Early Summer Algae Forecast

There will be algae on Lake Erie this summer. No question about that. But just how big will the bloom be? It's tough to know exactly for sure at this point but below is an early indication of how much phosphorous has come down the Maumee River this spring. That phosphorous is one of the main 'fuels' that feed algae blooms. So far the numbers have been near average and slightly lower than last year. The charts below are provided by Laura Johnson from the National Center for Water Quality Research.