water quality
Lyngbya treatments are under way on the lake
April 16. Lyngbya treatments have begun on lake around Cornelius, according to the Lake Norman Marine Commission. The noxious dark-colored mats have a musty odor and make swimming problematic as temperatures rise. As of right now, Lyngbya infestation levels are relatively low—about 10 acres. A push by local stakeholders has resulted in the Marine Commission […]
Lyngbya survey begins next week; residents can help
March 18. The Lake Norman Marine Commission in partnership with the NC State Aquatic Plant Management Program will begin surveying Lake Norman the week of March 25 for Lyngbya cyanobacteria, the unsightly blue-green algae that wreaks havoc with boaters and swimmers. People can report its presence to help create an effective treatment plan. To do […]
Full funding announced for Lyngbya eradication
Feb. 15. The community-organized Cornelius Water Project announced today that the 2024 Lyngbya Eradication Project for Lake Norman has been fully funded. Investments from Charlotte Water, the City of Charlotte, and Duke Energy along with Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties have provided all the funding required for the 2024 treatments. Some $15,000 has already […]
$60,000 needed to battle Lyngbya in early stages on Lake Norman
Jan. 31. By Dave Yochum. Funding for the battle against Lyngbya must be in place by April 1 to stem the fast-rising tide of noxious blue-green algae in Lake Norman, local officials and concerned citizens say. From 2022 to 2023 Lyngbya doubled in Lake Norman, with dense mats—sometimes called sludge—evident in coves around Cornelius, more […]
Lyngbya meeting tonight will address concerns about noxious algae
Jan. 30. By Dave Yochum. The lyngbya cyanobhacteria problem in Lake Norman is not going away, according to health and water quality officials. It has also invaded High Rock Lake and Lake Gaston, where officials are trying to manage if not eradicate the “filamentous cyanobacteria” that forms large nuisance growths on the lake bottom. Thing […]
Wastewater spill on Belle Isle near John Connor
Jan. 12. Charlotte Water crews responded to a wastewater overflow in the 17300 block of Belle Isle Drive last night. An estimated 900 gallons of sewage reached Lake Norman. Charlotte Water said most homes along the lake that are served by low pressure sewer systems convey waste to a gravity-fed sewer to wastewater treatment plants. […]
Lyngbya Q&A: Did sewage spills encourage the outbreak?
Q: After more than a dozen sewage spills in Cornelius waters over the past three years, is there a relationship between these spills and the Lyngbya outbreak? A: No, the sewer spills that have plagued that area probably have little effect on the Lyngbya growth. Lyngbya doesn’t use the available nutrients in the water column, […]
Task force forming to attack Lyngbya, a growing problem
Sept. 27. By Dave Yochum. In the wake of a meeting at The Peninsula Club yesterday, local leaders will form a task force on a problem that is literally growing. Algae blooms known as Lyngbya wollei are apparently a threat to Lake Norman on the order of Hydrilla. Former NC Sen. Jeff Tarte said state […]
Those dense, smelly mats on the lake are called ‘lyngbya’
Sept. 26. The algae that has formed a dense mat in coves on the Ramsey Creek side of Lake Norman is known as Lyngbya wollei. “To date, there has been no evidence or reports of any detrimental human or animal health effects caused by Lyngbya. It is very unsightly and can form large, dense mats […]
Catawba Riverkeeper: LKN water quality is ‘excellent’
Aug. 24. By Dave Yochum. Over the past three years there have been more than a dozen sewage spills in and around Cornelius into the waters of Lake Norman, a most regrettable series of events that caused plenty of negativity on various Facebook pages, but no long-term efffect, according to Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones. […]
