Clear Lake, considered one of California’s oldest and most-visited lakes, is just not so clear anymore after an algal bloom turned the water cloudy and inexperienced.
Pictures from NASA underscore the dramatic change in water high quality on the Northern California vacationer vacation spot. Clear Lake is in Lake County about 120 miles north of San Francisco.
The bloom could also be comprised of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, which produce microcystin, “a potent toxin that may irritate the pores and skin and trigger liver and kidney harm,” the Nationwide Aeronautics and House Administration wrote.
The picture beneath reveals the lake on Could 16, 2023, (left) and the identical date this 12 months (proper). The algal ranges had been considerably decrease presently final 12 months, as evidenced by the clear change in water shade.
Algal blooms have been frequent in Clear Lake’s lengthy historical past, however have grown extra frequent with human exercise within the final century, in line with NASA.
“Runoff from close by farms, vineyards, defective septic programs, gravel mines, and an deserted open-pit mercury mine contributes to water high quality points within the lake,” NASA wrote.
A satellite tv for pc picture from the Nationwide Aeronautics and House Administration reveals Northern California’s Clear Lake throughout an algal bloom on Could 15, 2024.
(NASA Earth Observatory, Wanmei Liang)
Moreover, they wrote, some vitamins exist within the lake mattress’s sediment and are blended into the water by waves and nonnative carp.
The NASA satellite tv for pc picture beneath reveals the lake in higher element. The principle algal bloom, within the prime left of the lake, is darkish and cloudy.
The picture was taken Could 15 in the course of the peak of the seen bloom. Toxicity monitoring knowledge from Could 8 didn’t but present the bloom, and the following sampling is not going to happen till June 4.
At 43,000 acres, Clear Lake is the biggest pure freshwater lake in California, presumably the oldest lake in North America.
The lake is the centerpiece for a number of communities within the rural Lake County space, together with Lakeport, Clearlake, Kelseyville, Glenhaven and several other others.
The principle points of interest — boating, fishing and swimming — could also be affected by the algal bloom for weeks to return, officers warn.
