Haddonfield Pet Owners Urged To Keep Away From Green Pond
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A green bloom in a South Jersey pond is prompting a warning for residents to keep their pets away.
The once-clear water is now green. The hot summer has created prime breeding conditions for microorganisms in shallow and stagnant Hopkins Pond in Haddonfield.
"The common name is blue-green algae. The technical term is cyanobacteria," said Mike Haberland, county agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Haberland was called in six years ago to clear the green water. He installed a half-dozen aerators.
"I thought the lake looked better and better each year, and then this year we've had the biggest bloom since we put them in," Haberland said.
He's taking water samples to determine why the pond got so green this year, even with aeration.
In the meantime, he says pet owners are advised to keep their dogs out of the water.
"They'll lick their fur. They'll ingest these microbes, and it can cause liver damage," Haberland warned.
He says applying an algicide would cause the bacteria to release toxins into the water all at once.
