Monday, August 04, 2014

The Rise of Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) in Freshwater Resources

  • Use lawn fertilizers only where truly needed
  • Prevent yard debris (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, etc.) from washing into storm drains
  • Support local ordinances that require silt curtains for residential and commercial construction sites
  • Plant and maintain vegetative buffer strips along shorelines of lakes, ponds and streams. Note: Native plants are much more effective at filtering runoff than the typical grass species found on residential lawns.
  • Blue - Green algal toxins are microcystin, cylindrospermopsin, anatoxin, saxatoxin and the most common is microcystin.
  • Yes, farms can be an issue, but, it is all due to overland flow (click here) also referred to as surface runoff.