NJ Toxic Algae Problem Will Worsen Without Action: Sierra Club

NEW JERSEY — An increasing number of closed bodies of water in New Jersey this summer due to toxic algae blooms is causing not just ruined weekend getaways. The Sierra Club of New Jersey is calling for changes in order to stop the problem from getting much worse.

With the latest closure of Pennington Lake, Jeff Tittel, director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey, noted a grim outlook for the state's bodies of water if nothing is done. "The outcome will be a lake that will become an algae-polluted stagnant body of water, pretty much a dead lake," Tittel told Patch.

Over the past few weeks, several lakes in New Jersey have been closed to recreational activity due to the toxic algae bloom. Pennington Lake, the lake at Hopatcong State Park and Spruce Run Recreation Area are closed. The swimming section of the lake in Swartswood State Park was closed last month, but reopened when the bloom subsided.

The harmful algae blooms happen when cyanobacteria overproduces in a body of water. In the right situations – such as sunlight, hot and calm waters and high nutrients – the bacteria can cause a bloom that's toxic to humans and animals.

Exposure to the bacteria can cause rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, skin and eye irritation, and gastroenteritis. Several people have reported suffering skin rashes after coming into contact with lake water, officials said.

See more on Patch:

• Harmful 'Cyanobacteria' Shuts Down Swimming At Several NJ Sites
• Toxic Algae Bloom Closes Pennington Lake
• All Of Lake Hopatcong Closed To Swimming Due To Algae
• Two Lake Hopatcong Beaches Closed After Algae Bloom
• Lake Hopatcong's Terrible Summer: Algae Blooms Could Ruin Season

The blooms are fairly common in North Jersey lakes, but it is unusual to see the algae blooms this early in the season, the Department of Environmental Protection says.

"We are seeing more and more what happens when we eliminate environmental protections and don’t protect our waterways," Tittel said in a statement.

Preventative Actions

Much of the work of preventing such blooms is made tougher by climate change, Tittel told Patch. Climate change "brings warmer temperatures, more rain and more nutrients into the water, allowing the algae to thrive."

Tittel said former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's rollbacks are in part to blame for the toxic algae blooms, as they added pollution to the state's streams and waterways.

Bolstering rules on stormwater management would help, too, according to Tittel, alongside retrofitting stormwater drainage systems.

"They also need to adopt and implement standards for TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), which is a cleanup plan that mandatorily reduces certain pollutants to clean up the water," Tittel told Patch.

Also, leaving watersheds as they are and not overdeveloping within them will help, Tittel said.

Right now, the New Jersey Sierra Club is working to limit the use of fertilizer which adds nutrients to the water, restoring stream corridors and other natural systems to reduce pollution and working to stop overdevelopment and sprawl, Tittel said.

Overall, Tittel told Patch, it will take cooperation to tackle this problem. "We are all in this together. It will take action from all levels of government, but it also means changing individual habits to clean up and protect our waterways," he said.

These individual habits, Tittel said, include:

• Stop use of chemical fertilizer
• Have fewer lawns while preserving more natural vegetation
• Use more wet gardens and natural plantings that prevent logging
• Reduce pet and farm waste

"This will require a multi-level approach," Tittel told Patch.