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One Raleigh neighborhood is trying to get the bottom of what’s causing algal blooms on Foxcroft Lake.

Residents of the Hedingham community reached out to Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, requesting her assistance with what they suspect is the result of nutrients (in fertilizers) running off from the golf course surrounding the community and lake.

“The resident who reached out to me is also circulating a petition to ask their HOA to do a comprehensive water-quality assessment and start a task force dedicated to addressing lake health,” Sam said. “This is an example of the kind of investigations we do — investigating the impacts of runoff from a nearby golf course. This lake is hydrologically connected to the Neuse River, so what affects water quality there stands to impact nearby waterways in a broader sense.”

Sam said Foxcroft Lake has experienced excessive algal blooms in the summer months, so water-quality monitoring now, when it’s cooler, is a way to get ahead of the issue and assess treatment options.

“Residents are concerned because they have not seen a water-quality analysis done or a transparent plan to treat the algae,” she said.