AquaServices of Alabama is using an herbicide called Current to kill algae in Lake Bowen. The goal is to rid the drinking water of an algae that makes the water smell and taste odd.The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has linked the application of the herbicide to a fish kill on the lake in May. The chemical was applied to Lake Bowen Thursday and Friday. More than a dozen dead fish were collected Monday morning, though the application and the dead fish have not been linked. Fish kills are a known side effect of Current. “This pesticide is toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates,” reads the environmental hazards section of the Environmental Protection Agency’s precautionary statements on Current. “Waters treated with this product may be hazardous to aquatic organisms. Treatment of aquatic weeds and algae can result in oxygen loss from decomposition of dead algae and weeds. This oxygen loss can cause fish and invertebrate suffocation.” The report prepared in 2013 shows high water temperatures can be an exacerbating factor in depleting oxygen. To avoid trapping fish between the shoreline and treatment area, the report says treatment should start from the shore and move outward. A letter from Spartanburg Water to “Lakeside Partners” shows Reservoir #1 will be treated the week of July 23. The letter says “an environmentally friendly algaecide” will be applied “away from the shoreline in approximately six to 20 feet of water.” The letter calls the treatment “absolutely safe” and promises not to impact normal lake activities. The active ingredient of the herbicide is copper sulfate pentahydrate. Spartanburg Water said the amount of Current used was less than half the allowable amount for the lakes.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
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — AquaServices of Alabama is using an herbicide called Current to kill algae in Lake Bowen. The goal is to rid the drinking water of an algae that makes the water smell and taste odd.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has linked the application of the herbicide to a fish kill on the lake in May.
The chemical was applied to Lake Bowen Thursday and Friday. More than a dozen dead fish were collected Monday morning, though the application and the dead fish have not been linked.
Fish kills are a known side effect of Current.
“This pesticide is toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates,” reads the environmental hazards section of the Environmental Protection Agency’s precautionary statements on Current. “Waters treated with this product may be hazardous to aquatic organisms. Treatment of aquatic weeds and algae can result in oxygen loss from decomposition of dead algae and weeds. This oxygen loss can cause fish and invertebrate suffocation.”
The report prepared in 2013 shows high water temperatures can be an exacerbating factor in depleting oxygen.
To avoid trapping fish between the shoreline and treatment area, the report says treatment should start from the shore and move outward.
A letter from Spartanburg Water to “Lakeside Partners” shows Reservoir #1 will be treated the week of July 23. The letter says “an environmentally friendly algaecide” will be applied “away from the shoreline in approximately six to 20 feet of water.”
The letter calls the treatment “absolutely safe” and promises not to impact normal lake activities.
The active ingredient of the herbicide is copper sulfate pentahydrate.
Spartanburg Water said the amount of Current used was less than half the allowable amount for the lakes.
