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8/14/2024

Wt Staff

August 14, 2024 103 pm EDT

Ohio HAB Tracker
from National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) satellite monitoring program
Lake Erie HAB massive hot spot in open water, extreme concentration from Toledo to Toussaint River outlet

The latest satellite image of Lake Erie West basin was captured August 13, a clear view snapped at surface wind speed 4.3 mph. This image shows an enormous open water hot spot elevated to concentrations not seen even along the sheltered shorelines. Program Maanager of the NCCOS Richard Stumph has been asked to weigh in on this development, more to follow.

The following observations are based on the clear image from August 13 unless otherwise noted:
  • North Maumee Bay widespread HAB 900 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Toledo - Maumee Bay widespread HAB extending from Maumee River through the bay into Lake Erie at 1 to 3 million cells per 100 ml
  • Toledo - Maumee Bay State Park widespread HAB block extends the full shoreline and 10 nm into open water the hot spot concentration up to 4 million cells along the east half of the shoreline
  • Mallard Club Marsh Wilderness Area to Cedar Point widespread block from shore to 10 nm into open water starting out 2 to 3 million cells for the first 3 nm tapering off to 1 million cells per 100 ml
  • Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge widespread block from shore to 10 nm into open water the hot spot northeast of the point in a 5 by 7 nm block 3 to 6 million cells per 100 ml
  • Reno Beach widespread HAB extending 10 nm from shore 2 million cells along shore increasing to 5 million in the hot spot approximately 5 nm off shore
  • Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area widespread HAB extending 10 nm from shore 600 thousand cells at shore increasing to 5 million in the hot spot approximately 5 nm off shore
  • Magee Marsh Wildlife Area widespread HAB extending 10 nm from shore 600 thousand cells at shore increasing to 5 million in the hot spot approximately 5 nm off shore
  • Toussaint River outlet widespread HAB from shore 2 million cells extending over 12 nm in open water 200 thousand cells at the open water edge
  • Camp Perry widespread HAB 2 to 3 million cells along shore running out to the international border 1 million cells at the outer edge
  • Port Clinton widespread HAB along shore extending 2 to 3 nm at 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Catawba Island widespread HAB wrapping the island 1 to 2 nm band 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Kelleys Island widespread HABs encompassing the island 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • South Bass Island widespread HABs encompassing the island 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Middle Bass Island widespread HABs encompassing the island 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Isle St George widespread HABs encompassing the island up to south shore at 300 thousand cells per 100 ml, the east-north-west shores are clear for about 1 nm before reaching the HAB mass
Sandusky Bay:
  • Muddy Creek Bay - no HAB activity
  • Pickerel Point to Bayview/Route 269 - dispersed open water HABs fill the inner bay area 700 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Bay View/Route 269 toward Cedar Point - dispersed open water HABs 700 thousand cells per 100 ml
  • Cedar Point - band of HAB extends 7 nm toward Kelleys Island 300 thousand cells per 100 ml
Lake Erie east of Sandusky Bay band of dense HAB extends east from Cedar Point past Huron in a block from shore reaching 3 to 7 nm into open water 300 thousand cells per 100 ml

Composited Cyanobacteria Index as reported by National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, a visual scale based on true color imagery from the Copernicus- Sentinel 3a satellite of the EUMETSAT Note: Winds above 4.0 mph may begin mixing the bloom and clouds may obscure it, leading to an underestimate of the area. Moderate and low concentrations may not be obvious to the eye.

Beach Advisories from Department of Health
Four Lake Erie beaches posted with recreational public health advisories midweek, not including Maumee Bay State Park (Erie)

Eleven beach advisories are listed midweek, down from thirty-three Saturday afternoon. Just four Lake Erie beaches are posted with high bacteria advisories, Hueston Woods, Dillon Swimmers Beach and one Grand Lake beach remain on the high bacteria advisory list with the same four permanent algal toxin advisories remain for Grand Lake.

Ohio Department of Health posts advisories based on updated lab test results with e.coli levels above 235 ug/L, or based on predictive modeling. Beach advisories based on predictive modeling may display e.coli test results well below the threshold 235 ug/L.

The following list are the beaches with active Recreational Public Health Advisories, test results are updated as they come in, check back for the latest results.

Bacteria Contamination Advisory High Bacteria Level confirmed by lab testing
Lake Erie Beaches
  • Maumee Bay State Park (inland) - Lucas County - advisory issued 241 pm Aug 13, 2024 for e.coli 1119.9 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 12
  • Bay View West - Erie County - advisory issued 833 am Aug 13, 2024 for e.coli 193.5 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 13
  • Camp Perry - Ottawa County - advisory issued 940 am Aug 9, 2024 for e.coli 435.2 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 12
  • Whites Landing - Erie County - advisory issued 834 am Aug 7, 2024 for e.coli 461.1 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 9
Interior Ohio Beach Advisories
  • Hueston Woods, Acton Lake - Preble County - advisory issued 1256 pm July 30, 2024 e.coli 260.3 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 5
  • Dillon Swimmers Beach - Muskingum County - advisory issued 1055 am Aug 5, 2024 e.coli 2420 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 1
  • Grand Lake - St Marys Main East - Auglaize County - advisory issued 1225 am July 29, 2024 e.coli 307.6 cfu per 100 ml measured July 28
Algal Toxin Advisories
  • Grand Lake - St Marys - Windy Point - Recreational Public Health Advisory - Algal bloom-toxin issued May 23, 2024 July 23 microcystins 21.1 ug/L up from 20 ug/L July 16
  • Grand Lake - Main West Beach - Recreational Public Health Advisory - Algal bloom-toxin issued May 23, 2024 July 23 microcystins 12.9 ug/L up from 12.1 ug/L July 16
  • Grand Lake - St. Mary's Camp - Recreational Public Health Advisory - Algal bloom-toxin issued May 23, 2024, July 23 microcystins 15.9 ug/L up from 9.6 ug/L July 16
  • Grand Lake - St Marys - Main East - Recreational Public Health Advisory - Algal bloom-toxin issued June 5, 2024 July 29 microcystins 22 ug/L
Note the US EPA safe limit for microcystins in recreational water 8 ug/L; OEPA safe limit for drinking water sources .3 ug/L for children under 6, 1.6 ug/L for older children and adults

Ohio Department of Health rescinded a recreational public beach advisory issued July 19 for microcystins measured five times above the EPA safe guideline for recreational water in a sample taken on July 11. Two samples following came in at microcystins levels below the safety threshhold, prompting the removal of the advisory. Since that time, satellite imaging shows the HAB at increasingly high concentrations, along the beach and today showing a jump in the open water concentration as well. Department of Natural Resources conducts the water sampling program. WTOH asked for a breakdown of the steps from sampling to the results being transmitted to the Department of Health. The time lapse between water sample collection and recreational public health advisory has been a week or more. Based on the satellite images in the month of August, we can only expect toxin levels to increase. Keep your swimmers and pets away from this water.

Removed from the active advisory list this week:
  • Pickerel Creek - Erie County
  • Bay View East - Erie County
  • Orchard Park Beach - Erie County
  • Nickel Plate Beach - Erie County
  • Edgewater Beach - Cuyahoga County
  • Cedar Point Chausee - Erie County
  • Headlands State Park - Lake County
  • Euclid State Park - Cuyahoga County
  • Conneaut Sandbar Beach - Ashtabula County - advisory issued 405 pm Aug 6, 2024 for e.coli 326 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 7
  • Darby Creek - Erie County - advisory issued 850 am Aug 5, 2024 for e.coli 461.1 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 7
  • Port Clinton - Deep/Lakeview - Ottawa County - advisory issued 1143 am Aug 8, 2024 for e.coli 307.6 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Clifton Beach - Cuyahoga County - advisory issued 911 am Aug 7, 2024 for e.coli 384 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Sawmill Beach - Erie County - advisory issued 849 am Aug 5, 2024 for e.coli 307.6 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 5
  • Maumee Bay State Park (Erie) - Lucas County - advisory issued 1154 am Aug 8, 2024 for e.coli 579.4 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 7
  • Clarkwood Beach - Cuyahoga County - advisory issued 901 am Aug 6, 2024 for e.coli 913 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Sims Beach - Cuyahoga County - advisory issued 1021 am July 30, 2024 for e.coli 1741 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Lakeview Beach - Lorain County - advisory issued 137 pm July 31, 2024 for e.coli 1413.6 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Huntington Beach - Erie County - advisory issued 912 pm Aug 6, 2024 for e.coli 183 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Beulah Beach - Erie County - advisory issued 837 am Aug 7, 2024 for e.coli 235.9 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Noble Beach - Cuyahoga County - advisory issued 1035 am July 30, 2024 for e.coli 1230 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 8
  • Pipe Creek Wildlife Area - Erie County - advisory issued 835 am Aug 7, 2024 for e.coli 648.8 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 7
  • Community Park Beach - Lorain County - advisory issued 1 pm, Aug 7, 2024 for e.coli 316.9 cfu per 100 ml measured Aug 6

Ohio BeachGuard is a public facing app displaying active advisories for recreational water bodies, including high bacteria advisories and toxic algae advisories. Sampling is done by County Health, water utilities or Ohio Department of Natural Resources with advisories issued and lab test results reported by the Ohio Department of Health. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency oversees standard testing of raw water sources for bacterial and cyanotoxin levels in water to be treated for drinking. OEPA and ODNR, Ohio DOH publish test results for drinking water and recreational water separately, even on the same water body. WT tracks bacterial and cyanotoxin values from both the recreational BeachGuard and Ohio Drinking Water Watch.

Toxic algae advisories indicate avoid all contact with the water. Algal toxins have been found at unsafe levels. Swimming and wading are not recommended. Keep pets away.

For more information check Ohio State resources here
or call 1-866-644-6224

Western Basin Lake Erie National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
HABS Hazardous Algae Blooms
Get informed and stay safe around the water this summer
WaterToday collects algal bloom monitoring information from state and federal agencies including but not limited to the CDC, EPA, NOAA and state public health authorities.
HABs alerts are posted on our state maps according to the best available information reported by citizen groups, universities, state and/or federal monitoring agencies.
Before you head out to the beach, pond or stream, check with local authorities to confirm the latest HABs conditions.
Consider carrying a rapid test kit for micro-cystin, the most common of the cyanobacteria toxins.

Sources for algal bloom data:
National Centres for Coastal Ocean Science
A department of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NCCOS provides harmful algal bloom forecasting for certain water bodies and regions including:
 West Basin Lake Erie https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-areas/habs/hab-monitoring-system/cyanobacteria-algal-bloom-from-satellite-in-western-lake-erie-basin/
Lake Pontchartrain  https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-areas/habs/hab-monitoring-system/cyanobacteria-algal-bloom-from-satellite-in-lake-pontchartrain-la/

The forecasting is based on true color imagery provided by OLCI sensors on Copernicus Sentinel-3a satellite of the EUMETSAT group

Environmental Protection Agency Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN)
The mission of the CyAN project is to support the environmental management and public use of U.S. lakes and estuaries by providing a useful and accessible approach to detecting and quantifying algal blooms and related water quality using satellite data records. 
What is CyAN:  Mobile and web-based application for cyanobacteria monitoring
How does it work?  Users can enter the coordinates or name of local water bodies for monitoring information. 
The CyAN project officially started October 1, 2015. It provided continental U.S. coverage using the
Envisat MERIS archive from 2002-2012
Sign up here: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/cyanobacteria-assessment-network-application-cyan-app

Centers for Disease Control

Environmental Public Health Tracking provides data and information on health outcomes, the environment, population, and exposures, including hazardous algal blooms occurring in water bodies of the USA, both freshwater and marine.

CDC Public Notice on Hazardous Algae Blooms
It is not possible to know if a large growth, or bloom, of algae or cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) is harmful just by looking at it. Some blooms make toxins (poisons), which can still be in the water even when you can’t see a bloom. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from harmful algae and cyanobacteria, what to do if you or a pet is exposed to them, and how to help prevent these blooms.

Swimming and Wading:  Stay out of water with a bloom, rinse off if you or your pets are in contact with water
If you see signs of a bloom, stay out of the water and keep your pets out of the water. Do not fish, swim, boat, or play water sports in areas where this is possible harmful algae or cyanobacteria.
Do not go into or play in water that:

  • Smells bad
  • Looks discolored
  • Has foam, scum, algal mats, or paint-like streaks on the surface
  • Has dead fish or other animals washed up on its shore or beach
Protect your pets and livestock from getting sick by keeping them away from water with possible harmful algae or cyanobacteria. Do not let animals:
  • Get in the water
  • Drink the water
  • Lick or eat mats of cyanobacteria or algae
  • Eat or graze near the water
  • Eat dead fish or other animals on the shore
  • Go on the beach or shoreline
If you or your pets do go in water that may have a bloom, rinse yourself and your pets immediately afterward with tap water from a sink, shower, hose, or outdoor spigot. Do not let pets lick their fur until they have been rinsed. Pets may have harmful algae, cyanobacteria, or related toxins on their fur if they swim or play in water with a bloom.
Do not fill pools with water directly from lakes, rivers, or ponds. The water could contain algal or cyanobacterial toxins or unsafe levels of germs.

Drinking Water:
Follow local guidance about toxins in tap water If you are notified of cyanobacteria or their toxins in your public drinking water supply, follow guidance from your local or state government or water utility to reduce the chances of you or your animals getting sick.
Harmful cyanobacteria may grow in water bodies that supply tap water. Although many water treatment plants can remove these toxins, tap water can be contaminated in certain situations. Cyanobacteria can also produce substances that are not harmful, but can change the taste or smell of tap water.
If you have concerns about the appearance, smell, or taste of tap water that you are using, contact your water utility or health department. Consider using bottled water for drinking and cooking until the problem is resolved.
Don’t boil water contaminated with toxins. Boiling water does not remove toxins and can concentrate the toxin.

 
Fish and shellfish:
Be aware of advisories and health risks related to eating contaminated fish and shellfish
Avoid eating very large reef fish (such as grouper or amberjack), especially the head, gut, liver, or roe (eggs). Large reef fish may be contaminated with ciguatoxin, the algal toxin that causes ciguatera fish poisoning. See the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance for more information on reef fish associated with unsafe levels of toxins.
Check for and follow local shellfish and fish advisories before eating any fish or shellfish you collect yourself. Algal and cyanobacterial toxins in fish or shellfish have no taste or odor. Cooking or preserving food does not remove toxins. Thus, you cannot tell if the seafood is safe by just looking at, smelling, or tasting it.

  • Check to see if shellfish beds are closed. State shellfish control authorities (usually state health departments or other state agencies) are required to control for toxins where harmful algal blooms are likely to occur and toxins could build up in shellfish. Common ways state authorities control for algal toxins include routine monitoring for toxic algae or shellfish and testing shellfish for toxins before or after harvesting. If levels of toxins are unsafe, state authorities will close the area for shellfish harvesting until shellfish are safe to eat.
  • Check safety advisories from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fish and Shellfish Advisories and Safe Eating Guidelines website.

Report any concerns to your local public health authorities.

EPA notice to the public on harmful algae
Harmful algal blooms can be green, blue, red or brown. They can be scummy or look like paint on the surface of the water.
What are harmful algal blooms?
Harmful algal blooms are overgrowths of algae in water. Some produce dangerous toxins in fresh or marine water but even nontoxic blooms hurt the environment and local economies.
What are the effects of harmful algal blooms?
Harmful algal blooms can:

  • Produce extremely dangerous toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals
  • Create dead zones in the water
  • Raise treatment costs for drinking water
  • Hurt industries that depend on clean water

The EPA has a role in enforcing environmental protection regulations to limit discharges into water bodies that contribute to the growth of harmful algal blooms.
The EPA also maintains list of Impaired Water Bodies by state, those water bodies that are not supporting their ideal uses for recreation, including swimming, fishing and wading.  The EPA works with state authorities to identify water bodies that are not supporting their intended recreational uses, to set daily maximum loads for contaminants and nutrient load for impaired water bodies.  The EPA works with state and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute violations of the Clean Water Act, with a role in ordering watershed plans that limit discharges to these water bodies to allow for recovery.









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