The Vermilion River had a confirmed Blue-Green Algae outbreak in February of 2013. This bloom is of great concern to local residents as these blooms are normally associated with the warm low flow conditions of late summer, but has now happened throughout the cold winter months. The bloom was first noticed in November of 2012, and has been persistent until it was sampled by MOE in February.
The Vermilion River Watershed has 9 City of Sudbury Waste Water Treatment Facilities releasing treated, untreated and undertreated effluent into its waters, as well as several potentially damaging future developments going through the approvals process. Any planned development must consider the thousands of people, aquatic life and wildlife that rely on the Vermilion’s resources for its daily needs.
The film below was produced by the Windsor Essex County Environment Committee in partnership with the Essex Region Conservation Authority and the International Joint Commission, this 5 minute video promotes steps we can all take to reduce the problems contributing to blue-green algae.