The above quote is referring to Grand Lake, Oklahoma and was from the Grand River Dam Authority Corporate Communications Director Justin Alberty. Justin went on to say, "That means no swimming or any other activities that would bring you into contact with lake water." His statement was released on Friday, July 1st as the July 4th holiday weekend was just starting. Imagine the impact these words would have here in the Upper White River Basin! Along with these type of statements, warning signs (see picture below) were also posted around the lake.

Warning signs posted at Grand Lake over July 4th weekend

The problem is blue green algae have been found in parts of Grand Lake. Blue green algae (BGA) can make people sick and can even occasionally be fatal. According to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), BGA are microscopic organisms present in bodies of water. It can reproduce rapidly in the water with adequate amounts of sunlight and nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen. Any contact with BGA can be harmful. The toxins produced by BGA may cause a variety of reactions, most commonly, upper respiratory problems, eye irritation, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Blue Green Algae on Grand Lake

The Oklahoma DEQ suggests avoiding any body contact with water where BGA is present - which includes swimming, water skiing, boating - and that a physician be called if you or someone you know comes in contact with the algae. Because children typically weigh less than adults, they are vulnerable to smaller quantities of the toxins which can trigger a more severe effect. 

Overhead view of BGA on Grand Lake

So now that I have your attention, let me go back in time. I grew up in the Pittsburg, Kansas area. In southeast Kansas there is quite a bit of top soil and the rivers and streams for the most part have mud banks and bottoms with the occasional gravel bar. One of these rivers that I spent a fair amount of time at was the Neosho River. We would fish and swim and do all the fun things you do on a hot summer's day. I remember my dad telling me that during the heat of the summer the river would become stagnant and it probably was best not to swim. He called this the "dog days" of summer. I grew up to think the Neosho was a normal river and it is for southeast Kansas. I had no idea at the time how beautiful the streams are in the Ozarks!

A Casaletto family outing in Southeast Kansas

In the above picture, taken sometime around 1985 on the banks of a southeast Kansas water body that may be the Neosho River, you see my daughters; Sarah in the green care bear shirt, Kristin on the ground, Angela is in the upper left hand corner and my legs are just visible in the upper right above the tackle box. I am sure my wife Diane is taking the picture. I want you to notice the dried mud banks. During a storm event, the rivers are swollen with sediment and nutrients. The Neosho River flows into Grand Lake.

A map of the drainage area of Grand Lake

In the above map, you can see the Neosho River Watershed (teal color) in the upper left extending north far into Kansas. You will also notice that parts of the Grand Lake watershed are in four different states. This means that four different groups of state agencies, all with different rules and regulations, are responsible for keeping the waters clean. And on top of that, Kansas and Missouri are in EPA Region 7 and Arkansas and Oklahoma are in EPA Region 6. To say the least, this makes things difficult!

Last week I attended a water quality conference in Fayetteville, AR. While the conference dealt with a different watershed, there were many Oklahoma water quality experts in attendance. They told me the warning signs of this type of algae bloom on Grand Lake have been there for years but due to inaction this is the result. There are also watershed organizations such as the Grand Lake Watershed Alliance Foundation (formed in 2007) and the Elk River Watershed Improvement Association (formed in 2004) working to spearhead efforts to begin to turn things around in the Grand Lake basin.

In the Upper White River Basin, we need to learn from this event. We cannot just say that we are glad it is them and not us but we must be proactive. In the Table Rock and Taneycomo Lakes watershed we are very fortunate that the Missouri Clean Water Commission in 2002 approved a phosphorous limit on point source discharges from wastewater treatment plants. This phosphorous limit was in response to a large algae bloom in the upper James River Arm of Table Rock Lake (see picture below).

1999 Algae Bloom on Upper Arm of Table Rock Lake

The good news is that the lake responded quickly to the reduction in nutrients and we have not had a repeat of this algae outbreak. But we have to realize that we have not fixed the problem but only bought us some time. The huge increases in population in the Upper White River basin puts enormous pressure on our streams and lakes through nutrient loading from both point and nonpoint sources. We have picked the low hanging fruit by reducing nutrient loading from point sources and we MUST NOW deal with nonpoint sources of nutrients. These include failing septic systems, storm water runoff, land disturbance, animal operations, fertilizers spread on rural and urban areas, etc.

In the Illinois River watershed in northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma, these issues have come to a head. Without going into a long history of past events, EPA Region 6 is now in the process of writing a TMDL (Total Daily Maximum Load) for the Illinois River watershed that will most likely mandate reductions in nonpoint source loading of nutrients in that watershed. This TMDL will have a far reaching impact, even nationwide, as up to now, nonpoint source reductions have for the most part been voluntary. I encourage everyone that can, to attend the

4-State Watershed Academy to to be held September 29th and 30th in West Siloam Springs, OK. 

4-State Watershed Academy - Sept. 29-30 - West Siloam Springs

This academy will feature presentations that deal with TMDLs and what we face in all our watersheds with these nutrient issues. As of the writing of this newsletter, there are commitments from Missouri Congressman Long and Arkansas Congressman Womack and Missouri DNR Director Sara Parker-Pauley and Arkansas ADEQ Director Teresa Marks to attend and participate in the academy. Due to another large event being held in the area during this time, hotel rooms will be at a premium, so if you think you may attend, I encourage you to reserve your room now! All of us must become educated and involved. Only by all of us working together can we hope to protect and preserve our outstanding Ozark water quality. 

Quote of the Week

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.  ~Robert Frost

(This quote was on the front of my 2011 Fathers Day card from my daughter Sarah Casaletto who along with my other two daughters have a love for the environment and our beautiful waters.)

Current News Articles

Algae scares away visitors, revenue from Grand Lake area

By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent  

Published: 7/4/2011 2:26 AM

GROVE - Sam Williams knows a thing or two about fish tales and he believes the recent scare over blue-green algae on Grand Lake is one of the biggest. "I was inundated with phone calls from everyone thinking the whole lake was closed down," said Williams, owner of Grand Lake Sports Center. Williams and his family have operated the fishing and boating store, which has set at the corner of downtown Grove, for the past 60 years. 

After Getting Sick From Algae Bloom Exacerbated by Heat Wave and Drought, (Oklahoma Senator) Inhofe Jokes the "Environment Strikes Back" 

By Stephen Lacey on Jul 1, 2011 at 6:05 pm

Irony can be so ironic. A day after cancelling his keynote address at the Heartland climate denial conference because he felt "under the weather," Republican Senator Jim Inhofe today insisted his sickness was due to a toxic algae bloom on the Grand Lake in Oklahoma where he has a home - joking to a local newspaper that "the environment strikes back" and "Inhofe is attacked by the environment."

"There is no question," the Oklahoma Republican said, linking what he thought was a routine dive into the lake last Monday morning to a severe upper respiratory illness. "That night, Monday night, I was just deathly sick." Inhofe and his wife, Kay, have had a home on the lake for decades, and he has never seen that kind of algae in the water previously. 

Environmental officials in Oklahoma sent out a warning today about major blue-green algal blooms around the Northeastern portion of the state, saying this is the largest bloom the area has ever seen. Because "toxins harmful to humans and animals can be produced in some algae blooms," it is strongly recommended you do not swim in places where there are visible blooms.  Ironically, Inhofe, who has chaired the Senate Environment Committee, didn't know that, but even his teenage granddaughter figured it out. "I didn't think anything about it," he said, recalling that he had encouraged his 13-year-old granddaughter to join him in the water but she declined. "She didn't want to get in that green stuff." Maybe she should be Senator.

To read more, click HERE.

State-of-the-Lake.....Post Holiday

Around the Pond

By Rusty Fleming

This past holiday weekend will go down as one of the most talked about and least beneficial in Grand Lake's history. And the entire year, with its back-to-back blizzards, which assaulted docks, boats, out building and more, plus a follow up from Mother Nature with the damage inflicted by tornadoes throughout the area, will also be THE year to remember for all the wrong reasons. But the damage done to Grand Lake from the recent outbreak of a toxic algae form may have done more economic damage than the blizzards and tornadoes combined. 

Some smart SOB should organize a citizen's based group, made up of representatives of the four state areas and encouraged by both the state and federal Departments of Environmental Quality, to address the problem of nutrients and other watershed factors on a regional basis. Well, loddie-damn-do, it already exists and is called the Grand Lake Watershed Alliance Foundation. And here's another point.... They've been warning us about the declining water quality in the watershed for over four years. If you want to learn more about their plan for improving the inflows to Grand Lake follow this link. Grand Lake Watershed Alliance Foundation.

To read more, click HERE.