Blue Green Algae

[Wormslayer]

I was just thinking about the reappearance of the Blue-Green Algae in Utah Lake and was wondering if it could be due in part to the massive effort to remove carp from said body of water. The invasive species as I understand it are mostly herbivorous and have had over 100 years to change the biodiversity of the lake. I'm wondering if the large scale removal in just a few years has upset that balance even more and the Blue-Green Algae is an unintended consequence? I am neither a Hydrologist nor an Ichthyologist, let alone a Phycologist, so I'm curious what those of you who are better informed think.
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[Anglinarcher]

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Nope, the Algae (Cyanobacteria) is the result of a larger nutrient load due to the concentration of water due to the previous drought conditions. 40% of all water is lost from to UL due to evaporation so several years of low water really concentrated the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, etc. Also, the relative lack of high winds during our latest summers help them to thrive.
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Once the Blue Green Algae bloomed, the spores were spread. In reality, Blue Green Algae is not an Algae at all, but Bacteria, so it may take some years for the spore numbers to return to normal where it does not bloom so much.
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"Cyanobacteria, also known as Cyanophyta, is a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis, and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen. The name "cyanobacteria" comes from the color of the bacteria". [url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria"]Wikipedia[/url]
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]"Cyanobacteria prefer calm waters, such as those provided by ponds and lakes. Their life cycles are disrupted when the water naturally or artificially mixes from churning currents caused by the flowing water of streams or the churning water of fountains."
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[url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanobacteria[/url]
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Additionally, the carp are a big part of the problem. Most of the nutrients are consumed and contained by mud and weeds, but the carp destroy the weeds and stir up the mud.
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]First, I want it clear that I am not all that concerned about the Cyanobacteria. It should be first understood that while they produce toxins, they are in very small amounts, are not cyanide, and only in the worst of blooms does it become dangerous. More hypochondriacs will get sick in most cases then any animals or “normal” people. I love most of the write ups in the internet about it, “thought to”, “appears to”, “may” etc. Lots and lots of assumptions but not a lot of facts. Still, it is necessary to be lawyer proof and extra safe. In fact, my best 2 fishing lakes in Washington, an a once best one in Idaho, now closed due to a failing dam, had much worse blooms every year. In fact, the Cyanobacteria actually create oxygen and shade the water cooling the lake.
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If we return to normal water levels, if we have water flushing through UL, if we can get water weeds to grow again (getting the carp under control), and if we get more summer time winds, UL will return to normal. If we can reduce the nutrient load entering the lake even more, the bloom will reoccur less often.
[font "Times New Roman"] [/font]So, returning to your question, removing the carp is not the problem, not having them removed years ago, and having a drought, and having an increased nutrient load are the reason for the “Blue Green Algae”.
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[a_bow_nut]

Another thing to think about is that even though the lake did fill up this year but the nutrients have only been diluted. If we could get a couple more winters like the last one then the lake could get a good flushing out of what is in there instead of just being diluted some.

When they have to start releasing water because they are at the compromise level and it isn't even the beginning of the water season then is when we will start seeing an improvement in the algae bloom situation.

A change in the weather pattern with cooler temperatures wouldn't hurt either.
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[Therapist]

The lake has NOT filled up !! Yes, we have higher levels at Utah lake, but the lake has not filled. It is still 3-4 ft below full pool, last I checked it was 72% full. So part of the the current problem is that they have continued to keep the lake below capacity, which continues to concentrate the nutrients, which continues to allow the crap to explode !! Yes we have had some extremely hot weather early, but the water managers continue to keep Utah Lake at a low level !!

[Anglinarcher]

YEP, yep and yep.

It is unlikely that they water managers will chance pushing water down from Deer Creek and Jordanelle, so we need enough water up stream to get them 100% and still have high overflows. Maybe next year...........

The problem is that they need to store as much water as possible in case the next year is dry. Easy to let water flow down stream, impossible to make it flow up stream.

[Tin-Can]

Yep, UL did get a good amount of water this last spring, but not enough, and I just came back from there (Lincoln Beach to Bird Island and back) today, and the water level is an average 1 to 1.5 feet lower today than it was on the 22nd June when the wife and I were there on our short 2 day vacation.

Lincoln Beach depths: bottom of ramp 3-3.5 ft. / marina area from ramp to dock 3 - 4 ft. / middle of the channel going out 2.6 at the shallowest, to 4.5 at the outlet into the lake. Past the buoys, 5 ft. and average 6 to 7.5 feet most of the way from LB to BI.
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