# Utah lake toxic algae



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

What affects does this toxic algae bloom have on fish and waterfowl and other wildkife around Utah lake?


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Its not good. After the algae blooms and deteriorates it pulls the oxygen from the water, and with the lake being so shallow could have big fish kill. Cant be good for the ducks? Not a expert here, but I think it is not good news.-O,-


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

With the lake so low you would think it would be an opportune time to dredge. Too bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It would be nice if they dredged it but by the time the government acts to dredge the lake it will be 10 years down the road and it might be full again.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Sounds like it would be a great project. 

I have wanted to use a dredge after the first time I saw one in the middle of Idaho.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> What affects does this toxic algae bloom have on fish and waterfowl and other wildkife around Utah lake?


I know you're not supposed to be eating fish from the lake. I'm not sure about ducks. If I have time today, I was going to make a few calls to see what duck hunters should be doing. It would be hard to figure out if your duck has been on the lake or not.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

so, algae blooms are not something unheard of in Utah. Sure, this Utah Lake bloom is probably larger than anything we've seen, but the fear of algae blooms at Minersville is something fisheries managers have dealt with for a long time. As noted by others, these can be bad for fish. We are all very familiar with the term "winter kill", and I'm some people have heard others use the term "summer kill" -- this is what a summer kill is. Algae blooms that result in the depletion of dissolved oxygen in the lake thus large fish die offs.

Will this bloom result in a total fish kill at Utah Lake? Doubtful.
Will this result in a partial kill? Probably.

What happens on a Boulder Mountain lake when you have partial kills? _fast fish growth for the remaining fish.

_this might not be the doom and gloom to the fishery many are afraid of. You could actually see some really good fishing for some really nice fish in the next couple of years...


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

A couple thoughts / questions I have:

1- I don't remember this being an issue until the last few years. Either I was ignorant and didn't know about it, or it wasn't an issue until recently. So I am wondering what is causing this build-up of algae and could it be human related?

2- To Dunkem's point - we hear that the algae is unhealthy for animals and fish. Utah Lake is home to the June Sucker fish that is found nowhere else in the world. What effect will this algae bloom have on their viability?

3- Could carp provide causation / correlation to the current issue? Given their already deplorable effects on the lake, could it be that they have finally become the straw that broke the camel's back and created the problem by eating the vegetation that would normally keep algae counts down?


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

Bax* said:


> Could carp provide causation / correlation to the current issue? Given their already deplorable effects on the lake, could it be that they have finally become the straw that broke the camel's back and created the problem by eating the vegetation that would normally keep algae counts down?


I never thought of this. If this is the reason, I'm willing to bet that it won't be announced or admitted to.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Bax* said:


> A couple thoughts / questions I have:
> 
> 1- I don't remember this being an issue until the last few years. Either I was ignorant and didn't know about it, or it wasn't an issue until recently. So I am wondering what is causing this build-up of algae and could it be human related?
> 
> ...


1) Look at the lake levels over the last 10-20 years and compare to algae blooms

2) I live on the western shore of the lake and haven't seen any fish or bird kills yet

3) Carp could be one part of the equation although there has been an ongoing program removing millions of pounds of carp from the lake over the last 3 years.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The algae blooms are quite common. There are a number of shallow lakes in Colorado that are having the same problem right now, mostly east of I-25 on the front range.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Critter said:


> The algae blooms are quite common. There are a number of shallow lakes in Colorado that are having the same problem right now, mostly east of I-25 on the front range.


No NO NOOOOO....it's a Utah problem and no where else ever in the history of mankind....and it's all glyphosate's fault. :shock:


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Bax* said:


> A couple thoughts / questions I have:
> 
> 1- I don't remember this being an issue until the last few years. Either I was ignorant and didn't know about it, or it wasn't an issue until recently. So I am wondering what is causing this build-up of algae and could it be human related?


A variety of factors can contribute to algae blooms, but humans certainly play a role.

Algae blooms on this scale are caused by a bad combination of warm weather and nutrient pollution. When people say "nutrient" in this context they are typically referring to nitrogen, or phosphorus (in the case of UL it is phosphorus). Nutrients are an essential part of the ecosystem when they occur in natural, balanced quantities. However, certain populations of algae or bacteria can really explode if too many nutrients end up in the water. This is what we are seeing in Utah Lake.

Nutrient pollution occurs when human activities place an excessive amount of nutrients in the water. Usually, fertilizers and discharge from wastewater treatment plants are the culprits. Only the Orem wastewater treatment plant currently meets recommended phosphorus-discharge levels. All of the others will be required to meet them by 2020.



Bax* said:


> 2- To Dunkem's point - we hear that the algae is unhealthy for animals and fish. Utah Lake is home to the June Sucker fish that is found nowhere else in the world. What effect will this algae bloom have on their viability?


I don't have a really strong background in biology, but I tend to think that low dissolved oxygen levels caused by the algae bloom will probably be the biggest threat to the June Sucker. Time will tell.



Bax* said:


> 3- Could carp provide causation / correlation to the current issue? Given their already deplorable effects on the lake, could it be that they have finally become the straw that broke the camel's back and created the problem by eating the vegetation that would normally keep algae counts down?


Your guess is a good as mine, but I doubt the carp are helping the situation.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Can anyone show any report anywhere giving the nutrient breakdowns of water samples from Utah Lake? Would be very interested to see it. We keep hearing that nutrients are out of whack (I personally believe they probably are) but I haven't seen one single shred of scientific data anywhere showing what the nutrient levels are in various parts of the lake.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

This is an interesting thread. There are some insights that I haven't heard before that have made me wonder more and more about this topic.

Especially nutrients entering the waterway that could contribute to the bloom. I have heard that nitrates were a very big concern in the past, but never thought of it in this context.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

The only positive thing I can see from this is the reduction of carp. However they will probobly thrive on the algae. Very interesting indeed Bax!!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Dunkem said:


> The only positive thing I can see from this is the reduction of carp. However they will probobly thrive on the algae. Very interesting indeed Bax!!


Every morning when I wake up and walk out the front door I am looking square at the lake and I keep hoping like hell that I will see the lake top covered with floating bloated dead carp...no such luck.


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

The Division of Water Quality does periodic sampling for nutrients and other pollutants in Utah Lake. I bet they have a lot of data on the inflow of phosphates and other human caused pollutants. The news stories are laying the blame on agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plants sending ever-increasing amounts of algae growing pollution into Utah Lake while at the same time the lake is getting lower. That's a bad combination.
R


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Oh yeah, and just a reminder that our Utah legislature passed a law last winter (SB110) that will make it easier for our wastewater treatment plants to sidestep federal water quality regulations. Pretty cool, huh? We voted for them, and we reap what we sow.
R


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

With all of the fertilizers and nitrates being dumped in our water systems, I have to wonder if this is why several geese I have harvested taste like chemicals. Maybe they spend too much time on the golf courses, I don't know. I'm sure I can't be the only one who has tasted this stuff.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Fowlmouth said:


> With all of the fertilizers and nitrates being dumped in our water systems, I have to wonder if this is why several geese I have harvested taste like chemicals. Maybe they spend too much time on the golf courses, I don't know. I'm sure I can't be the only one who has tasted this stuff.


You are suppose to pluck or skin them before eating them don't you know?-/|\\-

The next thing that you are going to see is more health advisories on eating waterfowl.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Critter said:


> You are suppose to pluck or skin them before eating them don't you know?-/|\\-
> Dang, nobody told me that! :grin:
> 
> The next thing that you are going to see is more health advisories on eating waterfowl.


I think you are right, and I hope you are right. I am surprised they don't check for other things besides methylmercury. I have only noticed the taste in geese, not ducks. I'm telling you some of them have tasted like a mouth full of pool water.


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