How high-tech buoys are being used in Windsor to combat algae bloomsHow high-tech buoys are being used in Windsor to combat algae bloomsIGNACIO ...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
How high-tech buoys are being used in Windsor to combat algae blooms
IGNACIO CALDERON Fort Collins Coloradoan
If you walked around Windsor Lake recently, you might have noticed some new, fancy-looking buoys.
In May, the Town of Windsor installed four of them for around $240,000. These special LG Sonic MPC-Buoys are a system with solar panels and sensors to control algae blooms, which can pose a serious threat for humans, pets and aquatic life.
In 2019, Windsor Lake saw its first outbreak, and since then it’s been having around one per year, Eric Lucas, the deputy town administrator told the Coloradoan.
In June, Windsor had its earliest bloom ever, Lucas noted. A week after, the lake reopened but the fun didn’t last long as a second bloom closed the lake just before Fourth of July celebrations. But once again, the lake opened a few days later with the help of the buoys.
“The theory is that, if not prevent a blue-green algae outbreak, what it should do is shorten the timeframe or the length of an outbreak, which is what we've seen,” Lucas said.
An algae bloom at Windsor Lake pictured on June 21, 2024.
PROVIDED BY SARAH ERICKSON/COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
The new system works by preventing algae from getting to the surface where it can photosynthesize and grow, according to the company’s product brochure.
Attached link
https://eu.coloradoan.com/story/news/2024/07/26/colorado-town-using-technology-to-fight-algae-blooms-at-windsor-lake/74514866007Taxonomy
- Algae
- Algae Treatment
- Algal Blooms
- Hazardous Algae Blooms