Swartswood HAB

[NJSquatch]

3rd year in a row!

https://www.njherald.com/20190609/harmful-algae-at-swartswood-confirmed

[MudCat08]

Would like to know what algae this is. Which species is so harmful that we shouldn't touch it?

[Hookmanski]

3rd year in a row and at the same time as the HAB in Spruce Run. Gotta love jersey :rolleyes:

[bulletbob]

Well, we get the same and WORSE up here in NY state, and these lakes are 40 miles long, 2 miles wide and 600 feet deep!... Simply too many people dumping organic material into the water.
See all those homes around every lake??? Where do you think a lot of the septic/sewage winds up? Dog poop? Lawn and Garden fertilizer? Grass clippings, leaves?
Its all fertilizer and microorganisms eat it eventually... The Finger Lakes were all as clear as gin when i moved here in 1991. You could see fish among the rocks 30 feet down easily.
Now they are often a sickly greenish brown, or even bright green, and full of slimy algae. Its because we all want to be right on the water, and those that can afford it do live on the water.- we all pay a price for it.
Even if its a small lake without homes on it, organic material from multiple thousands of nearby people, wildlife and pets ends up in it, resulting in blooms.. Its not just NJ, its everywhere there are a lot of people living near the water. . bob

[MudCat08]

Cyanobacteria looove to feed on the fertilizer run off.

[dakota560]

Well, we get the same and WORSE up here in NY state, and these lakes are 40 miles long, 2 miles wide and 600 feet deep!... Simply too many people dumping organic material into the water.
See all those homes around every lake??? Where do you think a lot of the septic/sewage winds up? Dog poop? Lawn and Garden fertilizer? Grass clippings, leaves?
Its all fertilizer and microorganisms eat it eventually... The Finger Lakes were all as clear as gin when i moved here in 1991. You could see fish among the rocks 30 feet down easily.
Now they are often a sickly greenish brown, or even bright green, and full of slimy algae. Its because we all want to be right on the water, and those that can afford it do live on the water.- we all pay a price for it.
Even if its a small lake without homes on it, organic material from multiple thousands of nearby people, wildlife and pets ends up in it, resulting in blooms.. Its not just NJ, its everywhere there are a lot of people living near the water. . bob

The relentless encroachment of an ever growing population on nature. We either change the products we're using or the same will happen every year. In a cycle which doesn't appear to be changing. Add the amount of rain we've had these last few years and impacts of run off and you have the perfect storm, or maybe better said the perfect storm drainage problem.

[Brewlugger]

Lawn fertilizer is big business here in NJ, and it really isn't needed to have a nice lawn. Grass is a plant that doesn't require alot of nutrients to grow and most people use way too much fertilizer and most of it runs off. It also ruins the soil and then you are stuck in a cycle of having to use it. I spread screened compost on my lawn in the spring and maybe a little lime in the late fall and it looks just as good if not better than my neighbors. There are products that are organic available the phosphates in fertilizers are a large part of the problem and the weed control products are straight up toxic.There have been large algae blooms offshore the past few years and Barnegat bay is messed up too. I have never used fertilizer on my lawn. I recall a few years ago Governor Christie tried to put some restrictions up but the lobby from the industry put a quick end to that idea. Sorry for the rant , I could go on for awhile on this subject as it really hits a nerve with me.

[reason162]

Sounds like it's time for some good ole gov regulations.

[RWole]

I was on Pompton last week and we all know how dirty that can be and yes
a house right on the lake with the beautiful green lawn and who was on site.
Chem Lawn with the small tank trunk spraying the lawn. Gee that will not make the lake green.

[AndyS]

Haven't used any fertilizers or chemicals on my lawn in over 25 years, why stress out over a little clover and a few dandelions.

[NJSquatch]

mulching your grass clippings will provide enough fertilizer for the grass

[Fred E. Goose]

Since it's a state park/swimming lake and has had the history of harmful algae blooms, it is tested extensively. I wonder how many of our lakes have the same harmful blooms but go unnoticed because they do not get this strict testing or the amount of testing?

Happy Swimming :D