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.

SUMMER: Ready for beach season? So are we, Mass Spectrometer and all.

How new technology and capabilities will help us identify toxic algae in Lake Erie using a recently approved EPA method; Sewer District is the first agency to offer these capabilities in Ohio

Consider this the summer of science.

As our daily beach water-quality testing and notification is set to resume in the coming days, we've added a bit of tech to our monitoring capabilities to better evaluate toxic algae threats with warmer months ahead of us. And that's big news for the entire state of Ohio.

Something old, something new

This week, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District resumes daily beach testing at Edgewater, Villa Angela and Euclid Beaches to predict and determine water quality for public notification. Daily testing will continue through September 10.

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.

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?

VIDEO: Want to know how sewage plants manage algae-causing phosphorus? Here's the only 1-minute video you need.

A major contributor to toxic algae threatening Lake Erie is phosphorus, a key component of agricultural fertilizers and a building block of life itself.

While most of it flows to the lake from stormwater runoff, wastewater plants must monitor and manage phosphorus as it makes its way through the regional sewer system.

In 2013, our three treatment plants removed more than 745 tons of phosphorus from wastewater they received. In the video above, Operator Christen Wood explains the methods used at our Southerly plant and how we balance phosphorus' good, bad, and ugly potential, all in less than one minute.

But keep in mind, the algae mess in Lake Erie is years in the making, and there is no quick or easy fix. It will require a thoughtful combination of these treatment techniques, stormwater management, sewer improvements, personal responsibility, and legislation to keep our Great Lake great.

Related stories:

• NEWS: Could Ohio legislation help heal Lake Erie? A good step, but long journey ahead. #sb150
• ALERT: "Do not drink" water order in Toledo, surrounding communities is a sobering call to action
• OPINION: Toledo's "Do not drink" order should be a wake-up call

NEWS: "Do not drink" water order in Toledo, surrounding communities is a sobering call to action

Early Saturday morning, Lucas County issued an alarming "Do not drink the water" alert affecting 19 communities and more than 400,000 residents. The directive is due to exceedingly high levels of microcystin, a toxin produced by toxic algae blooms.

While the alert is outside of our and Cleveland Division of Water's service areas, the action is related to events that affect many of our customers in Northeast Ohio, and the relationship is worth noting.

Toledo's news is a tragic example of the importance of protecting our water resources, particularly Lake Erie.

NEWS: Could Ohio legislation help heal Lake Erie? A good step, but long journey ahead. #sb150

Hazardous algal bloom on Lake Erie, 2011. cleveland.com file photo.

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, think of Ohio Senate Bill 150 as a first step.

A cleveland.com story May 19 reported Ohio Governor John Kasich is preparing to sign a bill that could help control fertilizer phosphorus contributions to Lake Erie's toxic-algae problems. That's important, but what's more important is where (and how far) we go from here.

About algae, phosphorus, and SB 150

First, let's understand the problem.

The toxic green algae that has plagued Lake Erie in recent years may be a result of excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water. It negatively impacts fish and other aquatic life. There are many sources of phosphorus and nitrogen, including human waste, industrial processes, and commercial fertilizers used mainly in the agricultural industry.

SB 150, which has recently passed the State House and Senate unanimously, would require farmers who use commercial fertilizers to be certified by the state and encourage them to develop "nutrient management plans" to demonstrate they are working to control their land's runoff.