The Question of the Week...is it Pollen or Algae?
by Bob Hyams
July 15, 2010, pg 1

The Town Beach waters have been visited upon by a substance casting a bright green hue. It started one day last week as a green material confined to within 15 feet of the shoreline. (O.K., I’m buying the pollen explanation.) By afternoon it had migrated 30 feet farther, extending beyond the dock. (Pollen? Not so sure.) By the next day, the green ooze was thick hundreds of yards off-shore. I’m no botanist, but I was willing to bet that it was not pollen. I was confident that we found our answer in Thursday’s Burlington Free Press headline: “Heat Triggers Lake Champlain Algae Growth.”

Now, for those who did not read the Free Press (available on-line), the article focused on the incidence of potentially toxic blue-green algae. Blue-green algae was reported throughout South Chittenden County, including Shelburne Bay, Burlington Bay and right here at Thompson’s Point. I didn’t believe what we experienced at the beach was a blue-green bloom (Disclaimer: not a botanist.), but it was definitely an algal bloom of some kind. To date, I have not heard any reports of swimmers feeling sick. However, just when we thought it safe to go back into the water, a photo (like the one above) was brought to my attention: looking kind of blue-green to me.

The Vermont Department of Health offers the following recommendations for keeping your family safe around algae-infested waters and advises anyone recreating on the lake – boaters, swimmers, water-skiers, waders, parents, pet-owners and residents – to take precautions around algae blooms:
• Avoid all contact with algae-contaminated water.
• Do not swim or bathe in algae-contaminated water. Remember that children are at higher risk because they are more likely to drink the water.
• Monitor water intakes for private residences. If you see algae near the intake, switch to an alternate safe source of water.
• Do not use algae-contaminated water to prepare meals or brush teeth. Boiling water will not remove toxins.
•Do not allow pets in algae-contaminated water.
For more details visit healthvermont.gov/news/2010/070810_bgalgae.aspx.