WATCH: "We expected 9. It was actually 10.5," and more facts about Lake Erie algae in 2015

"We expected this year's bloom to be a 9 (out of 10). It was actually a 10.5."

That was how Jeffery Reutter, Ph.D. introduced his November 11 City Club presentation on Lake Erie's hazardous algal blooms, a challenge that has affected water quality in recent years. But a mystery this year is why the toxicity was not as extreme as the off-the-scale metric would have indicated.

Jeffrey Reutter, Ph.D. Image via The City Club

"This was the worst [algal] bloom we've had in our history," he continued, "but it only produced about a quarter of the toxin that we expected. That's a huge challenge for us to understand right now." Reutter is a special adviser to the Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory at The Ohio State University, and he indicated this will be an important area of research following the 2015 algae season.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, phosphorus from wastewater treatment plants was a key contributor to algae because it is key to the growth of hazardous blooms. But since treatment plants significantly reduced their phosphorus output, the biggest contributor now is fertilizer-laden runoff from agriculture all around the Great Lake.

"If we can take the appropriate actions, we can greatly reduce the amount [of nutrients in stormwater runoff]. The weakness in that argument is climate change; if we keep getting more and more frequent storms and more wet spring periods, we'll see things that are worse."

Ruetter offered recommendations to improve water quality on personal property which would reduce have a beneficial impact on runoff entering streams and storm sewer systems. Listen to or view the complete City Club presentation.

Related stories:

• NEWS: 5 takeaways from Jeffrey Reutter's talk via cleveland.com
• ENVIRONMENT: The facts about phosphorus and Lake Erie
• VIDEO: How wastewater treatment processes manage phosphorus
• LISTEN: Is Lake Erie burning?

LISTEN: "The lake is burning." Is toxic algae the Cuyahoga River fire of our generation?

Lake Erie algae recently had WTAM's Mike Trivisonno all worked up. We know the feeling.

After an August show in which Trivisonno railed against the hazards of the toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie's western basin, one of our experts phoned in to talk more about its causes and long-term solutions.

Frank Greenland, the Director of Watershed Programs who oversees the Environmental Services staff responsible for monitoring local algal trends, spoke frankly about the dangers caused by the blooms and how they could compare to infamous Cuyahoga River fire of 1969.



"When you're boating in pea soup, you want to throw up," Greenland said. As an avid fisherman and life-long Clevelander, Frank told Triv he has seen first-hand how water quality has been affected by algae blooms in recent years, and he considers this the "Cuyahoga River fire" of our generation.

ALGAE: Does Lake Erie's freezing trend mean more algae in the summer?

Lake Erie ice coverage almost at last year's level (9 hundredths of a percent lower). I counted the cracks pic.twitter.com/CUByCneXxP
— Scott Sabol (@ScottSabolFOX8) February 19, 2015

Nearly 98 percent of Lake Erie is ice-covered right now. We were recently asked, "Is there a relationship between the lake's freezing trends and the likelihood of toxic algae blooms this summer?"

We asked our Manager of Analytical Services Mark Citriglia and he said the icy temps are not the key determining factor.

"[The rate of freezing] may slow the growth down or delay it," he said, "but what is more important is the spring weather. A wet spring will load the lake with nutrients that support algal growth. Then sunlight and warm weather will enable the growth."

Phosphorus is the element that supports algae growth. Its common source is agricultural fertilizers that are carried to water sources in polluted surface runoff. Thus the wetter the spring, the larger the algae blooms.

BONUS VIDEO: Christen explains the connection and how treatment plants deal with the problem.

Western Lake Erie and Toledo suffered the wrath of toxic algae blooms last summer, affecting thousands of residents' drinking water. The Ohio Senate passed a bill today that could impose new legislation to limit factors contributing to the lake's algae problems. But the solution must go much further.

Polluted runoff is an issue that must be addressed regionally and collaboratively. It's quite cold now to think spring, but it's always a good time to plan for our great Lake Erie's future.

ALGAE: In wake of Toledo's algae woes, investigation takes deeper look at causes, solutions (Video)

Is the toxic algae that led to Toledo's three-day "DO NOT DRINK" declaration this summer a threat to Cleveland in the future?

While Cleveland's lake conditions differ from those of the western Lake Erie basin, when our Great Lake is threatened, all of its neighbors need to take notice.

This week, Fox 8 News' I-TEAM ran a two-part series focused on the toxic algae bloom that led to Toledo's water ban in August, asking questions about the decisions made, the testing methods employed, and future work being considered to keep our lake and the surrounding residents safe. The videos and their complete reports are linked below.

ENVIRONMENT: The facts about phosphorus, and why Lake Erie receives more nutrients than any other Great Lake

Fact: Lake Erie contains 2% of the Great Lakes' water—and 50% of their fish.

Great Lakes facts and figures underscore the reality that these water bodies are precious but fragile resources. Affected by many factors, the Sewer District and agencies like it constantly monitor Lake Erie and the streams replenishing it to ensure its health.

RELATED: This story is a Web Extra featured in our Clean Water Works technical journal (Fall 2014)

Nutrients are one contributor to Lake Erie's well-being, with one particular nutrient—phosphorus—making news this season as toxic algae has threatened some parts of its western basin. Here are some phosphorus-specific facts and figures to help tell the story of nutrients and what affects their impact on our Great Lake.

ALGAE: Meet Annie, Fannie, and Mike. They're toxic. #LEcaucus

Keep it simple. And use cartoons if possible.

When explaining a difficult and often technical subject like toxic algae threatening the future of Lake Erie, simplicity goes a long way helping increase both awareness and understanding.

Our hat's off to Toledo Blade's Tom Henry for helping explain the problem in layman's terms. The cartoons above are ours, but Henry's explanation of the factors in the blooms and their history is good stuff.

Toxic algae comes down to three organisms that have been around a long time: Anabaena (which scientists call Annie), Aphanizomenon (Fannie), and Microcystis (Mike). As Henry explains, they are not new (and "they are not your friends" because they can affect our health), but factors have thrown our Great Lake's system out of balance.

Friday's Lake Erie Caucus allowed a 5+ hour public forum to discuss the issue and possible long-term solutions, inspired by the recent three-day "Do not drink the water" order in Lucas County.

Some of the blooms' contributing factors include phosphorus, a naturally occurring element which feeds algal blooms when levels get too high. While our wastewater treatment plants do remove more than 80% of the phosphorus they receive, much of the lake's problems are exacerbated by unregulated runoff from fertilized surfaces like lawns and farms.

You can read tweets from Friday's caucus using the hashtag #LEcaucus.

ALGAE: 5 things you should know before Friday's state Lake Erie algae meeting

Collecting beach water quality samples at Villa Angela Beach in Cleveland.

Since State Senator Randy Gardner and Representative Chris Redfern are hosting a special meeting of the Lake Erie Legislative Caucus this Friday—focusing on algae problems plaguing the lake and, most recently, the Toledo area’s drinking water—here are 5 important points to help frame the discussion.

The toxic algae problem has been recurring for years. Then again, river fires were once a recurring problem, too.

We believe Toledo's water emergency could be the Cuyahoga River fire of this generation. Few realize that the 1969 blaze was one of at least 13 different Cuyahoga River fires since 1860; the last event became a turning point for many reasons, inspiring the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act. It inspired action.

"It took numerous fires on the river and decades to develop and implement a regulatory strategy to address the issues that faced the Cuyahoga River and other waterways at that time," says Director of Watershed Programs Frank Greenland. "We cannot afford to wait to develop a comprehensive response to the issue of algal blooms in our waterways. Public health depends upon an appropriate and timely response."

Could this be that moment?