Lily Bohlke / www.newsservice.org


With summer in full swing and likely vacation plans in the works for Livingston County residents, state officials are urging those spending time out on the water to watch out for potentially harmful algal blooms.

Reports of harmful algal blooms have increased in Michigan in recent years – and officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy are offering tips for how to keep an eye out for them.

Algal blooms are rapid increases or accumulations of algae in surface waters, and mostly occur in lakes during summer and into fall.
Cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, can sometimes produce toxins.

EGLE’s Lake Michigan Unit Supervisor Gary Kohlhepp says they are the biggest human health concern when it comes to algal blooms. He says in the vast majority of cases, an algal bloom shows up as scum on the surface of the water. Kohlhepp says “Whenever you see those conditions, we advise people not come into contact with it, and also to not allow their pet to swim in it. When in doubt, stay out. If you're not sure whether it's cyanobacteria or green algae, the best course of action is just to avoid it”.

While algae are naturally occurring, blooms often are caused by agriculture or lawn fertilizer that runs from farms or land into waterways. The phosphorous and sometimes nitrogen in fertilizers can be a good source of food for algae – Kohlhepp says, sometimes too good. “If there's a lot of food and especially when the weather warms up, so you get warmer temperatures, you get a lot of sunlight, not a lot of wind blowing, so it's pretty still calm conditions – that's a perfect recipe for these algae to really grow like crazy”.

Officials advise that skin contact with cyanobacteria can cause rashes, hives, skin blisters or runny nose or asthma-like symptoms. Swallowing large amounts can lead to flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal issues or neurotoxic symptoms such as harm to the liver or kidneys.

Kohlhepp notes that algal blooms often last just a short time – he says they can last for a few days or up to a week, and in rare cases multiple weeks. He says there's also a perception that these blooms are everywhere, but he notes it's actually a small number of lakes compared with the more than 10,000 lakes in Michigan.

More information about algal blooms is available in the provided link.