On August 4th there will be a boat parade out of Toledo Yacht Club for power boaters and another parade out of Meinke and Anchor Pointe Marinas for the sailboats who will rendezvous at the water intake about 3:30 p.m. This event is meant to call attention to the problems algal blooms pose for our community and draw attention to the fact that nothing has been done to curb the run-off of fecal waste from the foreign owned mega farms who are spreading the waste on the fields adjacent to their facilities, and that waste is making its way into the Maumee River water basin and greatly contributing to the algal blooms since 1990.

10 years ago, the City of Toledo’s water system was declared unsafe to drink due to the levels of microcystin in the water, which is a direct result of the algae in our waters. It’s time that our recreational community and the citizens of the western basin of Lake Erie stand up for change to make our lake healthy again and safe to drink, swim, and boat in. If you would like to join in the boat parade, please text me at 419-356-3583 or email at mary.alderman@utoledo.edu so we can organize Jolly Roger’s participation in this important event. The future of our lake depends on it.