News and views, and history and humor, about the lake I love.

"I can hear my granddad's stories of the storms out on Lake Erie, where vessels and cargos and fortunes, and sailors' lives were lost." ~ James Taylor, Millworker

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Latest HAB Bulletin

NOAA Photo
As promised, here is the latest Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Bulletin from NOAA. It's not a pretty picture.
Conditions: A confirmed Microcystis bloom persists in Western Lake Erie.
Analysis: A large Microcystis bloom remains in Western Lake Erie. Model trajectory indicates an easterly transport over the weekend, potentially to Pelee Point by August 21. Recent wind conditions have been relatively low, allowing the biomass to be concentrated in the surface. Low wind stress is predicted over the weekend, so this trend should continue. Water temperatures remain high (nearly 25 C) which should allow the bloom to persist at its present intensities through next week.
You can also view the complete Bulletin in PDF, which shows imagery from the European Space Agency  of the bloom's progression. As you can see, it has spread out over much of Lake Erie's western basin.

This morning I noted that the bloom has encroached into several boat basins on the west side of the Catawba Island Peninsula. The icky green stuff is everywhere.

Swimming is not recommended.

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