Eric Sandy, Scene
The issue was covered in 2018 by Plain Dealer environmental reporter James McCarty, who retired early this year. But as climate change worsens, the dead zones will continue to expand.
Dead Zones are low-oxygen areas formed when algae and other bacteria die, fall to the lake bottom, and rot. The amount of this bacteria and the corresponding size and scale of the dead zones have substantially increased with the increase in agricultural runoff and urban wastewater.
The dead zones persist throughout the warm weather months. Thanks to climate change, "warm weather months" are starting earlier and ending later than in years past, and occasional brown water has become expected in some communities near the lake.
The expansion of the dead zones affects the drinking water for the 1.4 million people serviced by the Cleveland Water Department. Manganese and other heavy metals are released into the water when the low-oxygen areas interact with the lake bed.
Manganese, the Tribune story reports, not only causes water discoloration, (and has led to warnings about laundry stains), "but also has been linked to permanent neurological issues."
The story describes new monitoring efforts conducted by both the Cleveland Water Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), which have led to more accurate real-time alerts about increased manganese levels in the water supply.
On eight separate occasions in 2019, lakefront communities have been advised about hazardous water conditions. In one instance, on Aug. 26, 21 communities were alerted.
The story warns that larger algae blooms and longer summers will continue to exacerbate the problem, and that even with more research and better forecasting systems, residents remain concerned.
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