An Early Emergence of Cyanobacteria
In the wake of recent extreme temperatures, many concerned citizens are reporting green scum on their shorelines, particularly on North Pond, Great Pond and Long Pond. 7 Lakes Alliance’s Dr. Danielle Wain tested samples this week and confirmed that what people thought might be pine pollen on many shorelines was actually cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. This type of cyanobacteria is called Dolichospermum and has the potential to produce algal toxins. It is typically seen much later in the summer.
While testing done by 7 Lakes in the past has yet to detect algal toxins in our lakes, we always caution to stay out of the water with blue-green algae, particularly children and dogs who can ingest a lot of water when swimming. The scums are mostly present on the shorelines where it accumulates, driven by the wind, so open waters tend to be clearer for recreation. Cooler temperatures and rain, predicted to follow the recent hot weather will help dissipate the scums in most locations until warmer weather arrives.
Dolichospermum spends the beginning of its life cycle in the lake sediments, where it finds phosphorus needed to grow. When the weather gets warmer, it leaves the sediment and enters the water. While it is known to cause full lake algal blooms on North Pond, it has also been present in the past on Great Pond and Long Pond, but not in quantities to produce scums this early in the year.
The Lake Science team at 7 Lakes, assisted by six summer interns from Colby and many volunteers, will continue to carefully monitor the water quality on all seven lakes through the summer months and into the late fall. We will report findings on the 7 Lakes website, social media, and in Summertime in the Belgrades.
Please stop into the 7 Lakes building to learn how you can do your part to create more resilient lakes in the face of more extreme weather. 7 Lakes board members and 7 Lakes staff will be at the Belgrade Lakes Farmer’s market every Sunday to answer questions about our work to conserve the lakes and lands of the Belgrade Lakes watershed. We hope you will stop by to say hello, sign up for LakeSmart, and learn about upcoming informative and fun educational programming and events.
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