Summer's here so are the Algae

Even though we may have kind of a wet start too summer here in Alberta, ponds are starting to look pretty green.
The question is why do we get algae growth in our ponds and why more so the past couple years.
The unique benefit of water is that it absorbs anything you add to it. The negative side to this is that also debris such as dead plant material,leaves, pollen and so on are absorbed and start the fermenting process. Algae is formed to clean this up. If you have a deep pond this process would take some time and then the algae would disappear, however in a shallow environment the water is warmer and the algae sticks around for a longer period of time. Algae is also fed by minerals from run off as well as the nitrates coming down with rain. This is not often thought off but as nitrate concentration increases so will the algae.
There are ways to control or even reduce algae in ponds without the use of chemicals.
Through a revitalization process the water can be cleaned up and your pond will again be a refreshing site to see.