Lake Norman Algal Bloom

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Lake Norman Algal Bloom

Diana Daniels • Sep 27, 2022

Algal Bloom at Lake Norman State Park

On Thursday September 22nd, your Riverkeeper Brandon Jones, was called to the Lake Norman State Park swim beach to collect a water sample in preparation for a triathlon on Sunday. The organizing company Cal Tri had requested confirmation that the water was safe for athletes. We sampled this location weekly this summer as a part of our Swim Guide program, with all results coming back safe for swimming. However, on Thursday morning there was an algal bloom stretching across the swim beach.

With the triathlon planned for Sunday, Brandon immediately went out to examine the bloom and collect a sample. Under the microscope at our lab, Brandon was able to identify the bloom as microcystis, a toxin producing Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB). After communicating with the race director, park staff, and the Department of Environmental Quality, Riverkeeper staff returned Thursday afternoon with a drone to map the extent of the bloom and measure for toxins. Fortunately, the afternoon wind had dissipated and pushed the bloom out of the swim area. The results of the toxin test strip showed it to be at a concentration of 5 ppb (parts per billion.) The EPA does not recommend swimming in concentrations above 10 ppb. The visible bloom did not return, and a resampling effort on Saturday morning showed safe water conditions. Algal blooms are notoriously ephemeral and difficult to predict, however most thrive in warm stagnant water. The colder temperatures Thursday and Friday night likely contributed to the bloom’s quick disappearance.

With a watchful eye to any other changes, the event was able to go off as planned! We are extremely grateful to have a Riverkeeper who could monitor this bloom and make sure the race was safe for participants. The Riverkeeper team is thankful to have access to a new lab, funded by Xylem Watermark that makes important work like this possible! Special thanks to Cal Tri staff who always put participant safety first and to Lake Norman State Park for a quick drone permit and great communication throughout the process.New Paragraph

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Celebrate Earth Month With Us!

05 Apr, 2024

Happy Earth Month! While every month is Earth Month here at Catawba Riverkeeper, we’re excited about the extra attention and enthusiasm for protecting our local environment that comes every April! Throughout this month, we're amplifying our efforts to spread awareness and provide a variety of options for you to get out and learn from, engage in, or advocate for the preservation, protection, and restoration of our shared waterways. Because of that, our calendar is jam-packed with public and private cleanups, guided tours, education programing, outreach events, and fun activities at Confluence & The River Room all month long. Just take a look at some of the events we have going on! In honor of Earth Month, we hope that you engage with us in some of these events by volunteering your time to clean up our water, learning more about issues affecting our water, and sharing our work and mission with other people as ambassadors. If you'd like to make an Earth Month contribution to Catawba Riverkeeper, you can give to our Spring Education Appeal, help us purchase a new Catawba Riverkeeper vehicle, or attend our Ambassador Training and represent us at events throughout the year. Our work is not possible without the support of people like you. We are only a drop in the bucket of worldwide water conservation efforts, but with the support of people like you, we can make mighty waves of change! Thank you in advance for your support, and happy Earth Month!