Algae bloom?

Mirror Painter

Mirror Painter

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What's all this brown stuff on my river? Lumps of brown stuff. I think. It's an algae bloom but also have an idea is caused by pollution and excess nitrogen.

Do I need to call any one? Sri lack of pic / carp type -?sent from phone
 
hypertrophication, dear Moxon, hypertrophication.

Call Environmental Health. It can be deadly to fish/dogs/horses.



I suspect the Thames is a Nitrate Sensitive Area, with restrictions on how much fert we wicked farmers can throw around willy-nilly (at nearly £300 per tonne) :)
 
As I understand it, it's nothing to worry about, every year as the river settles from the winter this happens. Providing there is no significant rain to move the river again, the river will suddenly settle, almost overnight and the water will become (fairly) clear. I have observed this for many years now. I actually enquired many years ago to the NRA ( who used to run the river) regarding this matter,and they assured me this was a natural occurrence, and that water quality was constantly monitored by them, and any irregularities would be picked up. I believe the pollution dept, of the EA now undertake this role.
 
Thanks for replies. I slept soundly on the boat last night having read the advice from Riverleak. It just occurred to me it might not be the same brown stuff so here's a pic, (which doesn't seem to show just how many lumps there were):

View attachment 31984

Is that what you had in mind RL?
 
Forgive me, I was wrong that's not the sort of brown river colour I thought you meant. Are you moored somewhere below a sewage outfall. I would suggest you contact the EA pollution control unit and tell them of your concerns, those floating lumps do not look like they should be in the river. The pollution dept will only thank you for your help, so if I were you, I would report your concerns ASAP. PS keep your hands thoroughly washed after being around the boat until you have a definitive answer, hope my advice helps. Regards, Riverleak...
 
The photo was taken at the very upper Thames, upstream of Lechlade. Have had a few phone calls and e-mails with the E.A. today and the conclusion is this:

"We spoke this morning and I said I’d confer with some colleagues and get back to you. The opinion of our conservation team is that it is quite likely that this is an algal bloom – algae on the river bed can float to the surface in clumps that have this appearance in the right conditions. We are not planning to send any officers to investigate further at this stage. Unless there are any further developments such as an impact on fish or wildlife or an increase in the quantity and odour of the material.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention though".
 
its not poo or anything similar
It is dead vegitation from last year, as the fresh green slimy weed grows it pushes off last years dead growth.
We have the same here on the canal.
poke it with a stick and it will disintegrate
 
Some algal blooms may be of concern as a few species produce neurotoxins as part of the rotting/decomposition process. This is manifest as a sharp, stinky, smell, and bacteria can use up available water-borne oxygen, resulting in the death of fish and other river creatures.

For many years on the lower Thames, the PLA had a craft called Bubbler trolling up and down, pumping masses of air deep into the river to increase critical oxygen levels.

Whilst green underwater vegetation is a sign of health, it only needs low water levels, lots of sunlight, and either sewage overflow or some thoughtless farmer being over-enthusiastic with the muck spreader, or a commercial accident, to trip the balanced equation and cause significant BOD (Biological Oxygen Deficiency.) I can remember living on Ham Hough Iland at such a time, just after the lower weir was installed, and river levels dropped right down. The smell as I walked over the bridge was almost overpowering, and the back eddies were full of dead fish.
 
sarabande said:
Some algal blooms may be of concern as a few species produce neurotoxins as part of the rotting/decomposition process. This is manifest as a sharp, stinky, smell, and bacteria can use up available water-borne oxygen, resulting in the death of fish and other river creatures.

For many years on the lower Thames, the PLA had a craft called Bubbler trolling up and down, pumping masses of air deep into the river to increase critical oxygen levels.

Whilst green underwater vegetation is a sign of health, it only needs low water levels, lots of sunlight, and either sewage overflow or some thoughtless farmer being over-enthusiastic with the muck spreader, or a commercial accident, to trip the balanced equation and cause significant BOD (Biological Oxygen Deficiency.) I can remember living on Ham Hough Iland at such a time, just after the lower weir was installed, and river levels dropped right down. The smell as I walked over the bridge was almost overpowering, and the back eddies were full of dead fish.
Click to expand...


I saw something similar in Lancashire a long time ago which was probably at the back of my pretty little head when I saw the stuff on Sunday. :-)
 
As a matter of interest a few years back the weir stream adjacent to us at Shepperton was closed for a complete rebuild. As soon as the weir was stopped bloom occurred and hundreds of fish started to float to the surface. The EA had to rapidly hire a massive bubbler machine to replace the oxygenation provided by the weir. It just shows the value of weirs to help oxygenate the water.
Anyway I still think Moxons floaters are suspicious!
 
dash300 said:
As a matter of interest a few years back the weir stream adjacent to us at Shepperton was closed for a complete rebuild. As soon as the weir was stopped bloom occurred and hundreds of fish started to float to the surface. The EA had to rapidly hire a massive bubbler machine to replace the oxygenation provided by the weir. It just shows the value of weirs to help oxygenate the water.
Anyway I still think Moxons floaters are suspicious!
Click to expand...

I would like to point out they are not 'my' floaters :-)
 
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