“By leveraging environmental impact credits, BlueGreen aims to make holistic algae bloom treatment accessible to government agencies around the world. We are only getting started” – Jan Spin, President of Americas, BlueGreen
Nestled among the Wasatch and Cache mountains of northern Utah is Mantua Reservoir, a 500 acre body of water known for its bass fishing and abundant water fowl. But Mantua has a chronic problem: harmful algal blooms. The toxic, pea soup menace appears every summer and lingers into fall, prompting health officials to post warnings for residents to stay away from the water.
Blue-green algal blooms are caused by an eruption of cyanobacteria, a naturally-occurring microorganism that can smother aquatic ecosystems and produce toxins when the right conditions are present. Cyanotoxins can sicken people, wildlife, and pets who come into contact with infected water or merely brush against dried blooms on the shoreline. Just breathing in the vicinity of an algae-choked lake can cause respiratory problems. These toxins can put drinking water supplies at risk and damage livelihoods and local economies. Early treatment is essential in lessening repeat outbreaks.
After years of struggling to combat Mantua’s toxic blooms, Brigham City leaders put out a call for help - and BlueGreen came to the rescue!
In September, our team of water scientists spent several days taking water samples and assessing the bloom on Mantua Reservoir.
The team applied LakeGuard ® Oxy, BlueGreen’s floating algaecide, which moves along the surface of the water to target the area where blooms are concentrated.
On October 16, following BlueGreen’s treatment, Bear River Health Department lifted the warning advisory for Mantua Reservoir, declaring the water safe for swimming, boating, and fishing. Check out the before and after shots!
The project was financed by environmental impact credits, at no cost to Brigham City.
“The cost of algal bloom remediation can be a barrier to intervention,” said Jan Spin, President of Americas, BlueGreen. “But the costs of not treating a toxic bloom can be much greater. By leveraging environmental impact credits, BlueGreen aims to make holistic algae bloom treatment accessible to government agencies around the world. We are only getting started.”
The project marked the first test of BlueGreen’s Net Blue™ methodology, which quantifies how much atmospheric CO2 can be removed by treating algal blooms. Net Blue™ is the first nature-based climate solution to reduce harmful algal blooms and remove sequestered carbon at the same time.
We are collecting and analyzing the data and working with Earthood to verify how much carbon was removed in our remediation of Mantua Reservoir. We
expect final results in the new year. Stay tuned!
