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Photo gallery: Lake Erie algae bloom spreads

The algae bloom season continues in western Lake Erie, casting turning the lake and Maumee River green.  These photos show the bloom's progression from mid-September to the end of the month.

Cities that receive water from the lake, including Toledo, report that water is still safe to drink.  However,  Toledo recently placed a recreational advisoryfor the Maumee River.

More from Great Lakes Today: The Green movement reaches out to minorities -- finally

The appearance of algae blooms also has sparked a response from Toledo politicians, including Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson.  

Tuesday, Hicks-Hudson announcedshe would push state and federal officials to designate western Lake Erie as an impaired waterway -- action that would lead to pollution limits. She also wrote to Ohio Gov. John Kasich and President Donald Trump, asking that they support the designation.

In her letter to Trump, Hicks-Hudson said that his "leadership on this issue would be a lasting legacy to restoring our part of America to greatness." Hicks-Hudson says she has already written Trump twice -- in December 2016 and April 2017.

Hicks-Hudson's support of an impairment designation doesn't mean it will happen.  The final decision is up to the U.S. EPA.

Lake Erie 9-25-17
Lake Erie MODIS -- NOAA GLERL /
Lake Erie 9-25-17
Western Lake Erie 9-24-17
Dr. Rafat Ansari /
Western Lake Erie 9-24-17
Lake Erie 9-16-17
Lake Erie MODIS -- NOAA GLERL /
Lake Erie 9-16-17
western Lake Erie 9-15-17
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western Lake Erie 9-15-17
Maumee Bay State Park Marina 9-15-17
Elizabeth Miller/ideastream /
Maumee Bay State Park Marina 9-15-17
western Lake Erie 9-15-17
Elizabeth Miller/ideastream /
western Lake Erie 9-15-17

Copyright 2017 Great Lakes Today

Reporter/producer Elizabeth Miller joined ideastream after a stint at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C., where she served as an intern on the National Desk, pitching stories about everything from a gentrified Brooklyn deli to an app for lost dogs. Before that, she covered weekend news at WAKR in Akron and interned at WCBE, a Columbus NPR affiliate. Elizabeth grew up in Columbus before moving north to attend Baldwin Wallace, where she graduated with a degree in broadcasting and mass communications.
Elizabeth Miller
Reporter/producer Elizabeth Miller joined ideastream after a stint at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C., where she served as an intern on the National Desk, pitching stories about everything from a gentrified Brooklyn deli to an app for lost dogs. Before that, she covered weekend news at WAKR in Akron and interned at WCBE, a Columbus NPR affiliate. Elizabeth grew up in Columbus before moving north to attend Baldwin Wallace, where she graduated with a degree in broadcasting and mass communications.
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