Harmful Algal Blooms in Kentucky Governor's Conference on Energy and Environment 2014 Mark Martin Kentucky Division of Water

Harmful Algal Blooms: Background What is a harmful algal bloom (HAB)? excessive growth of cyanobacteria aka blue-green algae – WHO, DOW and USACE recognize 100,000 cells/mL as cautionary level can potentially produce toxins capable of causing illness or irritation - sometimes death - in pets, livestock, and humans caused by a combination of environmental factors including abundant nutrients (N and P) warmer temperatures, lentic waters and sunlight nutrient sources include agricultural runoff, lawn fertilizers, sewage effluent and P weathered from the limestone bedrock here in the Bluegrass

What does a bloom look like? Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena

What does a bloom look like? Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena

ObjectiveObjective What does a bloom look like? Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis

What does a bloom look like? Neighborhood lake-Grant County August 2013 Anabaena

What does a bloom look like? Long Run Lake Jefferson County Parks August 2014 Oscillatoria-Anabaena-Woronichinia

What does a bloom look like? Farm pond – Scott County August 2013 Oscillatoria

What does a bloom look like? Fox Valley Lake – Fleming Co. August 2014 Aphanizomenon

Anabaena Microcystis What does a bloom look like? Anabaena appears here as a filament comprised of 16 cells. The 6 th cell from the left is a heterocyst that can fix atmospheric nitrogen. Microcystis is in a colony comprised of hundreds of cells in a mucilaginous sheath

What does a bloom look like? Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis

Lake Reba – Madison County September 2014 Anabaena - Microcystis What does a bloom look like? Phycocyanin pigment

A Bloom might look like this Beaver Lake – Anderson County August 2013 Cylindrospermopsis

Where do the nutrients come from?

Where do the nutrients come from?

Where do they go?

What can we do about this? The only factor we have control over is to reduce nutrient inputs. Kentucky Nutrient Reduction Strategy Paulette Akers Watershed Management Branch Kentucky Division of Water