Lough Neagh hasn’t had an algal bloom problem of this magnitude since the 1970’s. Dearbhlá McMenamin takes a closer look.
Image Credit: Kenneth Allen via Wikimedia Commons
Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the UK and is situated in Northern Ireland, covering an area of 383 km². The lough is larger in area than the country of Malta, making it a valuable resource and amenity to many groups including fishermen and swimmers.
Since 2023, however, the lough has been suffering from a huge problem from the presence of blue-green algae, coating the water and causing an array of problems for wildlife, fishing and livestock. Since the news first broke in 2023, this problem hasn’t received much media attention, but the crisis continues.
Blue-green algae, otherwise known as cyanobacteria, grows in waters with conditions that are favourable for growth. This typically includes shallow, warm, and undisturbed water. Scientists from Queen’s University Belfast also say that a big factor as to why the blooms are growing out of control is due to the surface run-off of fertiliser from agricultural land, increasing the nutrient content of the lough and allowing the algae to thrive.
Agriculture is responsible for three-quarters of land-use in NI and surrounds much of the lake so the issue is not quite an easy fix. Worse, high levels of rainfall in the country can increase the amount of nutrients leaching out of the land and into the water. The impacts of fertiliser run-off are clearly affecting the health of Lough Neagh but as the nutrients leach from the land, farmers need to add even more fertiliser to compensate for these losses, in a costly vicious cycle.
Blue-green algal blooms. Image Credit: European Space Agency via Wikimedia Commons.
Naturally, this worrying problem has a large impact on local communities surrounding the lough. Lough Neagh is land-locked by five of the six counties in Northern Ireland, also providing drinking water for 40% of the country. Unsurprisingly, many people are now choosing to opt for bottled water vs tap water.
Those who live in areas where drinking water is supplied from Lough Neagh complain the tap water has an unpleasant taste and smell. Some residents even tested out leaving tap water stagnant for a week, witnessing algal growth in the water. Despite their concerning findings, Northern Island Water has stated that the smell and taste of the drinking water is due to “naturally occurring compounds” found in beetroots and soils, which are unharmful to human health.
In addition to causing havoc on drinking water supplies, the algal blooms have upset swimmers and those who use the lough recreationally. Cold water swimming is a popular pastime that has grown in popularity in recent years, but cold water enthusiasts are now heavily discouraged from practising the activity in Lough Neagh.
It’s not just swimmers who are suffering - there have been a number of dog deaths reported from swimming in the lough. Wildlife species are also at risk, especially seabirds and fish. As fertilisers, such as manure, leach into the waters of Lough Neagh, the algae feed on the phosphate from this waste and thrive in explosive numbers. This has a knock-on effect on fish populations as it reduces the available oxygen in the water. Blue-green algae releases toxins that are not only harmful for humans but deadly for wildlife.
Local activists were so upset by NI Water’s that they even held a memorial service for the lough, claiming it is dying. Over 100 supporters turned out, many of them dressed in black, mourning this once thriving ecosystem. Lough Neagh saw similar problems in the 1970s, and is once again facing challenging times.
Over a year has passed since the headline broke, and what has since been done to face this algae crisis? A competition was launched by DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs), offering funding for the winners to facilitate solutions to the algae crisis in Lough Neagh. Five winners were selected, each gaining a share of £450,000 to be used to attempt to restore Lough Neagh’s legacy. Some of the winning groups announced include Queen’s University Belfast, Helix8 Ltd and Varicon Aqua Solutions Ltd, each from different industries and expertise. This is an exciting time to see what solutions these different groups will come up with.
The outcome of the competition is only one of 37 elements that collectively make up the “Lough Neagh Action Plan” as outlined by the Environment Minister Andrew Muir. The Minister has also theorised that because the algae crisis was created from decades of pollution, that it will more than likely take decades to repair. However, we should be optimistic that alongside this plan, and as more time and resources are devoted to the cause, Lough Neagh will recover from this setback. Only time will tell whether the lough will return to its former glory.
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