The toxic menace lingers into fall and even winter — not just in Utah, but nationwide. No state has been spared. What will it take to finally heal this national epidemic?
From the heart of Utah to the far corners of the state and points in between, watches, warnings and danger advisories remain in effect for harmful algal blooms. The toxic menace has become a summer ritual that lingers into fall and even winter — not just in Utah, but nationwide. No state has been spared.
Noxious blooms return to the same lakes and reservoirs, creeks and streams, stock water ponds and stormwater pools year after year, many producing toxins that can suck the life out of sensitive ecosystems, sicken people and prove fatal to pets who come into contact with infected water or brush against dried blooms on the shoreline. A beloved family pet died over Labor Day weekend after being exposed to harmful algae in Utah Lake. And three weeks before, another dog died and three others were sickened by toxic algae in the Virgin River.
What will it take to finally heal this national epidemic? What we are doing now is not working. Efforts at the federal level fall woefully short. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis reports 368 harmful algal blooms resulted in 117 human illnesses and at least 2,715 animal illnesses in 2021. This analysis grossly understates the magnitude of the problem because reporting is only voluntary. Utah is one of only 16 states to report outbreaks and illnesses to the CDC. Without mandatory reporting, we will not come close to fully grasping the consequences of harmful algae.
A Government Accountability Office study of federal efforts to manage toxic blooms provides additional cause for concern. Twenty-five years after Congress directed NOAA and EPA to develop a comprehensive, coordinated national program on harmful algal blooms, we still do not have one. For the most part, this toxic plague is left to states to address.
It is time for a new strategy. We must put more resources into prevention. Congress should consider legislation to better manage nonpoint source pollution. Farmers can reduce their use of fertilizer and create buffers to absorb nutrients and reduce runoff. More states can adopt fertilizer application standards and strengthen manure regulations. And municipalities can update wastewater treatment facilities to ensure pollutants are not being discharged into area waterways.
The war on algal blooms in Utah is being waged on many fronts. Utah is among the states that carry out routine sampling of recreational water bodies. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality provides an interactive map pinpointing advisories, and a reporting hotline for the public when blooms are spotted. The Utah Department of Agriculture has a response plan to help farmers and ranchers mitigate blooms, and the state has established a technology-based limit for phosphorus to help reduce point-source runoff. The fact that toxic blooms return year after year — and often linger longer — underscores the difficult task state and local leaders face. And while early treatment is the key to reducing the intensity of repeat blooms, mitigation measures often tap into already tight finances.
One newer solution that’s gaining attention is the use of environmental impact financing, which funds the cleanup of an algae-infested water body via the sale of impact credits. The harmful algal bloom is remediated at no cost to the local governing body, while companies interested in offsetting their impact on the environment, such as their carbon footprint, purchase credits to fund the project. The body of water’s health is restored — without costing taxpayers a dime. We need more of these kinds of creative solutions to address this growing problem.
All states should have a comprehensive harmful algal bloom program in place. Routine monitoring and tracking should be mandated, not simply recommended. States should establish monitoring guidelines and cyanotoxin threshold levels for public water systems, flag water bodies that do not meet quality standards, and set daily caps on nutrient-related pollutants. Agencies in charge of tracking outbreaks need more funding and additional resources.
Utah is home to iconic national parks, stunning red rock landscapes and pristine lakes fed by freshwater springs and snowmelt. We must cherish and protect these natural treasures. By focusing on aggressive early treatment and prevention, we can break toxic algae’s menacing cycle once and for all.
Eyal Harel is a clean water advocate and CEO of BlueGreen Water Technologies, a global water-tech company whose mission is to restore, safeguard and optimize the health of water bodies worldwide.
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