What is being done to prevent algal blooms?
A large number of ongoing and planned projects in the Lake Okeechobee Protection Program aim to dramatically reduce inputs of nutrients to the lake; a main goal of this nutrient reduction is to reduce occurrence of algal blooms in the lake water. Project Overview Algal blooms represent a significant risk to the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the human population that depends on this water resource for drinking water, recreation, fishing, and other uses. Algal blooms occur in a lake when high concentrations of nutrients enter the water and stimulate the growth of microscopic algal cells that naturally occur there. Their growth becomes much more rapid than normal, and under the right conditions (for example, warm water and high sunlight) these algae can reach such high levels that the water turns bright green, and sometimes a floating scum occurs on the water surface. The blooms are caused by a particular type of algae called blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. Algal blooms can cause prob
