By Tim Langer, David Ernes and Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

If you have seen the news articles and reports about the severity of algal blooms in Lake Erie and their predictions, you can imagine how much attention this topic is getting at the State and Federal level. As your Lake Management Committee has mentioned before, most of the regulations and training are focused for Northwest Ohio and those watersheds feeding Lake Erie’s Western Basin. Within the past six (6) months both the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives have passed legislation, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 61 respectively. Unfortunately, both are aimed at the Western Basin watersheds.

Why does it have to be only Northwestern Ohio? It doesn’t! A way to influence and express your viewpoint is to contact those individuals we elected. If you think elected officials pay little or no attention to your letters and phone calls, think again. A concise, thoughtful letter from their constituents has a significant influence on elected lawmakers. Your vote helps elect them — or not — and that fact alone carries a lot of weight. A staff worker may read and answer your letter because hundreds of letters are sometimes received. But, be assured that your point is communicated and will influence the lawmaker. If you fail to make your interests known, your thoughts will not be represented.

We need to suggest to our Legislators that the current legislation and future legislation be modified to include all watersheds that feed Lake Erie, including ours. Therefore, the LMC asks that you help us and write to your state representatives and ask that they consider this change. A few suggestions for content are shown below.

• The intent is to improve water quality in Lake Erie, but current legislation ignores most of the Ohio coastline. All watersheds, which feed the lake, can affect the overall Lake Erie water quality.
• As a resident of Ohio’s largest private lake, we would also like to insure that the water quality is protected where we live. Our community is actively addressing fertilizers and cleaners that we control. We cannot affect the farming practices, which have the greatest effect on our lake.
• Although the blooms are currently worse on the western basin, that does not mean that, with time, the problem can extend to the rest of the lake, especially if nothing is done in the central or eastern watersheds.

What to write a letter? We are here to help! It’s usually best to send letters to your state representatives for local issues such as improving water quality. Our Ohio District 99 House representative and Ohio District 32 Senate representatives are:

Your letter does not have to be long or eloquent. It also helps personalize your letter by providing some non-emotional detail and facts in your own words. If certain legislation is involved, cite the title or number whenever possible and explain how it affects you and others. Be sure to include your name and address. Keep it short and simple and include evidence to support your position. Close by requesting the action you want taken: a vote for or against a bill, or change in general policy. Don’t forget to thank them for taking time to read your letter.

Here is an example.

Questions? Please email myself at: timattheshores@gmail.com. It’s believed your letters in support of keeping nutrients and sediment in the fields and not in our waterways will have a significant benefit for Lake Roaming Rock. If you agree with us, pick up a pen. For the price of a postage stamp, you can affect our future.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

If you recall, not all algae are bad. Green algae usually pose no significant concerns, other than their aesthetic appearance. On the other hand, blue-green algae have the potential to generate toxins that can be harmful. How does one decide if what they see is green algae or blue-green algae? Unfortunately, the only accurate method is to examine the organism under magnification and assess its structure by experts in this type of analysis.

In spite of this, there are some general features that can help to differentiate the types of algae. Most informational articles include a significant number of pictures showing visually what each type looks like. One good source showing both types can be found on a New York web site (www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/81962.html).

Generally, green algae often look like floating rafts, and may appear as if it were a bubbling scum on the surface of the water that may entangle with other plants. There is also a type of green algae that is stringy, or silky and coat rocks and other areas. Duckweed looks like small disks and tend to clump into areas.

Blue-green algae, on the other hand, can appear as green streaks, as spilled paint or pea soup. It can also form as small dots that disperse when disturbed. Others types may look like grass clippings. Blue-green algae are often accompanied by a foul odor (described in some articles as “pigpen” odor).

Other observations one may see in the lake are not algae at all. You may recall a previous article about bryozoans, which are a beneficial organism. You may also see what appears to be foam on the water. This is caused by decomposition products from algae and other plants which, due to wind or agitation, can cause the foam. It can even be seen as parallel streaks in the lake in the direction of the wind. This is harmless and a natural phenomenon in lakes.

Common sense tells us not to swim in any waters that contain unusual amounts of algae. It is best just to avoid contact to insure that you minimize any adverse effects. When in doubt, choose a different spot or visit one of our inviting pools. Please enjoy our beautiful lake and have a safe summer.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

  By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

The only way to make informed decisions regarding lake management is to have accurate data. Whether it is the level of nutrients, or toxins, or even a Secchi disk depth measurement, each value requires testing. Testing itself is a multistep process. It involves (1) planning – to decide what to test; (2) sampling; (3) the actual analysis, and finally (4) the interpretation – or what does it all mean. Each step is just as important as the next.

The testing that has been done and continues to be done on our lake is designed for specific purposes. Nutrient and transparency testing (Secchi disk depth) is done to monitor the condition of the lake to see if it is changing. Toxin testing is done to establish the safety of the water for recreational activities. In each case, the testing is done in a specific area selected by an expert to help make informed decisions. But what about the rest of the lake? Based on a listing of Ohio Lakes in Wikipedia, the surface area of Lake Roaming Rock is 464 acres. This calculates to 2.9 billion square inches of water. It is obviously not possible to test at every point on the lake.

However, it is possible for you to become involved. The Sierra Club has a program known as Water Sentinels. Although limited in the testing that is done, this organization can give you proper training – and even the supplies to do the testing. There is also a national program known as the Secchi Dip-In. In this program, people from across the nation take a Secchi depth reading on a specific day each year. You can compare your result with others across the country. There is also a program within the Ohio Lake Management Society known as Citizen Lake Awareness and Monitoring or CLAM. This is a more detailed program involving Secchi disk measurements and bloom identifications. Finally, EnviroScience, Inc., our consultant, has a sampling kit for collection of a water sample for toxin testing. The kit runs around $40, and the toxin testing is an additional $120 per toxin.

Doing your own testing gives you an appreciation for what is involved. If you are interested and want to get your hands wet, there are many options available to you. The Lake Management Committee can put you in touch with each of these programs.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE