Bad year forecast for Lake Erie algae

This could be a record year for blue green algae in Lake Erie.

It was a bad year for it in 2011, when the bloom covered about one-sixth of the lake’s surface. Some analysts predict this summer it could be as bad or even worse. Forecasters are pointing to a wet spring, which will add to the severity of the outbreak. Blue-green algae is caused largely by phosphorous runoffs, a product of fertilizers and manure.