Clear Lake Algae Bloom - When Will It Start Clearing?

[Vernonn]

When should we expect the water to start clearing?

Thanks!

-vernon

ps. Here is some interesting info (http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Page2593.aspx) :


ALGAE

Along with Clear Lake's high productivity, algae in the lake can create a situation which can be perceived as a problem to humans. Algae are tiny water plants that cycle normally between the bottom and the surface, floating up and sinking down. During the day, algae generate oxygen within the lake; at night they consume oxygen.

The algae in Clear Lake are part of the natural food chain and keep the lake fertile and healthy. Because of the lake's relative shallowness and warm summer temperatures, the algae serve another important purpose. They keep the sun's rays from reaching the bottom, thus reducing the growth of water weeds which would otherwise choke off the lake.

Nuisance blue-green algae, however, can be a problem. From more than 130 species of algae identified in Clear Lake, three species of blue-green algae can create problems under certain conditions. These problem blue-greens typically "bloom" twice a year, in spring and late summer. The intensity of the blooms vary from year to year, and are unpredictable. The problem occurs when algae blooms are trapped at the surface and die. When this occurs, unsightly slicks and odors can be produced.

The most effective method of keeping the algae from becoming a nuisance is to keep them alive and in a normal cycle. This may be done by agitating the water surface to break up the trapped algae, letting the algae sink. Boat traffic and spraying the trapped algae with water have proven effective in breaking up the trapped surface algae.

[fishdaddy]

I’d like to say soon, but not likely. There are many factors at work here. The main factor is pollution, hands down. Clear Lake is big but it’s an enclosed ecosystem, the water level is only effected by winter rains, water comes in, water goes out. “Rodman and Cacheâ€

[Greg_Cornish]

No quagga and zebra could ever live in this lake.

[drrakruz]

I’d like to say soon, but not likely. There are many factors at work here. The main factor is pollution, hands down. The more Pollutants in the water the more Algae. The Pollutants are acting like a major dose of steroids for the algae to grow off of. So what do we do? We can remove it for now but that’s not going to fix the problem. We can pray for a lot of Rain this winter, I know I am! But in the end it will always come down to what's going into the Lake. It's an ecosystem. What we take out stays out, what we put in stays in.

So in a nutshell, if we get rid of the crackheads, the lake will be clean again?

[Vernonn]

No quagga and zebra could ever live in this lake.

I don't know about that, but at least we know there aren't any or enough mussels in this lake to clear the water ...... yet.

[Mitch]

Probably not until the lake cools and turns over will it be "clear" again. Remember, this is "floating" type alge and it's somewhat clear underneath.

[Dan Stahlman]

I went down to Red Bud yesterday. Thought I would go until I ran into heavy alge. The wind was howling as my back can attest to but the suprising thing was there was no floating alge at the ramps. Its been really windy the last two days so maybe the wave action sank a lot of the alge. Hope it stays that way. Still smelled pretty bad though.