Garda Lake Mucilage Crisis Surpasses Cleanup Efforts and Alarms Authorities
Ship captains and hydrofoil operators try to steer away from it offshore. But when they encounter long masses of 5-600 meters, they simply can’t avoid them, even with their best efforts: and then, as the keel gets stuck in the gelatinous mass of millions of suspended microalgae, the tragic question echoes on the decks of the ferries, in all languages of Garda tourism: “What’s that mess?” The crew, working between the ports of Riva, Torbole, Limone, and Malcesine, hastens to reply politely that it’s harmless algae, that the green-yellow patches are seasonal, and that Garda is one of the cleanest lakes in Europe. Etc., etc. But definitely, the reassurance they give to holidaymakers (judging by their faces) is less satisfying than expected and the responses are indeed honest.
The Mucilage Phenomenon
The situation is becoming increasingly alarming – the story of the mucilage serves only to illustrate the point: disheartening comments come from all nautical circles on the upper lake – regarding the green-yellow mucilage phenomenon (composed of Anabaena algae piled up by wind and currents), which we already discussed in the aftermath of its appearance (about a week ago). It was initially thought to be a «weather event», able to temporarily reignite, for some reason, a warning that had affected the southern Salò shoreline about a decade ago.
However, not only have the gelatinous algae spread day by day along the open lake routes (fortunately invisible to those enjoying Garda from the shore), but the most harmful effect has also significantly grown: that is, the accumulation of algae, at dusk, in the Riva Gulf. On Thursday evening, anyone walking (like the author) from Brolio to Casa Rossa – nearly a kilometer of highly tourist-frequented path – encountered a truly dismal spectacle: the water, once lively with perch and vairon fish, was a murky liquid, resembling (but much worse) a pot of boiling polenta, where the yellow flour has broken down into a filamentous sludge.
“One wonders if the return to normal weather conditions will be enough to make that cursed algae disappear,” says Giancarlo Angelini, who, busy with the support boats for the regattas of the Fraglia in recent days, was one of the first to report the anomaly to the proper authorities. He shares, quite worried, that his boat’s propeller yesterday, instead of churning sparkling foam, was pulling a yellowish trail behind.
It’s also true (and this highlights the disturbing optical effect of the phenomenon) that more than one person, unaware of the algae, has alarmed the Riva fire brigade, as if encountering sewage pollution. Every year, millions are spent on protecting Garda’s image. A foolish persistent algae bloom threatens to undermine this promotion.