Newspaper Page Text
Page 4C, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, August 21,2019
UGA Extension urges Georgians to keep animals away
from ponds that may contain toxin-producing algae
Special to the Ledger
By Sharon Dowdy, Mer
ritt Melancon for CAES
News
The sudden and unex
pected death of a Mar
ietta, Georgia, couple’s
beloved dog after swim
ming with its owners in
Lake Allatoona has filled
social media feeds since
the incident on Aug. 10.
The incident brings to
light the dangers of toxic
algae growth. In neigh
boring North Carolina,
another couple lost three
dogs in one day after
an afternoon swim in a
pond.
The cause has been
identified as the blue-
green algae species
Microcystis aeruginosa,
a cyanobacteria that pro
duces a potent liver toxin.
Algae often grows in
ponds and lakes during
abnormally dry con
ditions such as those
Georgia is currently
experiencing. Toxin-pro
ducing algae can be lethal
to livestock who use
farm ponds as their water
source, but common
toxins like microcystins
can also impact larger
bodies of water, said
Gary Burtle, University
of Georgia water quality
and fisheries expert.
While Georgia isn’t
officially in a drought,
areas of the state have
been hotter and drier than
normal, Burtle said.
Conditions like these
can cause more algae
to grow and bloom in
bodies of water as a result
of the increased nutrient
load in ponds and lakes,
he said. In ponds used to
water cattle and horses,
this might lead to prob
lems with toxic algae and
unsightly water.
Color changes in a pond
can be a clue that algae
are blooming. Blooms of
algae and cyanobacteria
often look like green,
blue-green or red
dish-brown paint floating
on the surface of small
bodies of water, usually
near the shoreline. This
scum formed by algae is
an indicator that the pond
may be unsafe, Burtle
said.
“Humans should not
swim in this water and
animals should not be
allowed access to it
until the bloom returns to
normal by dilution from
rainfall or treatment with
algaecide,” said Burtle,
who has fielded numerous
calls from UGA Coop
erative Extension agents
this week as questions
have poured in from the
public. “You know a pond
is headed for trouble
when the algae bloom is
so thick that visibility is
less than 12 inches into
the water column.”
In 2012, Georgia
experienced serious
drought conditions and
some Gwinnett County
cattle died as a result of
a cyanobacteria bloom.
Animals affected often
appear weak, exhibit
muscle tremors and con
vulsions, and have bloody
diarrhea.
Farm animals should be
kept away from the water
source and provided with
an alternative source of
clean water until the pond
has been tested and is
declared free of toxins,
Burtle said.
“If you have a fear
about the water, move
your animals to a safe
water source,” Burtle
said. “Install a water tank
and fill it up every day
or so. And use common
sense. If there’s a scum
Submitted Photo
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension urges Georgians to keep animals away from
ponds that may contain high levels of toxin-producing algae due to the recent heat and dry
weather.
on the pond and you
think there might be a
problem, exclude your
animals and have the
water tested.”
UGA Extension agents
can help Georgians
test their pond or lake
water for the presence of
toxins from algae blooms
through UGA College
of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences
laboratories.
Cyanobacteria blooms
in ponds and lakes are
difficult to control, Bur
tle said. Using chemicals
releases more toxins into
the pond, rendering it
useless as a water source
for weeks or months.
High daytime tempera
tures can also force the
cyanobacteria blooms
to the bottom of the
pond, where toxins are
released.
Harmful algal blooms
need nutrients, sunlight,
and warm, stagnant wa
ter to develop.
To help prevent
blooms, UGA Extension
urges pond owners to
leave vegetated buffers
around ponds, to limit
livestock access and to
avoid over-fertilizing
surrounding areas. Pond
owners who would like
to learn more about con
trolling algae should read
UGA Extension Bulletin
1445, “Managing Algal
Blooms and the Potential
for Algal Toxins in Pond
Water.”
Sharon Dowdy is a
news editor with the
University of Georgia
College of Agricultur
al and Environmental
Sciences.
Merritt Melancon is
a news editor with the
University of Georgia
College of Agricultur
al and Environmental
Sciences.
UGA Extension peanut agronomist cautions
dryland producers about future of this year’s crop
Special to the Ledger
By Clint Thompson for
CAES News
Current drought con
ditions could negatively
influence Georgia peanut
farmers’ plans for this
year’s dryland crop,
according to University
of Georgia Cooperative
Extension peanut agron
omist Scott Monfort.
While some fields are
just a few weeks away
from harvest, Monfort
cautions growers about
applying additional fun
gicides or insecticides,
especially if there’s little
to no rain in the fore
cast, to aid in the crop’s
late-season growth.
“We need to assess
LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS
BREAKFAST MENU
Monday, August 26
Chicken Biscuit Or Cereal, Toast, Fruit, Milk
Tuesday, August 27
French Toast Sticks, Bacon
Or Cereal, Toast, Fruit, Milk
Wednesday, August 28
Chicken & Waffles
Or Cereal, Toast, Fruit, Milk
Thursday, August 29
Dutch Waffles
Or Cereal, Toast, Fruit, Milk
Friday, August 30
Goody Ring Or Cereal, Toast, Fruit, Milk
PRE-K
LUNCH MENU
Monday, August 26
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Seasoned Corn, Fruit, Milk
Tuesday, August 27
Chicken Nuggets, Mac-n-Cheese
Green Beans, Fruit, Milk
Wednesday, August 28
Cheese Pizza
Carrots with Dip, Fruit, Milk
Thursday, August 29
Ham Biscuit
Tri-Potato Wedge, Fruit, Milk
Friday, August 30
Tailgate Basket
Chicken Filet Slider, Mini Corn Dog
French Fries, Carrots with Dip, Fruit, Milk
what our crop situation is
and see what’s out there
so we can figure out
what the best course of
action is as we get closer
to harvest,” he said.
It is crucial for peanut
growers to physically
get into their fields and
closely assess their crop.
“If they’re not taking
a look and they’re not
paying close attention,
they’re either going to
lose what they’ve got or
they’re going to put more
money into it than what
they need to,” he said.
Monfort estimates that
Georgia’s peanut crop
hasn’t been this dry
this late in the growing
season since 2014. Since
approximately half of the
state’s crop is planted in
dryland fields, or fields
without irrigation, yields
this year are expected to
drop.
“We should see a drop
in the state average as
a whole, but how much
is hard to say,” Monfort
said. “One positive is
that our irrigated crop
looks pretty good right
now.”
According to Wade
Parker, Agriculture
and Natural Resources
program development
coordinator for southeast
Submitted Photo
UGA Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort estimates that
Georgia’s peanut crop hasn’t been this dry this late in the growing
season since 2014. Since approximately half of the state’s crop is
planted in dryland fields, yields this year are expected to drop.
Georgia, some counties
in east Georgia haven’t
received substantial
rainfall since July 4.
Georgia’s drought con
ditions are largely con
centrated in the middle
and southern portions
of the state, according
to the United States
Drought Monitor.
Middle Georgia coun
ties Pulaski, Houston,
Twiggs, Wilkinson,
Bleckley and Laurens;
along with southeastern
counties Burke, Jenkins
and Screven; and south
western counties Early,
Clay, Quitman and
Randolph are experienc
ing moderate drought
conditions.
Counties near Geor
gia’s southern border,
including Atkinson,
Berrien, Clinch, Coffee,
Colquitt, Cook, Grady,
Thomas and Ware, are
classified as having ab
normally dry conditions.
For more information
about Georgia’s peanut
crop, visit peanuts.caes.
uga.edu.
Clint Thompson is a
news editor with the
University of Georgia
College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sci
ences based in Tifton.
Dave,
from page 2C
have almost $60,000 in
equity in our home. We
also have a toddler, plus
another baby on the way.
Do you think we should
sell the house, and rent
for a few years, while
using the money from
the sale of the house to
pay down our student
loan debt?
Chris
Dear Chris,
No, I wouldn’t sell your
home in this situation.
You’re going to be out
of debt in a couple of
years or so, anyway.
You’ll just have to lean
into it, and make sure
you’re living on a strict,
written budget. I’m
talking about no vaca
tions, and no eating out.
You shouldn’t see the
inside of a restaurant
unless you’re working
there. And the new kid’s
crib may have to come
from a garage sale, but
so what? Mine did, too.
Want to know some
thing else? I survived
without having a rich
kid’s nursery, and so did
my kids.
There’s a price to be
paid anytime you decide
to get serious about
gaining control of your
money and cleaning up
a financial mess you’ve
made. You’re going to
have to work like ma
niacs and have no lives
for a while. That might
even mean picking up a
part-time job at night or
on weekends. You’ve got
a tough couple of years
ahead of you, but I think
it’s worth the tradeoff.
Keep your house.
—Dave
* Dave Ramsey is CEO
of Ramsey Solutions.
He has authored seven
best-selling books, in
cluding The Total Money
Makeover. The Dave
Ramsey Show is heard
by more than 16 million
listeners each week on
600 radio stations and
multiple digital plat
forms. Follow Dave on
the web at daveramsey.
com and on Twitter at
@DaveRamsey.