• News
  • Lake Facts
  • About

Lake Scientist

Grand Lake St. Marys could be in for at least a few more difficult seasons

1
  • by Greg Loughnane
  • — January 26, 2011

Grand Lake St. Marys

In the six months since an action plan to clean Grand Lake St. Marys was released, there has been visible progress toward improving the water quality and economy of the region. What the future holds for the area is still uncertain, but there are many causes for concern and few beacons of hope for area residents.

Environmental professionals and government officials concluded last summer that the thick mats of algae resulting in “no contact” and surface scum advisories for the lake were a direct result of excessive nutrient loading to surface water. Although there has been an implementation of manure spreading regulations for about 300 area farmers, strict enforcement of the rules won’t be a priority until 2013.

The Ohio EPA’s application of aluminum sulfate on the lake remains inconclusive, a Fish Consumption Advisory is still in place due to uncertainty that high levels of microcystin toxins are still present in fish, and failed local businesses continue to reflect the economic climate of the area.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has identified the the region as a “watershed in distress.”

To make matters worse, the state of Ohio is in the midst of a budget crisis, highlighted by a reported $9 billion deficit. Activities such as dredging and the further alum applications to the lake will be costly. Although Gov. John Kasich has deemed the lake a priority, it remains to be seen if the budget will allow for continued water quality and economic improvements.

Tight state budget could be bad news for St. Marys lake [Dayton Daily News] Grand Lake St. Marys Toxic Algae [Ohio Environmental Protection Agency] Image Credit: Derek Jensen

Share

You may also like...

  • Lake Tahoe analysis lays out timeline for climate change’s impacts
  • Possible Effects Of Lower Buckeye Lake Levels
  • Village of Spring Lake Spring Lake waterfront community optimistic for alum’s prolonged progress
  • Over 50 species of freshwater animals close to extinction in Southeast US

1 Comment

  1. Dredging slated for Grand Lake St. Marys | Lake Scientist says:
    March 31, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    […] was one of the improvement actions deemed a priority for the lake earlier this year by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the directors of the ODNR, Ohio […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

FishSens SondeCAM HD
  • Recent Posts

    • Research Brief: Influence of Climate Change and Anthropogenic Stressors on HABs in Zhanjiang BaySeptember 22, 2023
    • From the Tap: Source Water Monitoring for Public HealthSeptember 18, 2023
    • Red swamp crawfishResearch Brief: Using Red Swamp Crayfish as Bioindicators of Microplastic PollutionSeptember 15, 2023
    • Choosing the Right Water Quality Monitoring Systems Is Crucial for Stantec Inc.September 11, 2023
    • Elâzığ, TurkeyResearch Brief: Zebra Mussels as Sentinel Species for Monitoring MicroplasticsSeptember 8, 2023
  • Popular Tags

    Great Lakes research research summary pollution Lake Erie invasive species Product Spotlight Algae runoff international Lake Michigan nutrient-loading Ohio dissolved oxygen EPA research brief eutrophication temperature toxic waters climate change USGS phosphorus ice Asian Carp Michigan

©2023 Fondriest Environmental Inc. | Questions? Call 888.426.2151 or email customercare@fondriest.com