Chemical agriculture runoff destroying fresh water with toxic algae blooms

‘Chemical fertilizers are destroying our supplies of clean water by feeding blooms of toxic algae, scientists and water officials have warned.
The problem has come into sharp focus recently as lakes across California have been closed due to blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. When they grow, cyanobacteria can produce chemicals that can cause skin rashes and other allergic reactions in people who come into the contact with the water, and gastrointestinal upset in people who drink it. The water is even more dangerous to other species, and drinking even a small amount can kill dogs, livestock and wildlife.
Cyanobacterial blooms are estimated to affect about 40 separate California lakes and waterways this year, nearly double last year’s figure of 22. This represents the most bodies of water ever affected.’
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