Rain could lead to blue-green algae

WI State Journal

Putrid, pea-soup algae frequently occupy patches of Madison 's lakes during the summer and June 's heavy rainfall could produce an influx of the obtrusive and sometimes toxic bacteria this summer.

Blue-green algae, scientifically known as cyanobacteria, thrive when sediment and nutrient runoff wash into lakes and ponds. The thunderstorms and rainfall that have recently rocked the Midwest have set a June record for precipitation in Madison at 10.63 inches -- the previous record was 9.95 inches in 1978, according to the National Weather Service.

That makes a swell of the algae blooms this summer possible.