September 2012

The following is a summary of several technical articles written about blue-green algae. We have tried to provide a less technical version of these reports and have only referred to the types of blue-green that we have actually found in our waterways. Where appropriate we have noted our actual experiences with blue-green algae.

What are blue-green algae?

Blue green algae are referred to as “Cyanobacteria” and are a group of photosynthetic bacteria. As you may have guessed by now they really are not algae but rather bacteria which looks like algae. Blue-green algae, like true algae, make up a portion of the phytoplankton in our water. Blue-green algae are generally not eaten by other aquatic organisms however fish swimming in affected waters can ingest them. The most common forms that are found in our waters are Anabaena, Aphanizomenon and Microcystin.

Where do blue-green algae live?

They generally grow in shallow warm bays where the water is warm, slow moving and has enriched nutrient loading primarily from phosphorus. Blue-green algae are buoyant and blooms normally result from them floating to the surface. Although somewhat weather dependant, the blooms in our water systems normally start in late summer and last until early fall. Our water sampling project has identified high levels of phosphorus loading as a major issue of concern.

How can I tell if the algae I see in my water is blue-green?

The identification of blue-green algae requires detailed lab analysis and reports of suspected blue-green algae blooms should always be called in to the Ministry of the Environment for a site visit and follow-up as sampling and testing may be required.

A characteristic of blue green algae is that it has mastered buoyancy, meaning it can raise and lower itself in water which allows it to get to the sunlight it needs for photosynthesis. They can also suspend themselves at various depths depending on the light and the nutrients available at any given water depth.

It is this ability which makes blooms seem to appear over night and then disappear as the day moves into late afternoon, only to reappear the next morning.

Waters containing near bloom levels of blue-green algae often seem to have a light green color. As conditions permit, blue-green densities increase and blooms may form. We have provided some pictures of actual blooms found in our waters but caution you that confirmation of a blue-green algal bloom requires a trained eye and scientific analysis.

What are the concerns associated with blue-green?

Concerns include discolored water, reduced light penetration, taste and odor problems. Dissolved oxygen depletion and toxin production occurs during the end of their life cycle or die off events. These concerns may be detrimental to aquatic life forms and eventually to native fish populations. More serious concerns arise when toxins, known as microcystins are produced. The World Health Organization puts the safe level for drinking water at 1.0 ug/L or one part per billion. TheOntariodrinking water standard is 1.5 ug/L. Precautions for pets, farm animals and humans are required so please visit our local Sudbury District Health Unit website which has issued appropriate advisories. Their site will help you to more clearly understand the concerns and recommended safety measures you should take when blue-green is suspected in your water.

What actually causes the blue-green algae problem? 

As was noted earlier in our summary nutrient loading is a concern, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen. Our sampling has tracked total phosphorus levels along the entire length of theFrenchRiverand the surrounding water shed. We track total phosphorus concentration through the Ministry of Environment’s Lake Partners Program. The results have shown total phosphorus concentrations to be the main concern. To blue-green algae, phosphorus is their main food and when it is a higher level blue-green can multiply quickly.

Blue-green algae have been around for a very long time and their toxic effects to livestock are well documented. Their increase can almost certainly be contributed to human activity such as the discharge of untreated or improperly treated sewage, agricultural activities, logging, the use of phosphorus based fertilizers and detergents, and unplanned unchecked shoreline development.

What can be done to reduce the frequency and intensity of blue-green algae blooms?

There are no quick or easy remedies for the control of blue-green but by reducing the amount of nutrients that enter our water system we will eventually reduce the frequency and intensity of blue-green algae blooms.

What does sampling and testing suggest are the priorities for reducing nutrient loading?

• Some of the most severe cases of blue-green blooms show up inCallanderBay,WoseleyBayand the West Arm areas. These also happened to be the bodies of water that receive the discharges from sewage treatment lagoons. We see improving the operation of sewage lagoons as a first priority.
• Agricultural activities involving manure handling practices, ditch clearing and logging practices that disturb the topsoil will allow rain to wash phosphorus containing soil and feces into the waterways.
• The proper installation and maintenance of private and commercial septic systems is of a concern as the practices that were acceptable 50 years ago, when fewer folks lived along the waterway, are no longer acceptable today.

What is the French River Stewardship Council doing?

• The FRSC has focused on working with local Municipalities and the Ministry of the Environment to significantly improve the operation of sewage lagoons. Often the first step is to educate local council and residents of the issue.

• In areas where farming can impact nutrient loading local farmers are taking an active role with assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture to resolve concerns.

• With respect to private and commercial systems we have had regular public meetings and presentations by experts in the field with the emphasis on education and understanding of the importance of proper system installation and maintenance. We are also asking Municipalities to review bylaws aimed at bringing systems up to standard over time.

What can I do?

 As members of our community;

• We can all help by using phosphate free soaps, detergents and cleaning products in our households.
• Avoid overloading septic handling systems by ensuring water infiltration such as rain runoff is directed to storm sewers and not sanitary sewage systems.
• Ensure your septic system is properly maintained and in good operating condition.

For those of us living along our shorelines;

• We can ensure that our septic and grey water systems are properly collected and treated and that our septic systems are properly maintained.
• Allow native plants to remain along our shoreline or plant more of our native species there.
• We can use compost material instead of nitrogen and phosphorus containing fertilizers to provide food to our gardens and lawns.

Most importantly we must begin now.

(Summary of a MacLean’s Magazine article Aug. 24^th. 2009 edition).

Lake Winnipeg is an isolated prairie lake surrounded by forest and tucked away from industry and major population centers, yet it is dying. What was a small patch of algae, first noted in the early 1990’s has now grown to cover one half of the lakes 24,500 square kilometer area throughout most of the summer months. The green mat that covers the lake is twice the size of PEI and clearly visible from space.

The culprit is not global warming, oil spills, toxic or industrial waste but is nutrient overloading from fertilizers, human and animal waste.

Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus do precisely in water what they do on land. They cause plant life to grow. This growth process is accelerated by tiling of farm land and clearing of ditches to allow runoff from fields. It comes from improperly operated and maintained sewage systems be they sewage treatment plants, sewage treatment lagoons or even home septic systems.

At the same time the destruction of wetlands and river bank areas, which are natures kidneys, has decreased these natural filters and nutrient traps by up to 70%. 

Although, nutrient loading is good to a point, there is a tipping point. When the organic material from excess weed growth dies over the fall and winter months it consumes oxygen and sinks to the bottom. It is during this period that bacteria go on an eating binge and consume oxygen and will eventually consume much of the available oxygen.

In the bottom sludge anaerobic bacteria which do not need oxygen begin to thrive and actually begin to generate their own phosphorus. Once this starts the food change in the lake will die from the bottom up.

June 2012

The science committee of the FRSC has completed a four year water sampling report along the entire length of theFrenchRiver. The resulting report looked at nutrient loading and in some specific areas e-coli levels. The results of our study were combined with work done in the early to mid nineties as presented in the Hutchison Report. We have also reviewed the work completed by other cottage associations and the Ministry of the Environment.

The water quality program conducted over the past four years showed a significant negative impact on our water quality resulting from the operation of sewage lagoons. This negative impact is also seen as the major contributing factor to ongoing blue/green algae blooms.

In addition we have raised concerns regarding private sewage handling systems and recommended bylaws aimed at reducing the impact of these systems.

For the past four years we have been presenting our findings to our local municipal council, to the MOE, the Public Health Department and provided a summary presentation of findings at our annual meetings. Our reports included recommendations for both mitigating identified problems as well as recommendations to ensure the longer term protection of our water quality. We have received cooperation from all these groups, albeit action was slower than we would have wanted at times.

Actions that have taken place as a result of our efforts:

The management and operating practices at our local sewage treatment lagoons has improved. Equipment additions and improvements were made based on input from the FRSC. Operating practices were improved resulting in some improvement of effluent quality in 2010 and 2011, there is however still work to do.

A report noting the infiltration problems into the Noelville sewage system was identified to the Mayor and CAO during a review of the Trow engineering report. The FRSC recommended that a letter be sent to Noelville residence asking them to remove storm water connections which were entering the sanitary sewage system and reroute them to the storm sewer system. If all residence complied we estimated a loading reduction at the Lagoons of up to 40 %.  A review of the 2011 flows to the Lagoons system indicates that a good start has been made with a 20% measurable improvement made to date.

Although a last resort we have requested formal inspection by MOE and Health department investigators at business and residential sites. In all cases problems and deficiencies that were confirmed by inspections were repaired.

The FRSC is currently preparing a detailed report which we will provide to our local council, the council environment committee, the SDHU and the MOE. We will review this report at our annual meeting this July. 

June 2012

In 2010 The FRSC fisheries committee identified theNorth Channelas a priority for our Pickerel rehabilitation projects. Specifically the area of the North Channel from Oulette rapids toMeshawFallswas identified. In 2010 tours of this area were completed with MNR personnel and a three year plan was put in place.

Once all approvals were in place work began in 2011. During July and August the FRSC fisheries committee completed the cleaning of four spawning bed sites but as water levels were quite low two of our sites will be monitored this spring for additional cleaning this year.

At the lower Sturgeon the beaver dams were removed and in cooperation with our local trapper the nuisance beavers were removed.

Our 2012 plans include the complete construction of a new spawning bed southwest of the Oulette rapids and the cleaning of other sites as needed. $7,598 in funding for these projects has been received and committed thanks to the MNR, the Sudbury East Economic Development Partners, The Alban and Noelville Chaise Populaire.

Our 2013 plans currently include the rebuilding of the Murdock river site atDryPineBay. This work is of course dependent upon the schedule for the bridge replacement. The FRSC is on the Engineering Firms list to contact so we can plan accordingly.

A more detailed presentation of our activities and plans will be presented at our annual meeting in July, please plan to attend.

May 2012

Living in the north-east of Ontario often means that one of the less convenient forms of providing heat for your property, a natural gas supply, is unavailable.  The alternatives for a basic fuel are wood, oil, propane or electricity.  During the recent design of a new 2,000 square foot residence in the French River area the possibility of using one of the above fuels or a combination of them, was studied.  Oil was ruled out due to its cost leaving wood, propane or electricity.

Several types of heating systems are also available and those contemplated were:

• Convection, i.e. direct heat from a wood stove or electric convection heater
• Electric baseboard heaters.
• An electric or propane fired boiler providing hot water for domestic needs and, via a heat exchanger, to an in-house heating system.  The in-house heating system could be either ducted hot air or an in-floor (hydronic) heating system.

The selected system used a propane fired boiler with a radiant floor (hydronic) heating system and a wood stove for supplementary heat.  A radiant floor heating system (water filled pipes embedded in the sub-floor) was installed to transmit heat from the boiler to the interior of the house.  It is important to ensure that as the radiant heating system is installed in the sub-floor, the finished floor materials (laminate, solid wood, carpet, etc. placed on top of the sub-floor) should be selected so as not to provide a barrier for the flow of heat from the pipes to the rooms. A radiant floor heating system cannot provide air conditioning as cold water flowing through the in-floor pipes would cause the floor to sweat.

The system worked well but it was found that after the first year the cost of using propane as the main fuel was not economical.

It was at this time, and thanks to a Government Grant, a geothermal heating installation became a viable substitute for propane.  The geothermal unit is powered by electricity (expensive!!).  One of the advantages of this type of heating is that for every unit (kWh) of electricity consumed by the geothermal equipment, between two and four units of heat are generated.  The geothermal unit selected provides heat for the house and supplementary heat for the domestic hot water system.

The geothermal unit is comprised of a heat pump, hot water tank, and circulatory pumps installed inside the house.  Outside of the house a long loop of 1 ¼” polyethylene pipe is sunk into an adjacent river or lake, or buried in the ground close to the house.  This loop is connected to the heat pump.  The loop must be installed sufficiently deep so that the winter cold does not affect the temperature of the water/ethanol mixture inside the pipe.

The installation of the geothermal system should be done by certified personnel. Often a 10 year parts and labour Warranty can be obtained to cover the installation.

Once installed the main benefits of the radiant floor heating were immediately noticed, warm floors and an even temperature throughout the house and, most importantly, at the end of the first year of operation the heating cost for the house was less than 60% of the cost of the first year when propane alone was used.

From the beginning of operation the system worked well, minor problems were noted initially due to air bubbles entrapped in the piping causing pumps to over-heat.  This was promptly corrected by the contractor and the system returned to normal.

The only negative experiences have been that occasionally the geothermal unit trips on “Frost Protection”; no heat is generated until the power is switched off and on again.  The operation of the Frost Protection signifies that the temperature inside the unit has dropped below a pre-set value. The contractor advised that this seems to be a problem only with those systems that use a pipe loop installed in a river or lake.  Loops directly buried in the ground do not seem to be affected.  Improvements have been made to the installation but as yet it has not been perfected.

A further inconvenience is that when the electricity supply fails no heat is available from the geothermal unit without the installation of a sufficiently large standby generator with capacity to handle the in-rush current required by the compressor and pumps.  The original gas boiler or the wood stove becomes a backup source of heat.

Like most modern day equipment maintenance is important and this should be carried out on an annual basis.

During the summer months the geothermal unit is not required and is therefore switched off, domestic hot water is supplied from the original gas boiler.