Early Forecast Says Toxic Algae Could Be Lighter at Lake Erie

According to a May 19 story in The Columbus Dispatch, Lake Erie will still see toxic algae when the weather heats up, but researchers say the bloom will likely be smaller than the one that contaminated Toledo’s drinking water last summer.

In an early projection, scientists said that so far, the Maumee River is carrying less phosphorus to the western part of the lake. Phosphorus is one of the key pollutants that cause algae to form.

That means that this summer’s bloom should be smaller than the ones last year as well as the blooms that grew in 2011 and 2013, two of the worst in recent history.

Click here to read the complete story from The Columbus Dispatch.