Lake Management and Toxic Algae Information

We've collected some useful links on lake management and toxic algae blooms (HABs) to help inform our community about this growing threat to the health of White Pond and other lakes and ponds.

Massachusetts Health and Human Services Current Cyanobacteria Advisories and Info 

Harmful Algae Blooms in Fresh Water Bodies Massachusetts Department of Public Health Brochure

Massachusetts Dept. of Health Guidelines for Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Recreational Water Bodies in Massachusetts (technical article)

The Practical Guide to Lake Management in Massachusetts: A Companion to the Final Generic Environmental Impact Report on Eutrophication and Aquatic Plant Management in Massachusetts
Very comprehensive guide by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Conservation and Recreation

Climate Change and Harmful Algal Blooms
EPA scientists predict that climate change will have many effects on freshwater and marine environments. These effects, along with nutrient pollution, might cause harmful algal blooms to occur more often, in more water bodies and to be more intense.  Algal blooms endanger human health, the environment and economies across the United States.

More EPA info on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms

Driven by Climate Change, Algae Blooms Behind Ohio Water Scare Are New Normal
National Geographic report says climate change and increased runoff are triggering more potentially toxic blooms.

Could Climate Change Boost Toxic Algal Blooms in the Oceans?
Preliminary research reported in this Scientific American article suggests that ocean acidification may promote some types of algal blooms that make people and animals sick.

Toxic algae associated with major extinction events
A new hypothesis claims that toxins from algae played a major role in all five of the planet's mass extinctions. 

Wikipedia article on algal blooms