This is from few days ago.
Posted: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 9:33 am
Algae bloom follows latest Patapsco sewage spill PAMELA WOOD Staff Writer CapitalGazette.com | 0 comments
First came the sewage, now comes the algae bloom.
The Patapsco River is seeing a large bloom of prorocentrum minimum algae, likely due to a massive sewage spill one month ago.
The Department of Natural Resources can't confirm the link yet, but officials said it makes sense that the influx of nutrient-rich sewage is driving the growth of the current algae bloom.
About 17 millions of untreated sewage flowed into the river per day for several days after a 54-inch pipe burst near the Patapsco Pumping Station in Baltimore County on March 25.
Last week, a monitoring station in Masonville Cove on the Patapsco started recording a spike in chlorophyll readings, said Mark Trice, who helps run the DNR Eyes on the Bay monitoring program.
Chlorophyll indicates the presence of algae in the water.
Tests showed the algae to be prorocentrum minimum, a variety of mahogany tide that can tint the water a reddish-brown color.
It's not clear how long the algae bloom will last — it depends on the weather and how many nutrients flow into the river and feed the algae, said Cathy Wazniak, a water quality expert with the DNR.
With so much algae in the water, the dissolved oxygen levels have dropped, meaning there is too little oxygen for fish, crabs and shellfish to live in that area right now.
The Patapsco algae bloom is one of several examples of earlier-than-usual algae blooms across the Chesapeake Bay this spring.
For information on algae blooms and water quality, the DNR posts data at
www.eyesonthebay.net.