Low reservoir levels main cause of toxic algae in Blue Mesa
… A study released in December by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service said the main driver for recent toxic harmful algal blooms in Blue Mesa [in Gunnison County, Colo.] is low reservoir levels, which create shallow and warm conditions favorable for algal growth. … This year’s low snowpack and dismal projections mean there could be more releases from Blue Mesa in the future and, therefore, increased potential for more harmful algal blooms. In December, officials from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said releases from the three reservoirs — known as the Colorado River Storage Project Act reservoirs or the Upper Initial Units — are one of the tools the federal agency could use to prop up levels at Lake Powell to protect the ability to make hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam.
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