Elucidating cyanotoxins, cyanobacteria, and potential abiotic drivers of the 2017 Maumee River bloom

Session: Great Lakes Tributaries: Connecting Land and Lakes (4)

Paul Matson, Bowling Green State Univ, [email protected]
George Bullerjahn, Bowling Green State University, [email protected]
Robert (Mike) McKay, University of Windsor, [email protected]
Thomas Bridgeman, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, [email protected]
Gregory Boyer, SUNY-ESF, [email protected]
Heather Raymond, Ohio EPA, [email protected]
Douglas Kane, Defiance College, Division of Natural Sciences, [email protected]
Timothy Davis, Bowling Green State University, [email protected]

Abstract

The Maumee River is the source water for multiple public water systems and a large food services facility in northwest Ohio. It is also a well-known source for nutrients that fuel seasonal cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Erie’s western basin though blooms in the river are infrequent. On 20 September 2017, a river bloom was reported within the Toledo Metropolitan area, which triggered a water advisory by the City of Toledo. Researchers from multiple regional institutions conducted a rapid response survey on 25–28 September 2017 to determine the toxicity and taxonomic composition of the bloom. Results showed levels of cyanotoxin, specifically microcystins, in excess of recreational contact limits at sites within the lower 20 km of the river and that these sites were dominated by the cyanobacteria Microcystis. Further, a historical analyses of ten-years of river discharge, water level, and local wind data suggest that the 2017 bloom event was exceptional in terms of the combination of low river discharge, low seiche intensity, and a high proportion of easterly winds occurring over an extended time period. These results highlight the need to broaden our understanding of biophysical coupling within the interface of riverine and lacustrine systems.

Twitter handle of presenter
chico_warren