Remember that incredibly wet fall we experienced in North Georgia? And that wet, warmish winter? All of that moisture tends to flush the watershed and cause an unsightly and unpleasant bloom of blue-green algae in local ponds and lakes. Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae), are naturally present in lakes and streams in low numbers. In wet conditions, cyanobacteria can grow very quickly and produce blooms with high numbers of cells. This algae can discolor the water or produce floating scums on the surface of the water. It also causes a variety of ecological problems, such as reduced oxygen levels. Recently Florida had to declare a state of emergency over the large amounts of algae hugging the shores of Lake Okeechobee.
Our crews recently had the opportunity to clean up a lake that was riddled with blue-green algae. This photo shows the surface of the pond clouded with an unsightly bloom.
The end result is a very pleasant pond.
This past spring saw an increase in blue-green algae blooms here in north Georgia. The algae is not necessarily harmful, although people should avoid contact with contaminated water and should certainly not drink it.
