algal blooms

Road Salt Pollution

January 8, 2020 By EarthWise 1 Comment

Mirror Lake is a popular recreational lake located in the Village of Lake Placid. It is the most developed lake within the Adirondack Park, which is a publicly protected area that is actually larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined.

New research has revealed that road salt runoff into Mirror Lake is preventing natural water turnover which poses a risk to the balance of its ecology. The study, which was published in Lake and Reservoir Management, found that road salt runoff is preventing spring mixing of the water column. This creates more anoxic water conditions, meaning there is less oxygen in the water, and limits the ability of the habitat to support the native lake trout.

Mirror Lake is the first lake in the Adirondack Park to show an interruption in lake turnover due to road salt. Many lakes in northern climes experience so-called “dimictic turnover”, which is a natural process where wind and less stratified water conditions of spring and fall allow mixing of the water column that redistribute oxygen and nutrients throughout the lake. High levels of surface-water chloride introduced into the lake from road salt runoff inhibit the mixing of the water column.

The lack of mixing and oxygenation is bad news for fish species such as lake trout, which require cold, oxygenated water to survive. It may also put the lake at a greater risk of algal blooms.

Mirror Lake is small, surrounded by concentrated development, and receives the direct discharge of stormwater. So, it is particularly vulnerable to road salt contamination. Other lakes elsewhere in New York may experience similar conditions. The researchers are confident that natural turnover conditions could be restored to the lake if road salt application in the watershed is reduced.

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Road salt pollutes lake in one of the largest US protected areas, new study shows

Photo, posted January 5, 2018, courtesy of MTA of the State of NY via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Nitrogen Pollution

March 30, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Earth system scientists say that there are four major human-caused forces that threaten to cause irreversible and abrupt environmental upheaval: climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and excess nitrogen.

[Read more…] about Nitrogen Pollution

Saving The Sea From Salt

July 18, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The Persian Gulf along with the Red and Mediterranean seas are getting saltier all the time because of the waste products of desalination. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman account for 45% of the world’s desalination capacity. And the byproduct of desalination is brine, which is twice as salty as seawater. Even advanced desalination plants produce two cubic meters of waste brine for every one cubic meter of clean water.

Mobile Apps Empower Citizen Science

June 1, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Citizen scientists play a vital role in raising awareness about the health of our nation’s freshwater resources. Their efforts can help document water clarity and track harmful algal blooms and other indicators of poor water quality instrumental to sound management.

Preventing Toxic Algal Blooms

May 12, 2016 By WAMC WEB

We have talked about the growing problem of toxic algal blooms on a number of occasions. The increasing occurrence of these blooms has been associated with rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels as well as the presence of wastewater nutrients and agricultural fertilizers in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The most notable incident occurred in the summer of 2014, when algae contamination in Lake Erie left 400,000 residents in Ohio and Michigan without water for 72 hours.

The World’s Lakes Are Heating Up

January 12, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Climate change is causing the world’s lakes to warm, with repercussions for fisheries and freshwater supplies. So reports an ambitious new study, funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, and recently published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Beavers: Nature’s Nitrogen Busters

December 8, 2015 By WAMC WEB

Beavers are one of nature’s most industrious engineers. Using branches and mud, the intrepid animals create dams that slow moving water. In New York’s Hudson Valley, their constructions are a common sight on streams and in wetlands.

The Expanding Threat Of Algal Blooms

September 28, 2015 By EarthWise

It may seem like we are constantly talking about toxic algal blooms – in the ocean, in lakes, and in rivers. That’s because they are occurring with greater frequency and are posing a greater threat than they have in the past.

A Giant Red Tide

August 31, 2015 By EarthWise

Red tide is the common name for algal blooms in the ocean. These are typically cyclical events that occur along our coasts and generally last a few weeks.

[Read more…] about A Giant Red Tide

Nitrogen Pollution Suffocates Fish

July 27, 2015 By EarthWise

In Riverhead, Long Island the stench of rotting fish is becoming all too familiar. Over the past two months, the Department of Environmental Conservation estimates more than 400,000 Atlantic menhaden, commonly called bunker, have washed up on the shores of the Peconic River – which sits between Long Island’s north and south forks. The culprit: nitrogen pollution.