Reservoir Management and Cyanobacteria in Ponds and Lakes
Cynobacteria, or blue-green algae, is becoming an increasing threat to the health of reservoirs across the US. Sometimes when cynobacteria grows quickly, it creates dense clusters called cynobacterial blooms. If the origin of the bloom is algae that produces toxins, the bloom is called an HAB, or a harmful algal bloom.
Why are Cynobacterial Blooms Dangerous?
These blooms produce toxins that kill fish and be toxic to other animals. They also impact the quality of water to the point of preventing recreational activities such as swimming.
How Does Cynobacteria Grow and What Does It Look Like?
If a body of water has nutrients from human activities like nitrogen and phosphorus, it’s more likely to produce cyanobacterial blooms. Other environmental condition like warm temperatures, steady sunlight, and still water encourage growth. You can identify populations of blooms in a pond or lake if you see water discoloration at the surface with a green, blue, white, brown or red hue. Often there is a powerful odor to the water.
How Do You Treat HAB-infested Water?
At Estate Management Services, we take the presence of cynobacteria in reservoirs seriously. First, we will test the reservoir conditions. We analyze the current quality of water, and determine the species, location, and density of the algae and cynobacteria. We’ll also use past data from earlier conditions to create a full picture of our assessment.
Based on this data, we customize a plan for treatment. We use effective management technology to control blooms, odor-producing compounds and other toxins while proactively addressing current cynobacterial populations to prevent dangerous growth in the future. We reduce the high levels of phosphorus in order to restore balance to the water quality. We will continue to monitor the algae levels in the water in order to keep it healthy.
Have Questions?
If you have an issue with cynobacteria in your aquatic environment, contact us today to schedule a free evaluation.
