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[hooper]

The pond we use has a green algea problem and we've been told not to sail. What if any are the risk to us boaters if we still go on.  I know the boats cant make it worse and its a health and safety issue.  There's conflicting info out there on the net about the risks. Has anybody had this problem with their pond and how was it fixed and how do they stop plums feeding bread into the water which does make it worse???

[Roger in France]

As soon as such a problem arises in my part of France the water undertaking and/or the health dept. place a formal order prohibiting the use of the water for any purpose. It is clearly seen as a health hazard. I have heard in the past that dogs swimming in such water can experience respiratory problems.

A long time ago there was a thread in the Forum about chemical methods of cleaning. I believe one substance known to be effective was subsequently prohibited and the Member posting was doing some experiments with another chemical. I think it was expensive. Can't remember the outcome. Try the search facility in the Forum.

I believe a bail of barley straw is sometimes used to cure such water.

Polluting the water with bird food is a problem which is difficult to prevent. The only thing you can do is erect large notices explaining how this contributes to the problem. Just saying "Don't feed the ducks" will probably be ignored. However, the algae is usually caused by excessive muck spreading on adjacent land.

Roger in France.

[Peterm]

We had a similar problem on our water two  years ago and by placing a couple of bales of barley straw,(not loose straw), on the surface, the algae disappeared in a couple of weeks.   Pete M

[RipSlider]

*green* algae is safe enough - like Hooper says, throw in a few largish bales of barley straw and the problem will clear.

As the summer comes to an end, then the problem will clear itself anyway, so have the barley straw on standby next May or June.

However, there are other forms of Algae, mainly Blue Green types ( which can range anything from bright blue to turquoise in colour ) that have fairly high levels of nasty chemicals in them.

If you gt a case of this - and depending on what part of the country your in - it's notifiable to the council and they may well shut the water.

However, we don't get a lot of Blue Green in this country ( in the UK ).


Steve

[hopeitfloats]

i have a product called wunder algae remover and it works a treat. not sure if it would be available in the UK though and it would depend on the size of the pond if it would be economical to use.  kills the algae and it sinks to the bottom of the pond so repeated use may cause a bit of dead material build up . its also safe to animals and plants.

[bogstandard]

However, the algae is usually caused by excessive muck spreading on adjacent land.

In fact blue green in this country usually appears on smaller man made lakes, in relatively built up areas.

The cause nowadays, is mainly attributed to overpopulation of wildfowl (plus their subsequent feeding) and the high protein feed that anglers put into water in dustbinfulls.
I have actually seen an angler coming to an ornamental lake for carp fishing overnight, and he had with him two large swing bins full of ground bait.
Because of all the protection for wildfowl nowadays, they are breeding like wildfire, and at my local park (which has also suffered from blue green, almost every year for at least the last ten years), they are actually a major menace, droppings everywhere and attacking young children. Maybe time should be called, and organised culling be allowed to take place to keep the population under control.

I think once these two major problems are tackled, then the local authorities will have a chance of combatting the situation.

John

[hooper]

Thanks lads, I'll pass this info on to the park keepers and take it from there.....Cheers....

[Arrow5]

See if the Parkies can got some suitable signs, the one shown from Nairn Harbour, seems to have struck the right chord with humour and health issue mentioned. There was a blue/green algea incident on an inland loch where a couple of dogs died from eating the infected dried foam on the shore.

[barriew]

However, the algae is usually caused by excessive muck spreading on adjacent land.

In fact blue green in this country usually appears on smaller man made lakes, in relatively built up areas.

A couple of years ago Carsington Reservoir in Derbyshire suffered from Blue/Green Algae - neither a small lake nor in a built-up area We also suffered at our sailing water, and had a little last year, but it only lasted about a week. I don't think it has been warm enough this year.

On the subject of culling waterfowl, our sailing water is plagued with Canada Geese, to the detriment of other water fowl. Last year, don't know about this, the Rangers treated the eggs by dipping them in liquid paraffin. This stops them hatching and is considered more humane than a cull in a nature reserve

Barrie

[tigertiger]

I remember as a kid the council used to remove seagull eggs from the nests to help keep the population down.

Bluegreen algae is very nasty. It can also be bright green.
The first known species were blue-green in colour, which is how the algae got their name. The bacteria can range in colour from olive-green to red.


Source http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile47.stm
There are two types of toxins or poisons in some blue-green algae:

Neurotoxins affect the nervous and respiratory systems. These toxins can cause muscle tremors, stupor, staggering, rapid paralysis, problems with breathing and, often within 30 minutes, death. Animals that die from this toxin are usually found close to the lake or pond where they drank water with blue-green algal blooms.

Hepato-toxins affect the liver and can cause a slow death, up to 36 hours or longer after drinking water with toxic strains of blue-green algae. Animals who get sick after drinking enough of this toxin may show jaundice (yellowing of the white of the eye) and sensitivity to sunlight.

There is more info in the link (above)

[barriew]

I remember as a kid the council used to remove seagull eggs from the nests to help keep the population down.

Apparently they chose to dip the Canada geese eggs rather than remove them because removing them just encourages them to lay more ::)

Barrie

[Colin H]

Save on paraffin just prick them (the eggs) not the birds with a long needle.

Colin H.

[Ghost in the shell]

Westport lake has an over population of wild fowl, and its all down to people feeding the birds, this means that the paths have more bird mess on them than the grass has dog poo, so IF people didnt feed the birds in the first place then we wouldn't be in this state

[yewmount]

Yup >:( The pond in my local park has been roped off and notices posted that no use to be made. The cause is blue-green algae.
Must admit that there appears to be an abundance ofwildfowl relative to its size.
cheers
yewmount

[BobF]

Hi,

I believe it was Bridlington club that was trying a new natural method using a friendly bacteria. It did the job as well as the previous method and actually worked out cheaper. But it does depend on the size of your lake.
The product is called Viresco Aqua. The web addy is probably viresco.co.uk
If you contact them they will ask some questions and recommend the amount required. Questions refere to wild life fish etc.

[White Ensign]

We had the same problem at our pond and it took three steps to avoyd it once and forever (if you don`t want to use any chemistry).
Either you wait until the next spring and the algeas had disappeared meanwhile, or you mow them with a steel chain, pulled over the ground.
Then set some grass-carps in, as they like the young tribes of the algeas and eat them.
Parallel the feeding of swans, ducks and fishes must be forbidden. All that bread, pancakes and whatever they feed will fall down on the ground and rotten. Which effects the growing of algeas positiv.

That`s now 6 years ago, the grasscarps like the pond, the algeas had been disappeared and all the grannies enjoy themselves without feeding ducks, swans, rats...... ::) (what nice mice they are! Ma`am, you`re feeding a rat. You`re kidding, that`s a mouse! Ma´am, did you have ever seen a mouse with a lengt of one foot and swiming in the water?)

Jörg

[Roger in France]

Jorg,

Know what you mean. There was a partially sighted chap who sat on the same bench in the park every day to feed a nice "squirrel"......it was, in fact, a rat!

Roger in France.

[MikeK]

Our smaller lake has had the algae for the last couple of years (It even turned pink at one stage !!) and the stink is bad to boot. The Council has treated it with the bales and put up notices re feeding the swans etc, which the good, carrier bag toting, citizens promptly throw in the lake  >:(
Once upon a time people could not afford to throw whole loaves away, unfortunately thanks to our great leaders maybe that time is returning - but that's another story  ::)

Mike

[nhp651]

Fleetwood Model Yacht and power boat club had the same problem of green algae and weed and tried everything themselves to no avail.
they then involved the local council because it ( the lake) was a public assett maintained by the council, and pointed out to them that if kids were to go paddling in it or swimming ,got trapped in the weed and drowned, the council would find very heavy penalties placed on them for letting such a public assett be such a danger and breaking all sorts of health and safety regs.

RESULT!!!!

The council installed two sonic impulse generaters into the lake, which believe it or not, cleared the weed within a few weeks, and it has not returned in the large lake.
As a testament to it working, the small paddling lake at the western end of the large sailing lake hasn't had the generator installed, and it still becomes clogged with weed in the summer.
Give your councils a nudge pointing out Health and safety aspects., giving Wyre Borough Council as an example.
Threatened with such HSR problems Councils will usually see sense.
As corporal Jones would say, "they don't like it up 'em, sir, no, they don't like it up 'em!!
 neil.