Editorial

Some good from the green

Posted 10/20/15

For about 80 homeowners who live on the shores of Warwick Pond, this summer’s blue-green algae bloom was a distressing phenomenon that underscored the fragility of our environment.

The bloom was …

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Editorial

Some good from the green

Posted

For about 80 homeowners who live on the shores of Warwick Pond, this summer’s blue-green algae bloom was a distressing phenomenon that underscored the fragility of our environment.

The bloom was quickly identified as cynobacteria that actually is not a form of vegetation. There was no mistaking its presence. Pond water turned an opaque green, and rightfully people questioned what has caused the bloom and whether the water was safe.

While cynobacteria can be toxic and those toxins can be an irritant to humans and animals and cause illness if ingested, this particular bloom was fortunately non-toxic. Nonetheless, Warwick Pond wasn’t an appealing environment for boaters or swimmers and one can only imagine how it impacted its inhabitants from native fish to the transitory herring or buckeyes. The pond serves as an incubator for the buckeye fry before they make their way to Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic where they mature.

Other ponds in the state experienced outbreaks of blue-green algae. For some this is almost an annual occurrence according to the Department of Environmental Management.

DEM officials described conditions as being ripe for cynobacteria. This summer was hot and there were prolonged periods of sunshine. Pond waters warmed and with sufficient levels of nutrients including phosphorous and nitrogen, the algae propagated.

But this was a first for Warwick Pond, at least the first of a bloom of this magnitude.

What changed this summer? Why now?

With the Rhode Island Airport Corporation working on three nearby projects – the new Winslow Park playing fields; an extension of the cross-wind runway safety zone and creation of additional wetlands to offset those lost to the runway safety zone – the airport became the immediate suspect. DEM has not identified airport-related work as the “smoking gun” although it could be considered as a contributor. Those living on, or near, the pond have likewise been identified as potential contributors whether they use cesspools or fertilize their yards.

Until there is more conclusive evidence, we don’t know what tipped the scale this year and turned pond waters green. But we have learned a lot and the condition has heightened awareness about the environment and how it can be impacted. The situation has prompted city council members to endorse the creation of an association to delve deeper into the causes of the algae bloom and be an advocate for changes to ensure cleaner pond waters in the future. A suggestion is that working with the Buckeye Brook Coalition, the association could serve as a watchdog for the Buckeye Brook watershed that includes the pond. That sounds promising.

Although a green Warwick Pond is cause for alarm, we’re encouraged by the community response and the intent to identify contributing issues and correct them. With the waters cooling and returning to their natural color, we would hope the ardor to respect the environment stays as hot has it has been in the past two months.

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