Lake Erie dead zone threatens Cleveland drinking water

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As Lake Erie warms and winds blow the Western Basin’s harmful algal blooms eastward, they merge with a separate, less toxic bloom of a different type of algae in the Central Basin. The combination develops into tons of algae that sinks to the bottom of the lake where it decomposes and consumes oxygen until the lowest 10 feet is nearly entirely depleted. This “dead zone” threatens the drinking water for millions of Northeast Ohioans and forces fish and other aquatic creatures to leave the contaminated area or die from lack of oxygen. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

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