Buckeye Lake area at ease about toxic algae blooms ahead of July 4 weekend

BUCKEYE LAKE - Advisories warning Buckeye Lake visitors and residents about toxic levels of algae blooms hasn't raised concerns for area business owners.

At the end of May, the Ohio Department of Health issued an Elevated Recreational Public Health Advisory for toxic algae blooms in Buckeye Lake. The advisory targets the areas of Fairfield and Crystal Beaches, however, a sign is also in place at the Buckeye Lake State Park. The advisory has lasted more than 45 days, with an end date listed as "ongoing."

With Buckeye Lake's fireworks returning on July 3 after a three-year hiatus, the advisory poses no concern to area business owners ahead of a holiday weekend.

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"This lake has been what it's always been and it will always be that - it's not going to affect anything. I'm not concerned about it," said John Doneff, who owns Island House on Lieb's Island. "We will be packed with business. This summer so far has been excellent since they got the dam done – the 4.2 miles is very pretty now and everything. We’re gearing up for a very big week."

Doneff said Monday was the best Monday his business has seen for a very long time. He expected if the weather holds, Wednesday night will be huge for his business as many people come in to grab dinner before heading out to their boats to watch fireworks aboard them. The business owner added he expects his business to be busy through Sunday afternoon.

In April 2018, public safety officials and Buckeye Lake BLASST planning members agreed to cancel the event for a third consecutive year over safety concerns due to ongoing construction in the area. 

Construction on the Buckeye Lake dam was completed in November 2018, two years ahead of schedule and $43 million less than anticipated. Around March 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a report saying the dam had structural deficiencies and the potential for catastrophic failure.

According to Mike Fornataro, Buckeye Lake Region Corporation director, algae has been an ongoing issue at the lake. While some may attribute the elevated levels of algae to area farmers, Fornataro argued the algae is a result of 150 years of muck at the bottom of Buckeye Lake combined with bottom-feeding fish who stir up sediment in the bottom.

Dredging the bottom of Buckeye Lake, Fornataro said, is key to addressing the problems and improving the lake's water quality.

"It needs a concerted dredging effort by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and we need those nutrients out of the bottom of the lake," Fornataro said. 

An algae advisory will not dampen the spirits of Buckeye Lake area residents and business owners, Fornataro indicated.

"The business impact usually isn’t really that much because the businesses aren’t directly related to being in the water," he said, indicating algae blooms typically don't deter visitors from coming to the lake. "This isn’t really much of a swimming lake. There’s Fairfield Beach over on the Fairfield County side near the winery, but the recreation here isn’t driven by actually being in the water.”

Ahead of the Wednesday night's fireworks, Fornataro expected them to be nothing short of amazing.

"The docks are full and people are enjoying themselves...," he said. "It's encouraging. It's been since 2014. That was the last actual summer that we had with a full lake, so it's been a long time coming. ... There's a lot of positives going on. It's just nice to see activity around the lake again."