Moose Lake Alberta

Alum is the trade name for aluminum sulphate. It is a well-understood chemical that has been used in drinking water treatment for over a century and in lake management around the world for more than five decades.

Alum is injected under the surface of the water from a barge. The dose is targeted for the amount of releasable phosphorus in the sediments and the application is specifically targeted at areas of the sediments where the release of phosphorus occurs – deeper areas that experience low oxygen conditions during summer stratification.

Yes. Alum is a well-understood tool for managing lakes and when applied properly presents no risk to people or animals

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are a type of bacteria that use photosynthesis. Some types of cyanobacteria can produce toxins that can be dangerous for humans and animals. When present in large amounts in a lake it is known as a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) because of the potential risks they present to human and animal health.

A Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) is when algae are present in significant enough quantities to cause harm to humans, fish and other animals. HABs can be caused by blooms of potentially toxin-producing algae blooms. 

Another impact of HABs is elevated sediment oxygen demand when the algae sink to the bottom of a lake and decompose. The increased oxygen demand uses up the oxygen at the bottom of the lake, or hypolimnion, which can lead to fish kills, ammonification, and the release of sediment phosphorus that will drive even more algal growth. It’s a vicious cycle – low oxygen levels lead to increased release of sediment phosphorus driving algae growth resulting in even lower oxygen levels…

Phosphorus is the main nutrient of concern in lakes. Algae, like terrestrial plants, require phosphorus to grow. In lake environments, phosphorus is relatively scarce, which means increases in phosphorus lead to more algae and more undesirable types of algae (Cyanobacteria). This uncontrolled growth of algae directly or indirectly causes nearly every common water quality problem in lakes.

Phosphorus enters lakes from two sources. Phosphorus entering the lake from outside sources are called external sources. These sources originate in the watershed and are either directly rinsed into the lake or flow to a stream that enters the lake. Common external sources include lawn fertilizers, septic systems, agricultural practices, stormwater, soil erosion and geese: anything that causes phosphorus to enter the lake from the watershed.

Once the external source of phosphorus enters the lake, it is deposited in the lakebed and is recycled back into the water column. This second source of phosphorus originates from within the lake itself. This is called an internal source. These inputs are most common during the summer and winter when water oxygen concentrations are low or zero near the bottom. This condition causes changes in the chemistry of the lakebed that led to the phosphorus leaching out of the sediment and into the water.

Both external and internal sources of phosphorus are important in managing lake water quality. The relative contribution of each source must be understood and measured to design the best solution for any given lake. External sources can be measured in the water entering the lake or estimated from models of the surrounding watershed. Internal sources are determined by collecting lakebed sediment samples (cores) and measuring the amount of phosphorus available to leach out into the water.

Yes. Alum has been used for over five decades in lakes around the world. Its use as a lake management treatment is endorsed by the North American Lake Management Society and there is a substantial body of peer-reviewed science supporting its use. Agriculture and Food Canada recommends alum as a treatment for agricultural dugouts and reservoirs.

When alum is applied under the appropriate conditions, specifically when the pH of the water is within a specified pH range there is no risk to people, animals, or fish. The pH of the water is checked before an application begins and monitored constantly throughout an application. If the pH is not within a range that is safe, the application will not commence or will be halted

n lakes where the predominant source of phosphorus driving algae blooms is from the sediments, there simply isn’t a more cost-effective way to deliver immediate water quality improvements than alum. Managing watershed phosphorus inputs alone usually takes decades or even a century to deliver measurable improvement. A “reset’ of a lake with alum will make the results of ongoing watershed management tangible.

We will be asking the Alberta Government to fund this pilot application.

The targeted longevity of an alum application is 25-30 years. Combined with effective watershed management this can be extended.

Not significantly. The application will be targeted in the deeper areas of the lake that experience stratification and low oxygen level at the sediments. Boaters and fishermen will be asked to avoid the areas while the application barge is working, only on the days the alum is being applied.

Yes. With less algae growth will mean better water clarity and reduced potential for lake closures by Alberta Health Services.

Moose Lake is one of the best-understood lakes in Alberta. Thanks to years of monitoring and study by the LICA, the Moose Lake Watershed Society, the MD of Bonnyville, the Alberta Lake Management Society and others, we know that:

• the steadily decreasing water quality in Moose Lake is primarily because of modern human activity
• in its natural state, Moose Lake had a lot fewer algae blooms than it does now 
• Moose Lake algal blooms are predominantly driven by internal phosphorus loading
• Moose Lake is surrounded by people who care deeply about it and are eager to end the poor water quality issues

In short, Moose Lake checks all the boxes for government approval and funding of a remediation project.

It’s likely it will increase. There are numerous studies that link an increase in water quality to increased property values for properties in the area

At a high level, improved water clarity along with a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of algal blooms will be realized immediately.

Ongoing monitoring of the Moose Lake will provide higher resolution confirmation of the ongoing effectiveness of the alum application.

Algae Control Canada is the independent offshoot of Smoky Trout Farm Ltd. Located just outside Red Deer, Alberta, Algae Control Canada builds on the sustainable and science-based heritage of a recirculating trout farm, which has stocked thousands of ponds across Alberta with trout and provided surface water management solutions to private ponds, lakes and dugouts across Canada.

Algae Control Canada has translated the expertise gained through years of effective small pond management, including lean budgets and challenging natural environments, to a diverse array of corporate and government clients and their needs. Our customers receive plans based on science and data.  Projects pursue clear, measurable water quality objectives customized for the waterbody. This approach is collaborative and practical. 

HAB Aquatic Solutions, LLC specializes in improving surface water quality through the use of aluminum-based products (e.g., alum and sodium aluminate). HAB’s research and development efforts improved upon traditional alum application approaches by developing strategies to address the unique challenges of today’s water resource management projects.

They are a full-service alum application company. HAB has over 60 years of combined experience and provides the most comprehensive alum services available, including pre-project water quality monitoring, algae identification, chemical dose determination, GPS-guided chemical application, alum injection systems for the treatment of stormwater/stream water, and post-project water quality monitoring and evaluation. HAB’s co-founders (John Holz and Tadd Barrow) are two of only a handful of scientists qualified to provide complete alum treatment services: from dose calculation, to application, to project evaluation.