![Peterborough resident Barb Mullen is fearful of the impact consistent annual blue-green algae outbreaks on the Curdies River are having on the town. Picture by Eddie Guerrero. Peterborough resident Barb Mullen is fearful of the impact consistent annual blue-green algae outbreaks on the Curdies River are having on the town. Picture by Eddie Guerrero.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/134792786/93c466dc-473d-4fd0-ad34-3939fbfebcc0.jpg/r0_613_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Easter break is one of Peterborough's top tourism periods but years of blue-green algae outbreaks during summer are taking a toll.
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Resident Barb Mullen said the smell of "slimy, bulky sludge" on the Curdies River was "revolting".
"The whole thing is not looking good for the community of Peterborough," she said.
"We have a whole lot of tourists coming for the first time during this period, but how can you get them to visit again when they see such an important feature of the town is actually toxic?
"Our local businesses rely on this time of year - summer - in order to get through the rest of the year and stay open. It's going to have a serious impact on businesses and their ability to operate in the future.
"This blue-green algae problem is an annual event and it's not going to go away in a hurry because the problems are historical."
A Deakin University analysis of 30 years of water quality data from the Curdies River released in 2022 revealed the extent of the problem.
A three-month algal bloom killed tens of thousands of fish and wiped out a range of other aquatic life in the river earlier that year, prompting the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority to bring in Deakin's expertise.
The research found the vast majority of nutrients were going into the water between July and October and were being swept down the river into the estuary, where the slower water flow allowed them to sink to the bottom, building up over time.
Then, in the summer months, warmth and sunlight promoted the growth of the blue-green algae, which fed on the nutrients deposited in the estuary.
Ms Mullen said it'd been a long-running problem.
"I'm not exactly sure how long it's been happening but I can tell you anecdotally that about 30 years ago friends of ours bought a block of land," she said.
"They came down and there was a blue-green algae outbreak, they had kids at the time, they decided they were going to sell the block of land and didn't want to come here because of the algae."
She said some of the best spots for children to play in were now some of the worst impacted by the sludge.
"We had a long weekend recently where it was beautiful weather and the place was alive with tourists, including people who stayed at the caravan park," Ms Mullen said.
"The part where you really see the impact of algae the most is this lovely shallow part of the lake which is great for kids to swim in and play in, it's great for families.
"But low and behold, if any of the kids went in there, they'd be sick. In the past people have gone swimming and gotten sick. You can't go fishing in the water either.
"It just stinks. If there's been a hot summer day, and the wind is in the right direction or no wind at all, it's disgusting.
"A week or so ago when you wanted to have all the windows open to let the breeze through, you couldn't because the stink was enough to give you a headache."
The Curdies River Consultative Committee, established in 2022 and led by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, is working to improve the health of the river.