Warm weather causes algae bloom A green lake at the Rheinaue
Bonn · Warm late summer temperatures have caused major algae growth in the lake at the Rheinaue. Visitors can still rent boats.
From far above, the bright green surface on the Rheinaue Lake actually looks quite picturesque. GA photographer Volker Lannert was able to capture an image from up in the air. In the past weeks, a blanket of green algae has formed on the water and practically taken over the lake.
The city and local politicians have long addressed the problem by installing a water pump to improve water quality by pumping cooling water into the small lake from the Post Tower. Ewald Schmitt, the head of a model boat club, believes the water isn’t enough to create the current needed. Achim Baumgartner of the environmental group BUND Rhein-Sieg, hopes the water being pumped in is not too warm - which would actually cause more algae. According to the city, the maximum temperature is 19°C, which would not create more algae.
Algae are an annual problem
For those renting boats to go out on the lake, rentals are still available through at least the end of October. The amount of algae does cause some limitations but operations are still in swing. It’s not new to have algae on the lake but there is just more this year than normal.
The cost and work involved in getting grid of the algae would not make sense because it wouldn’t prevent it from reoccurring next year. For some visitors, they don’t see the algae as a nuisance but rather as a thing of beauty.
(Orig. text: Richard Bongartz)
