People walking along the shores of Lake Carmi this week would have noticed signs of a sick lake.Besides the literal sign in the ground warning of cyanobacteria, dead fish could be spotted washing ashore. “The whole thing that upsets me the most is the environmental impact. It’s horrible,” said Joanne Beda-Tansey, who’s been vacationing on Lake Carmi for years. The Canadian is heartbroken that the lake she’s been seasonally calling home looks like pea soup.”You couldn’t see through (the water). You almost felt like you could walk on it. It was disgusting and it stunk to high heaven,” Beda-Tansey said.She and many of the homeowners on Lake Carmi are particularly frustrated about the latest blue-green algae bloom in part because so much has been done to prevent the blooms from happening.”It’s very, very sad,” Beta-Tansey said.Julia Crocker, who also lives on the lake, works with the Franklin Watershed Committee to regularly sample the water levels on the shoreline.She said what’s worrisome about this week’s algae bloom is the timing.”Usually, we don’t see the cyanobacteria until mid to late August, but it’s late July now and we’re already seeing some pretty significant blooms,” Crocker said. The state of Vermont invested $1 million in 2019 to install an aeration system that pumps oxygen into the lake and prevents the release of phosphorous, which causes algae blooms in the first place.But is the system working as intended? “I think that it would be worse without the aeration system. The state needs to take a look at our data from this summer and in August and September, maybe we’ll take a look at it all and say, ‘Hey is this aeration system when its operating as its intended enough,'” said Oliver Pierson, with the Department of Environmental Conservation.The DEC said if it determines the aeration system isn’t enough it may consider doing what’s called an alum treatment on Lake Carmi, which prevents phosphorous from releasing and, in turn, prevents algae blooms.Pierson said the treatment on Lake Carmi could cost millions of dollars, but residents like Rob Evans said it could be a logical next step to save the lake.”(The state needs) to, and they understand this, have to make a decision about what’s next. Because what I do know is what we’re doing now isn’t good enough,” Evans said.He and others are trying to remain optimistic about the lake’s future.But until then, Beda-Tansey is cutting her vacation short and is heading back to Canada, where at least the grass may be a little greener than the water in Lake Carmi.
People walking along the shores of Lake Carmi this week would have noticed signs of a sick lake.
Besides the literal sign in the ground warning of cyanobacteria, dead fish could be spotted washing ashore.
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“The whole thing that upsets me the most is the environmental impact. It’s horrible,” said Joanne Beda-Tansey, who’s been vacationing on Lake Carmi for years.
The Canadian is heartbroken that the lake she’s been seasonally calling home looks like pea soup.
“You couldn’t see through (the water). You almost felt like you could walk on it. It was disgusting and it stunk to high heaven,” Beda-Tansey said.
She and many of the homeowners on Lake Carmi are particularly frustrated about the latest blue-green algae bloom in part because so much has been done to prevent the blooms from happening.
“It’s very, very sad,” Beta-Tansey said.
Julia Crocker, who also lives on the lake, works with the Franklin Watershed Committee to regularly sample the water levels on the shoreline.
She said what’s worrisome about this week’s algae bloom is the timing.
“Usually, we don’t see the cyanobacteria until mid to late August, but it’s late July now and we’re already seeing some pretty significant blooms,” Crocker said.
The state of Vermont invested $1 million in 2019 to install an aeration system that pumps oxygen into the lake and prevents the release of phosphorous, which causes algae blooms in the first place.
But is the system working as intended?
“I think that it would be worse without the aeration system. The state needs to take a look at our data from this summer and in August and September, maybe we’ll take a look at it all and say, ‘Hey is this aeration system when its operating as its intended enough,'” said Oliver Pierson, with the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC said if it determines the aeration system isn’t enough it may consider doing what’s called an alum treatment on Lake Carmi, which prevents phosphorous from releasing and, in turn, prevents algae blooms.
Pierson said the treatment on Lake Carmi could cost millions of dollars, but residents like Rob Evans said it could be a logical next step to save the lake.
“(The state needs) to, and they understand this, have to make a decision about what’s next. Because what I do know is what we’re doing now isn’t good enough,” Evans said.
He and others are trying to remain optimistic about the lake’s future.
But until then, Beda-Tansey is cutting her vacation short and is heading back to Canada, where at least the grass may be a little greener than the water in Lake Carmi.
