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Putting Tribal & Community Science Data to Work in State Systems Using Collaboration and Open Data Strategies
California is a hot spot for freshwater harmful algal blooms (FHABs), which occur when bacteria, spurred on by ideal conditions begin reproducing in mass. These conditions can be measured using traditional water quality monitoring, including parameters like temperature, flow, clarity, and nutrient concentrations. As bacteria die and decompose they pull oxygen from the water, causing fish to suffocate. Some algae blooms also produce toxins that can cause people and animals who come into contact with them to become sick.
In California, as in the rest of the country, FHABs are on the rise. In 2020, the California Water Board’s Freshwater and Estuarine Harmful Algal Bloom Program estimated that there were roughly 370 reports for FHABs in California. In 2021, that number doubled to roughly 600. As this year’s FHABs season comes to a close, we will likely see that number continue to rise. The key factors responsible for the rise are higher summer temperatures and more severe droughts brought on by climate change as well as increased nutrient levels due in part to run-off from farms and urban areas as well as discharges from wastewater treatment plants.
In addition to implementing strategies to combat FHABs, the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) has partnered with The Commons and the Nicholas Institute Water Policy Program to develop a robust FHAB monitoring and notification system to warn the public about and better track FHABs as they occur.
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