Going Fishing or Swimming this Summer? Keep it Healthy.
INDIANAPOLIS — As summer begins, the Hoosier Environmental Council, Indiana’s largest statewide environmental educator and advocate, is reminding Hoosiers of some simple steps to keep fishing and trips to the lake safe and healthy.
Indiana is blessed with many beautiful lakes and rivers, but some are not healthy for outdoor recreation.
If you are going to fish, be sure to check the Indiana Fish Consumption Advisories first for the location where you are considering fishing. Some species of fish absorb and retain pollutants.
For swimming, water skiing or other sports with water contact, it’s a good idea to do two checks: The first check is for beach alerts. The alerts happen when there is unhealthy pollution, most often bacteria from manure or sewage. They are available at Indiana BeachGuard. BeachGuard is also available in mobile formats.
The second check is for blue-green algae. Blue-green algae is a recurring problem in Indiana’s waterways. The blooms come from high volumes of phosphorus-based fertilizer spread on Indiana farmlands and residential and commercial lawns or animal manure spread on farmland. Blue-green algae poses a significant health risk to humans and animals because many of the algae put out toxins. Some of the algal toxins cause skin rashes; others are more serious and damage the liver or nervous system. In high enough doses, some of them are even fatal. In 2012, two dogs died from exposure to blue-green algae after swimming in the Salamonie Reservoir near Wabash, Indiana. Thankfully there have not been any human deaths in Indiana, to date.
“This time of year getting outside and connecting with nature is fun and good for your health” says Dr. Indra Frank, water policy director for HEC. “But for water activities, it’s essential to check the water quality and fish advisories first.”
The Hoosier Environmental Council is working with government, businesses, universities and other organizations to reduce pollution in Indiana’s lakes and rivers. Here are some steps all Hoosiers can take to protect Indiana’s waters:
- Use phosphorus-free fertilizers to prevent chemical runoff into Indiana’s waterways. It is estimated that just one pound of phosphorus in the water will produce 500 pounds of blue-green algae.
- Grow plants native to Indiana in rain gardens to prevent storm-water runoff.
- Work with your local watershed or tree-planting organization to plant native trees and shrubs (i.e. “buffer strips” or “riparian zones”) along streams and rivers to prevent agricultural & stormwater runoff.
- Contact your state senator and representative, as well as Governor Pence, to express your concern regarding pollution and encourage them to support greater levels of funding for water quality programs.