Fresh Talk: Protect Lake Zoar and all of Connecticut’s water

I’ve spent 18 years of my life in an area between Hartford and Danbury that few people hear about: Woodbury. My summer days have been filled with exploring the cool woods of state parks, where I used to think the water was safe. Lake Zoar, in nearby Monroe, is just one of the many areas with life-threatening water quality in Connecticut.

The lake extends through the towns of Monroe, Newtown, Oxford, and Southbury, and yet there have been minimal efforts to rid this water of dangerous contaminants.

Up until the banning of PCBs in 1979, General Electric dumped over 600,000 pounds of these man-made chemicals into the Housatonic River. The Environmental Protection Agency states that over 50% of the PCBs travel downstream into Connecticut. The Housatonic River directly connects to Lake Zoar as well as a plethora of other water networks, allowing for this carcinogen to ruin our ecosystems.

Other concerns compromise the health of the lake. Blue-green algae blooms are consistent and can be heavily influenced by human activity in the surrounding area. Also known as cyanobacteria, these blooms produce several toxins that can cause nervous system and respiratory issues. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection notes that these toxins irritate the skin, nose, and eyes and cause gastrointestinal upset and liver damage.

Just last summer, I visited Kettletown State Park in Southbury with my dog, Gants. After a rather exhausting hike for a 12-year-old lab in late July, Gants was ready to cool off. He trudged to the lake’s edge, eagerly awaiting a burst of energy from the cool water. On our way there, a sign had caught my eye that read “no swimming, high bacteria level.” I examined the lake, locking Gants in place with his leash. The water was a murky green, not something I expected to see in a natural area, nor something I wanted my dog to swim in.

Kettletown is one of many places bordering Lake Zoar that has had to be shut down for blue-green algae water quality.

According to Blue Cross for Pets, a UK animal charity, “blue-green algae can kill a dog just 15 minutes to an hour after drinking contaminated water.” I was steps away from seeing this happen to Gants.

It is important to face this problem now. According to the EPA, both toxic and non-toxic algae blooms “hurt the environment and local economies.” Examples of these include dead zones (areas in the water where aquatic life cannot survive), raised treatment costs for drinking water, and toxins that can sicken or kill people and animals.

Dangerous water quality is preventable.

As reported by the Lake Champlain Land Trust, the best way to reduce blue-green algae blooms is to lower the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen that runs into the water “by reducing fertilizer usage, and by eliminating residential, municipal, and agricultural wastewater discharge.” Rather than only using chemical treatments to get rid of algae, research suggests that placing a vegetative buffer strip along the river bank would more effectively improve water quality that lasts.

The EPA supports research showing that buffers “reduce concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in surface water runoff” and have a “positive effect on soil and wildlife resources.” The efficiency of trapping sediments ranges from 41% to 100%, with most examples resulting in upwards of 50% efficiency.

Currently, Lake Zoar is being treated with Diquat and ProcellaCOR herbicides. Both chemicals biodegrade very slowly, which threatens the health of the ecosystem and those who visit. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found that ethylene dibromide is a carcinogen and trace contaminant of Diquat products. It has proven to be “toxic or fatal if absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or swallowed.”

When I think of Connecticut, I imagine summer evenings spent wandering new roads, our faces kissed by the warm wind. When I think of Connecticut, I smell vibrant shades of red and orange falling in the chill air and crisping underfoot.

When I think of Connecticut, I wish I could think of clean water.

Jolie Scott is an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Vermont. She graduated from Nonnewaug High School.

The Courant invites writers younger than 30 to write essays of about 650 words containing strong views. Please email your submission to freshtalk@courant.com, with your full name, hometown, daytime phone number, age and occupation (or your school’s name and your level in school).