While algae growth is a normal part of a lake's ecosystem, excessive blue-green algae blooms are toxic and a hazard to both human and animal ecosystems. They are most often caused by fertilizer run off and sewage, resulting in high concentrations of

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

and

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

draining into the

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

via rivers and

surface runoff Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...

. In Lake Winnipeg this has been a problem for some time. Very high levels of the algae toxin microcystin closed Victoria Beach off from the public in the summer of 2003.CBC.ca. (2011). Annual check-up. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/lakewinnipeg/checkup.html Grand Beach and other settlements along the lake are often closed during summer months due to

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

and algae-toxin related threats. Immense algae blooms have appeared in the northern part of Lake Winnipeg in the last decade covering hundreds of square kilometers. In 2006, Lake Winnipeg's algae blooms were considered to be the worst algae problem of any large freshwater lake in the world, according to ''Canadian Geographic''. In 2013,

Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg (french: Lac Winnipeg, oj, ᐑᓂᐸᑲᒥᐠᓴᑯ˙ᑯᐣ, italics=no, Weenipagamiksaguygun) is a very large, relatively shallow lake in North America, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Manitoba, Canada. I ...

was declared the most threatened lake in the world by the Global Nature Fund, due to excessive level of phosphorus. In 2017, it was reported that less than 1% had been removed.

Social and economic impacts

The lake supports a $100 million a year tourism industry and a $25 million a year

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including ...

,Halter, Dr. Reese. (2007). saving lake winnipeg. Lu & Stoot LLC, (1) Retrieved from and damage to the lake's ecological balance may have adverse economical effects. The

toxins A toxin is a naturally occurring organic poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. Toxins occur especially as a protein or conjugated protein. The term toxin was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1 ...

that blue-green algae release can destroy fresh water ecosystems and can be dangerous for a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial species, including humans. It can generate deadly water conditions in prairie dugouts that has killed livestock. Commercial and

aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

fishermen on the lake often find their nets temporarily disabled during the summer months because of the thick algae conditions.

Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium

Founded in August 1998, the LWRC set out to gather scientific research data on Lake Winnipeg following the disastrous

1997 Red River flood The Red River flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in Minnesota, North Dakota, and southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached through ...

; evidence showed that the lake was suffering from deteriorating

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

, particularly visible in the lake's chemical, biological, and physical characteristics. As a result of their efforts the LWRC was officially accepted into

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

and obtained

charitable status A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

in 2008. The LWRC has since partnered with 32 other organizations that represent corporate, government, and university groups. The LWRC strives to promote public awareness and provide educational opportunities with respect to Lake Winnipeg's

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

and environmental issues. Research efforts are conducted on board the LWRC's 33.62 meter long research vessel called the ''M.V. Namao'', which accommodates a nine-person crew and has a cruising speed of twelve knots. The LWRC receives financial support to operate the ''Namao'' through Manitoba Hydro, private funding, and the provincial and federal government. The LWRC recently reported that scientific evidence accumulated over the last seventy years now reveals that Lake Winnipeg is approaching a state of deterioration that may affect ecosystem sustainability; significant changes in water transparency, biological

species composition Species richness is the number of different species represented in an community (ecology), ecological community, landscape or region. Species richness is simply a count of species, and it does not take into account the Abundance (ecology), abunda ...

, productivity, and sediment chemistry indicate that the lake is on a trajectory of progressive

eutrophication Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...

Watershed and water supply problems

Lake Winnipeg ranks as the 11th largest lake by surface area; excluding the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

, Lake Winnipeg would be the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world. The lake consists of three well-defined regions, the larger North Basin, the smaller South Basin, and the connecting body of water defined as the "Narrows", all of which are greatly affected by algae blooms. The surrounding watershed drainage basin is roughly forty times larger than the lake's surface area. This ratio is higher than any other major lake in the world, making Lake Winnipeg susceptible to excessive nutrient levels. Because Lake Winnipeg holds a considerable small volume of water, the water quality is determined by manmade structures and high

nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...

loading.LWF. (2011). Challenges Lake Winnipeg faces four types of often-interrelated problems. Retrieved from
Eutrophication entry points in Lake Winnipeg include: * The Winnipeg River (E) * The Saskatchewan River (W) *

The Red River The Red River, also known as the Hong River (; vi, Sông Hồng; Chữ Nôm: 瀧紅; Chữ Hán: 紅河), the ' and ' (lit. "Mother River") in Vietnamese, and the (, ' Nguyên Giang) in Chinese, is a -long river that flows fro ...

(S) *

Precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

Water outflow points in Lake Winnipeg include: * The Nelson River (NE) The Red River accounts for roughly 7,716 tonnes of phosphorus draining into Lake Winnipeg per year. Approximately 2500 tonnes of phosphorus flow out of the lake every year through the Nelson River.LWF. (2011). Facts about Lake Winnipeg. Retrieved from It's estimated that number is doubled by incoming phosphorus from

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and waste waters from the

northern United States The Northern United States, commonly referred to as the American North, the Northern States, or simply the North, is a geographical or historical region of the United States. History Early history Before the 19th century westward expansion, the "N ...

. The Saskatchewan River carries phosphorus from

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

into the north-western part of the lake. The Winnipeg River also nutrient loads the lake from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. The nearby City of Winnipeg does not currently remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the majority of its waste water (though upgrades to its sewage treatment plants are currently underway), and these nutrients flow directly into Lake Winnipeg. Due to the washing and filtration techniques used by year-round and seasonal inhabitants along Lake Winnipeg, phosphorus-enriched soapy water can seep into the lake.

Hydro electricity

A large hydroelectric dam in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, Manitoba, controls the powerful Saskatchewan River. The river currents rapidly catch runoff from much of the

Canadian prairie The Canadian Prairies (usually referred to as simply the Prairies in Canada) is a region in Western Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of the Great Plains and the Prairie Provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These provin ...

s, which then flows through a narrow channel eventually spilling into the north side of Lake Winnipeg. Manitoba Hydro operates numerous dams throughout Manitoba that directly affect Lake Winnipeg's water levels and flow rate.

Hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

operations along

produce hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue every year for Manitoba Hydro. Pressure from provincial authorities and the media has prompted Manitoba Hydro to donate more than $1.35 million over a six-year span to help researchers tackle the constant biological and water quality changes in Lake Winnipeg.

Chemical and biological problems

Environment Canada
reports that the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus available for plant uptake has increased dramatically in the past several decades. The causes are a massive increase in the use of

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

, burning of

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ...

, development of large urban populations, and an upsurge in land clearing and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

.P.A. Chambers, M. Guy, E. Roberts, M.N. Charlton, R. Kent, C. Gagnon, G. Grove, N. Foster, C. DeKimpe and M. Giddings. (2008)
Threats to Sources of Drinking Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Health in Canada
Website of

Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; french: Environnement et Changement climatique Canada),Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment ( ...

, archived version at the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

Nitrogen and phosphorus loading from human activity has accelerated eutrophication of certain rivers, lakes, and

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

in the United States resulting in loss of

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, changes in biodiversity and, in some cases, loss of recreational potential. Lake Winnipeg suffers from the rapid absorption of the elements phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon. Eutrophication processes fuel the growth of blue-green algae, also known by its more correct scientific name

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

. These bacteria normally appear green in color and can turn blue when the algae (bacteria) blooms are dying. As an algae bloom dies, the microscopic cells break down. This process releases toxins in the surrounding water. Once released, some toxins can linger for more than three months until

sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...

and the natural population of healthy green algae in the lake degrade them. Cyanobacteria typically thrive off of phosphorus when Lake Winnipeg's summer temperatures are hot and wind speeds are relatively low. Blue-green algae blooms frequently persist for several months in Lake Winnipeg until colder temperatures, currents, and changes in the seasonal weather can filter them out. The cyanobacteria's decomposition process consumes oxygen at such a high rate that this can actually suffocate Lake Winnipeg's native walleye fish species and other aquatic life. Although blue-green algae occurs naturally in Lake Winnipeg, there is no conclusive evidence what normal levels may be. Satellite images show that blooms are occurring more frequently and are covering more surface area of the lake. The Lake Winnipeg algae crisis has grown to such a large scale that the blooms can be seen from outer space.

References

{{Reflist Lake Winnipeg Environment of Canada Algal blooms