An algal bloom occurs when aquatic plants grow quickly and block out light.

It kills the aquatic plants and animals in the environment.

Falls Lake is where your drinking water comes from. It is also where people like to fish, swim, etc. Try fishing without fish!!

Yes, pesticides do contribute to algal blooms. The way pesticides do this is by providing nutrients like phosphorus, which directly impacts the environment when they get washed into lakes and rivers.

Yes, algal blooms can still be affected even when fertilizer is used far from a lake because excess nutrients from fertilizer can travel through runoff and groundwater, eventually reaching water bodies.

Yes, this is a significant concern throughout the United States. Places in North Carolina where algal blooms include parts of the Chowan River, the Albemarle Sound, and the Bay Tree Lake in Bladen County. Places in the United States that are majorly affected by it are the Great Lakes, Florida coasts, and lakes and rivers in New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont. 

Extremely harmful algal blooms occur in late summer and early fall, but they can happen year-round.

Yes, the other living things that algal blooms cause to die include aquatic animals, pets, livestock, and wildlife that consume or come into contact with contaminated water.