Harmful Algal Blooms

You may notice a green, red or brown film on your favorite boating or swimming area in the summer. This coloring could mean that the water is affected by harmful algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms are an accumulation of tiny organisms known as algae and can release harmful toxins into the environment. Pictured here is Binder Lake in Iowa covered in algal blooms. One of the effects algal blooms can have is fish kills in areas where oxygen is depleted or when algal blooms are producing toxins.