Columbus Dispatch: Huichun "Judy" Zhang, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Case School of Engineering, said that 85% of the runoff responsible for algae blooms comes from so-called non-point sources, which means crop fields in most instances. “Because the algae grows, it needs a lot of oxygen, then that in turn is going to affect aquatic life,” Zhang said. “Everything growing in the lake needs a lot of dissolved oxygen. (If they don't get it) fish will die and water will not be in a healthy condition. And when algae die, they become carbon sources, and that fuels the growth of microorganisms.”
