Well, there are mixed opinions on Algae- are they truly pests or do they help clean up some of the excess chemicals found in our waterways and provide a food source for aquatic life?

Algae can be found growing in ponds, lakes, in clarifiers, de-chlorination tanks, etc.

More than 10,000 living diatom species are known, there are over 8,000 species of Algae, there are 1500 species of Blue Green algae or Cyanobacteria, there are 6000 species of red algae or Rhodophyta . . . . the list goes on and on- ok, so identification is not as important as why is it growing, how it impacts my plant and how to get rid of it!!!

With Summer time here, and lots of plants, ornamental ponds, lakes and lagoons having difficulties with Algae control.

How aesthetically pleasing the pond or lake looks can add to the value of the surrounding property. If a pond is covered with unsightly algae that gives off nasty smells, it does not sit well with the neighbors and will detract from property values.

Some of the ways you can keep the ponds or lakes healthy, is to build a buffer zone of flowers and plants, that will capture some of the run-off, debris and dirt particles that might wind up in the pond. Another thing you can do is plant cat tails again as a buffer, and also plant certain types of wetland plants that filter out high BOD, trap TSS and consume some of the nutrients that cause the growth of excess algae.

Aeration and mixing are also ways to introduce air into the water, and allow for natural biodegradation to occur.

Unsightly algae can not only look bad, it can give off odors. Blue Green algae and the Brown algae tend to indicate more septicity problems and give off odors, than the typical Green algae. Also some Blue green algae can release toxins into the water.

Excess N and P from fertilizer run-off can cause plant and algae growth.  Cattails are planted and used in numerous constructed wetlands for BOD, TSS, N and P removal. They take up

Leaves, debris, dying and decaying organic matter is then consumed by bacteria. This puts a high oxygen demand on the lake, since the bacteria can consume significant amounts of oxygen depending upon the amount of organic matter present. This deprives fish and other animals of oxygen and can lead to fish kills. Excessive plant growth can choke off waterways and cause eutrophication.

Oil and gas from boats tends to cause excess organics in a lake. Normal biological activity will degrade this, and consume up some of the N and P in the lake, but without sufficient Oxygen present, this can also cause problems with unwanted plants and algae.

RipRap can be one way to hold back leaves, and run-off, there by reducing the algae growth

Fountains and aerators again, can make a big difference in the amount of septicity, algae and unwanted plant growth that may develop in even large lakes.