Lake Erie Alive

The algae bloom in the western end of Lake Erie has taken off over the last two weeks, just when we thought we had gotten off relatively easy this summer.

Kick off the unofficial last week of summer by showing your love for Lake Erie! Monday August 28th is #WeAreLakeErie day. Join us and our friends at Environmental Defence and Freshwater Future on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by sharing one of your personal Lake Erie stories or memories. Together, we will create an online tidal wave of support for Lake Erie!

Today, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) released its forecast for this summer's algae bloom in the western end of Lake Erie. Unfortunately, the news isn't good. The prediction is that "western Lake Erie will experience a significant harmful algal bloom this summer, potentially reaching levels last seen in 2013 and 2014". The 2014 bloom was so toxic it shut down the drinking water supply for nearly 500,000 residents in Toledo, Ohio. On Pelee Island, it led to beach closures and a public health advisory to not use the lake water.

We're hiring a summer student in London. Are you a student with a passion for protecting our lakes and rivers? We're looking for a summer event coordinator! Know of any enthusiastic students looking for meaningful summer employment? Please share this job posting.

The Government of Canada & Province of Ontario are hosting two public consultation meetings about their draft Lake Erie Action Plan to Reduce Phosphorus and Algae. The first will be in Dunnville on May 16 and the second in Chatham on May 18. We encourage you to attend and let them know you expect them to take meaningful and timely action to address the algae problem. Below is the official invitation with further details.