Polluted water—particularly blue-green algae blooms—hurts property values. Nobody knows this better than Robyn Morin, who has sold real estate in the Tainter-Menomin lakes area of western Wisconsin for five years. Many prospective buyers come from the Twin Cities area and are initially unaware of the chronic algae problems on the lakes. Once they see the algae firsthand, or hear about it from locals, it’s a deal breaker. “They just stop looking at property on Tainter and Menomin,” she says. The algae blooms have significantly affected her business.

“I’ve lost many of my buyers, two or three of them last summer, who were looking to live on the waterfront but left because of the water quality issues. I also had a waterfront listing I couldn’t sell all last summer because of the bad water quality.”

Morin talks about an open house she once held on a on a Tainter Lake home, at the same time blue-green algae was in full bloom at the edge of the property. The algae’s stench and appearance were repulsive. People from the area who knew about the chronic algae problems on the lakes just laughed and asked, “Who would want to buy a house on this water?” To the out-of-towners who came to see the house, surprised and concerned about the algae, all she could say was “eventually it moves on.”

“It’s an absolutely gorgeous lake—nine months out of the year.”

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