New tech helps keep Chippewa Lake free of algal blooms

CHIPPEWA LAKE — An experimental method that has never been used in the U.S. has been implemented as a way to help prevent future harmful algal blooms at Chippewa Lake. Israel-based Blue Green Water Technologies Ltd. recently applied a chemical compound to the lake's water called Lake Guard after hearing about Chippewa's algal bloom problems through Cuyahoga County officials and approaching the Medina County Park District. The district agreed to let Blue Green use the application as a case study for future marketing campaigns, which resulted in the treatment being free of charge, said Medina County Park District director Nathan Eppink. Lake Chippewa was purchased by the park district in 2007. "This company has had success treating water supplies overseas, and they were looking for a site to show what it can do in North America," Eppink said. "My willingness to participate came from a desire to extend the lake's boating season. This year, the season was disrupted by blooms in April and May and a very wet June where we had all of the flooding." The product is used commercially in Israel, China and South Africa. "Really, from late July to the present we've had no recreational restrictions from algal blooms," he said. "The treatment was done as a preventative. Why we've gone the rest of this summer without any issues, I don't know. It's complete speculation, but maybe the flooding helped to flush out some of the nutrients that cause the algal blooms, like a shock to the system. Either way, we're cautiously optimistic. If it works, we'll give it a lot of thought going forward as a management technique." Algal blooms were first detected in Chippewa Lake in 2014, the result of excess nutrients such as phosphorous in the lake's sediment and flowing from several inlets. Swimming advisories are issued when such nutrients exceed six parts per billion (ppb) in weekly samples. This year's first advisory was issued April 30 after a reading of 9.49 ppb. Readings jumped to 17.8 and 21.8 ppb over the next two weeks before gradually declining to 10.5 ppb by June 4 and 3.15 ppb by June 11. Since June flooding, readings have not exceeded 2.61 ppb with the July 9 total being the only one above 0.20 ppb. Throughout 2018, readings frequently rose above 20 ppb and reached highs of 38.36 ppb on Aug. 7, 37 ppb on Sept. 18, and 35.3 ppb on Oct. 23. "Several individuals in our local advocacy group, Save the Lake Coalition, were very helpful throughout this whole process," Eppink said. "They helped coordinate efforts with the company and lent their boats for use during the application. Those guys have been vital to this entire operation." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.