A Lake in Crisis

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Local fisher women used helmets attached to wooden stick to remove algae on Tai lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Local fisher women used helmets attached to wooden stick to remove algae on Tai lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Local fishermen used their boat to remove algae from the lake and brought to a dumping site, right, where the government official treated algae is placed on a rotating basis, inside the circular vats for aeration/chemical treatment and dumped on the ground. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Local fisher women used helmets attached to wooden stick to remove algae on Tai lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. A fisherman un-clogged motor pipe on his boat that dumped algae he removed from the lake to land as a local government official, right, watched. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. A woman living on the fishing boat for generations passed by clothing being dried on a boat. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Local fishermen ate lunch with the fishes they caught in Tai lake, called Lian Yu. They have lived on the lake fishing for many generations. They believe the fishes on the deep bottom of the lake are safe to eat. They also cook with the water they got from the inner lake. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. An old couple untangled their fishing net where the algae is still heavily present on Tai lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Shen Jinrong, 57, cooked her lunch as the local fish caught from the lake, called Lian Yu, is being dried. Local fishermen believe the fishes on the deep bottom of the lake are safe to eat. They also cook with the water and drink the water they got from the inner lake. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Many local boats were waiting for days to enter Zhihugang Gate that connects Tai lake to grand canal that eventually leads to Yantz river. Due to Algae scare, many other water-lock gates in near by cities, like Wujin water-lock in Changzhou city, closed it's door to commercial boats. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Algae removed from the lake was dumped at a dumping site. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Algae removed from the lake was dumped at a dumping site. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Local fishermen took a break after lunch by the lake where the algae is still heavily present on Tai lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. A fisher woman washed the dishes with the water still contains algae from the lake after lunch. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Many local boats were waiting for days to enter Zhihugang Gate that connects Tai lake to grand canal that eventually leads to Yantz river. Due to Algae scare, many other water-lock gates in near by cities, like Wujin water-lock in Changzhou city, closed it's door to commercial boats. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Many local boats were waiting for days to enter Zhihugang Gate that connects Tai lake to grand canal that eventually leads to Yantz river. Due to Algae scare, many other water-lock gates in near by cities, like Wujin water-lock in Changzhou city, closed it's door to commercial boats. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D

06/10/07, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China-Algae on Tai lake caused serious environmental problems in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The local government blamed many factories near by including chemical factories and closed down 273 local chemical factories. Many local boats were waiting for days to enter Zhihugang Gate that connects Tai lake to grand canal that eventually leads to Yantz river. Due to Algae scare, many other water-lock gates in near by cities, like Wujin water-lock in Changzhou city, closed it's door to commercial boats. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Assignment# 30044687D