NOAA GLERL Great Lakes Ice Cover page: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/#overview

National Weather Service Great Lakes Ice Analysis: https://www.weather.gov/cle/GreatLakesIce_Analysis

Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System Annual Ice Cover Comparison: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov//res/glcfs/compare_years/

Sarah Orlando is the Ohio Clean Marinas Program Manager, Ohio Sea Grant College Program. You can contact her at: 419-609-4120, orlando.42@osu.edu, @SarahAOrlando.

Back for the Attack: The Lake Erie Algal Bloom

Photo credit: Toledo Blade, 2017

The Lake Erie algal bloom has often been described as mean, green and obscene. To make matters worse, if you’ve ever experienced an algal bloom in person, you would also know that it stinks… literally.

What gives? What is being done about this yearly outbreak in our Great Lake Erie? The Ohio Sea Grant College Program has been and continues to be one of the key leaders in research, education and outreach on this critical issue. This blog posting will discuss key research initiatives that Ohio Sea Grant is tackling head on with local, state, university and federal partners.

Background Information

Photo credit: Toledo Blade, 2017

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is any large increased density of algae that is capable of producing toxins. In freshwater, such as Lake Erie, those algae tend to be cyanobacteria — more commonly known as blue-green algae — which grow excessively in warm water with a high phosphorus concentration.

Phosphorus enters the water from agriculture, suburban and urban sources. The likelihood of such runoff is strongly affected by climatic factors including drought, severe weather and temperature.

Much of the harmful algal bloom research seeks to understand both how phosphorus and other elements, such as nitrogen, affect algal blooms and how runoff can be reduced without negative impacts to farming and other industries. Other projects focus on the public health impacts of toxic algal blooms, ranging from drinking water issues to food contamination.

Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative

Photo credit: Toledo Blade, 2017

The Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI), created in the aftermath of the 2014 Toledo water crisis, provides near-term solutions for the full suite of issues surrounding harmful algal blooms. Guided by the technical needs of state agencies at the front lines of the HABs crisis, Ohio universities are the engines for creating new knowledge, new technologies and new approaches to give us both short-term assistance and long-term solutions.

After the Toledo water crisis in August 2014, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (then the Ohio Board of Regents) allocated $2 million to Ohio universities for research to solve the harmful algal bloom problem in Lake Erie. The funding was matched by participating universities for a total of more than $4 million.

Led by representatives from The Ohio State University and The University of Toledo, and managed by Ohio Sea Grant, the initial efforts of the Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI) entailed 18 projects involving researchers from seven Ohio universities and partners as far away as South Dakota and Japan.

The Lake Erie algal bloom research has been broken down into four major categories (please click each link for information on funded research efforts):

  1. Tracking Blooms from the Source
  2. Protecting Public Health
  3. Producing Safe Drinking Water and,
  4. Engaging Stakeholders

The HABRI has launched a new round of agency-directed research every year since 2015, with the first round of projects completed in spring 2017. The Ohio Department of Higher Education has funded all research, with matching funds contributed by participating universities. For the 2018 cohort, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) will provide matching funds for some of the research and monitoring activities undertaken as part of the statewide effort.

The initiative also provides invaluable training for Ohio students, from undergraduate to doctoral candidates, which distinguishes university research from other scientific institutions and gives taxpayers a double return on their investment.

Input from partners such as the OEPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Lake Erie Commission ensures that projects complement state agency efforts to protect Ohio’s fresh water and that results address known management needs to ensure sustainable water for future generations.

HABRI used Ohio Sea Grant’s proposal development system to streamline project proposals, project management and public engagement, capitalizing on Sea Grant’s strong reputation among various stakeholder groups including the research community.

For more information, please see Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative Year 2 Report and Executive Summary.

Source: Ohio Sea Grant College Program- Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative

Submitted by: Joe Lucente, Associate Professor, Community Development, OSU Extension and Ohio Sea Grant College Program

Ahoy! Sea Grant goes to the Mid-America Boat Show

What do you get when you combine the Ohio winter doldrums with a growing interest in boating and watersports? A ready-made audience at the Mid-America Boat Show.

Amidst freezing cold winds and heavy snowfall, Ohio Sea Grant Educators and thousands of others made their way to the IX Center in Cleveland for the Mid-America Boat Show a few weeks ago. It is an annual tradition, having taken place for over 25 years, bringing together water lovers, boaters, adventure seekers, and all facets of the boating industry to learn, buy, sell, trade, and catch up.

Boat Show 2016 #1 2016-02-18As one of the many educational exhibitors at this event, Ohio Sea Grant was thrilled to be able to teach about the importance of a healthy Lake Erie to the Boat Show 2016 #2 2016-02-18many visitors that attended. Stationed next to a singing pirate and personal watercraft simulator, we had some stiff competition. However, neither could stand up to the fright, ick, “Oh geez! That’s a live snake!” factor of our Stone Laboratory snakes and the al“lure” of tying your own hook for catching walleye. These were two of the many activities available to kids and adults at our Lake Erie information hotspot. Show wanderers could spin a prize wheel to be asked questions about general Lake Erie topics, decorate a fish to add to the #loveyourlake twitter campaign, sign up to be a clean boater, and peruse a selection of outreach materials and goodies rivaling the collections of the Library of Congress.

Boat Show 2016 #3 2016-02-18As you might imagine, visitors were mainly concerned about invasive species, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and actions they can take in their everyday life to reduce their footprint, houseprint, or boatprint on the lake. Below are some of the simple tips for keeping Lake Erie healthy that we shared with boat show visitors…they can apply to you as well…

  • Clean, drain, and dry your boat when you move it to different waterways.
  • Pick up trash as you see it and responsibly dispose of or recycle your own items.
  • Take aquarium pets and plants back to the pet store or offer them to a school if you no longer want them.
  • Reduce or eliminate the fertilizer you place on your lawn.
  • Plant a rain garden at the end of your driveway or near your gutter spouts to reduce the amount of water running off of your property.

(Submitted by Jill Bartolotta, Extension Educator for Ohio Sea Grant)

Endnotes:

al“lure”: Chis Pluntz, Pro Anglers. 2009. Tying hooks – Building Walleye or Trout Spinner Baits and Crawler Harnesses. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g19jh0cB4oA.

#loveyourlake: Twitter. 2016. #loveyourlake. Website: https://twitter.com/hashtag/loveyourlake.

HABs: Ohio Sea Grant. 2014. Harmful Algal Blooms. Website: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/issues/habs.

(Photo credits: Ohio Sea Grant)

What is Ohio Sea Grant?

For more than 30 years, Ohio Sea Grant (OHSG) has employed a strong combination of research, education and outreach in partnership with academia, governmental agencies and the private sector to address the most important environmental and economic issues affecting Lake Erie and the surrounding watershed.

Finding Solutions through Research

Sea Grant Research 2016-01-21

OHSG aims to solve the critical issues facing Lake Erie with research, and also funds scientists from throughout the region. Many of these scientists take advantage of research facilities at OHSG’s Stone Laboratory. Current research focuses on harmful algal blooms, phosphorus loading, and restoring native wetlands, for example.

Learn more about our research at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research.

Training Tomorrow’s Workforce and Scientists

Sea Grant Stone Lab 2016-01-21

Stone Laboratory is the Ohio State University’s island campus and a key educational facility for OHSG. Established in 1895, it is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States. Stone Lab offers around 25 college courses each summer to undergraduate and graduate students, advanced high school students, and educators. In addition, as many as 6,000 students in grades 4 – 12 and other groups take part in Stone Laboratory’s Lake Erie Field Trip Program annually.

Learn more about Stone Lab by visiting stonelab.osu.edu.

Assisting Citizens, Communities, Industries, and Decision Makers

OHSG encourages better understanding, conservation, and use of Lake Erie resources. Spanning Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline, five OHSG Extension Educators apply their research and expertise to develop and deliver programs for a healthy environment and economy. Sometimes this involves one-on-one interaction such as answering questions about Lake Erie at a trade show, the Aquatic Visitors Center, or on the Lake Erie Discussion Board. Other times, it’s about training elected officials about Lake Erie issues so they can make informed decisions that impact all of us.

Sea Grant 2016-01-21

Whether you’re a resident of the Lake Erie watershed, a Lake Erie enthusiast, or just want to learn more about Ohio’s greatest natural resource, please contact us at Ohio Sea Grant! You can check out our calendar of events, or follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram). We look forward to hearing from you!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Extension Program Leader and Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for Ohio Sea Grant)

All photos: Ohio Sea Grant

The Lake Erie Resource

Lake Erie Resource #1 2015-08-06

In most years there are more fish caught out of Lake Erie for human consumption than all of the other Great Lakes combined! (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Lake Erie is arguably one of the most important lakes in the world. It’s the southernmost, shallowest, and warmest of all the Great Lakes, which makes it the most productive. While power generation is a major use of Lake Erie water, the most important may be that it serves as drinking water for 11 million people. It’s also an unmatched recreational resource for Ohioans as over 30 million people live within a day’s drive.

While fishing is king in the “Walleye Capital of the World,” people come from all over to enjoy boating, beaches, sailing, diving, birding and a variety of other outdoor activities. This amounts to around $11.5 billion and 117,000 jobs annually from the eight Ohio counties bordering Lake Erie. This is more than a quarter of the tourism revenue for the entire state.

In order to keep reaping the benefits of the resource, we need to keep taking care of the resource. With that in mind, Ohio Sea Grant has identified six critical issues that we’re working on to make sure we sustain a healthy Lake Erie.

  1. Sedimentation and dredging: When we get big rain events, we get a lot of dirt flowing into Lake Erie. Shipping lanes get full and need dredged, which comes at a big cost and can stir up toxins that have settled to the bottom.
  2. Phosphorus and nutrient loading: With the sediment comes the phosphorus and other nutrients. It can come from agriculture, urban runoff, combined sewer overflows, over fertilized lawns and a handful of other sources. It’s basically fertilizer for algae.
  3. Harmful algal blooms (HABs): When there’s too much phosphorus and the water gets warm in mid to late summer, we see major blooms of blue green algae, aka cyanobacteria, that can produce very powerful toxins. You shouldn’t swim in the blooms, and definitely don’t ingest it or let your pets drink it. If it gets in drinking water supplies it can be difficult to treat, which was the cause of Toledo’s issues last summer.
  4. Dead zones: As the algae and other living things die and break down at the bottom of the lake, vital oxygen gets used up. Sometimes this can cause pockets of no oxygen where fish and other aquatic life cannot survive.
  5. Aquatic Invasive Species: There are dozens of plants and animals that have been introduced to Lake Erie. They often out-compete our native species. This can cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem and cost millions of dollars to try to combat.
  6. Climate Change: We’ve seen more intense storms more frequently, and warmer temperatures more often. This can make the other issues even worse.
Lake Erie Resource #2 2015-08-06

Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Despite all of these issues, Lake Erie is still Ohio’s greatest natural resource and a great place to visit no matter how you prefer to enjoy the water. So how can you help keep the critical issues in check?

  • Use phosphate-free lawn care products.
  • Regularly check your septic system. Damaged septic systems can contaminate nearby waters.
  • Reduce the amount of water you send to the water treatment plant. Install low-flow toilets and rain barrels.
  • Plant native plants along shorelines and ditches. These plants can filter out fertilizers and are essentially maintenance-free.

Check out ohioseagrant.osu.edu for more information, or contact me if you have questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you up here on Lake Erie!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant College Program)

Ohio Sea Grant and Lake Erie Nature & Science Center continue long-time partnership in Northeast Ohio

What covers nearly 10,000 square miles, many of them comprising parts of eight Ohio counties in northern Ohio? In addition to creating a natural land/water boundary of over 310 miles in length, Lake Erie is a key focus area for Ohio Sea Grant and the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (located in Bay Village, Cuyahoga County).

“The partnership between the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and Ohio Sea Grant has been alive and well for nearly 30 years and continues to be an important relationship for a Center so close to Lake Erie,” says Darci Sanders, The Center’s Director of Education. “The expertise of Sea Grant staff is the perfect match to increase the effectiveness and efficacy of programming provided by our own talented staff.”

Lake Erie Day #2 2015-04-16

Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

Ohio Sea Grant’s focus on research, education and outreach for the Lake Erie region is a great fit for the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, which offers high-quality nature, environmental and science experiences through school field trips, preschool, family, scouting and planetarium programs, nature hikes, and a variety of exhibits connected to its expansive wildlife rehabilitation program.

The Center’s staff and Ohio Sea Grant are working on hands-on informal science information sessions for 2015 that will feature experts on a variety of Lake Erie topics. Most recently, they hosted a workshop for faculty from Cleveland and Columbus that provided information, curriculum and supplies for teaching about aquatic invasive species in the classroom.

Family Fishing Day 2015-04-16

Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

On May 17, Family Fishing Day, children ages 6 and up and their families can enjoy a morning learning the basics of how to cast, where to fish and what kind of fish they’ll catch in Lake Erie. May 23 is Lake Erie Day, part of the Year of Clean Water Celebration, where visitors can celebrate all things Lake Erie. Ohio Sea Grant staff will be on hand to offer their expertise and interactive activities on aquatic invasive species, harmful algal blooms, boating and water recreation, beach safety, Lake Erie water snakes and more.

For more information, please contact Ohio Sea Grant Extension Educator, Sarah Orlando.

What you should know about algal blooms

You may have seen Toledo in the news the past few days as it worked to provide safe tap water for as many as 400,000 people. Fortunately, on Monday the two-day ban was lifted when it was determined the water met Ohio EPA standards. The ban was due to increased levels of the toxin microcystin, produced by blue-green algal blooms which occur in warm waters found in freshwater lakes, ponds and also in marine waters around the world. As the algae die, the toxin is released into the water. For this reason boiling does not make the HAB water safe to drink.

HABs 2014-08-07

Photo credit: EarthObservatory.NASA.gov (8/06/2014)

Wind conditions on Saturday (August 2) kept the bloom concentrated near the mouth of the Maumee River and apparently large amounts of the bloom were taken in at the Toledo water intake. When wind conditions changed, the bloom appeared to move away from the mouth of the Maumee River and out into the western basin of Lake Erie. The bloom is not large and remains within forecast parameters, but it is obviously very toxic and in a very bad location. Unfortunately, it is likely to persist well into October, when cooler weather arrives, and will not reach its peak until September.

Ohio Sea Grant and the Ohio Sea Grant Extension Program professionals have been working to address the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) issue for years. Factors favorable to HAB formation include highly fertile water, sunny weather, warm temperatures, and selective grazing by zooplankton and or zebra/quagga mussels. Selective grazing removes the “good” algae and leaves the cyanobacteria that make up the HAB.

These short (1-4 page) fact sheets provide more information:

Harmful Algal Blooms in Ohio Waters

10 Things I Should Know About Algal Blooms

For more information on the Ohio Sea Grant Program and the Ohio Sea Grant Extension Program professionals, go here.

(Submitted by Frank Lichtkoppler, Professor & Extension Specialist, Ohio Sea Grant Program)