Robotic lab monitors PPL Montana’s Hebgen Lake for toxic algae

PPL Montana has a new sentry on guard 24 hours a day, floating quietly on Hebgen Lake to monitor toxic algae blooms that can strike in summertime.
 
As part of its lake and river resources stewardship program, PPL Montana’s Hydro Licensing and Compliance group has deployed a remote robotic lab that will test the lake for the dreaded blue-green algae.
 
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are a common and natural component of the microscopic plants found in the lake and other bodies of fresh water. Either by wind or wave action, the algae are often concentrated in shallow areas where water is warmer. Some kinds of blue-green algae produce natural toxins or poisons. If animals ingest it, it can be fatal.
 
“Our federal license requires us to have a program in place to monitor blue-green algae blooms,” said Frank Pickett, senior aquatic ecologist for PPL Montana. “If we find it, and our tests show that it is toxic, we report it to the Gallatin County Department of Health and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. They in turn provide public notices and information.”
 
Pickett said PPL Montana, which has a person visually inspect the lake once a week, set out to research ways to make the algae detection program even stronger.
 
“There are a lot of businesses and recreationists here who depend on the lake, so we need to focus on public safety and meet or exceed our license requirements,” he said. “We strive to get beyond mere words on paper. With this new state-of-the-art system, we’ve got a real leg up to anticipate algae blooms in near real-time.”
 
The 100-pound, solar-powered buoy, which is anchored in a shallow area on the northeast side of the lake, supports a water quality lab that can detect blue-green algae blooms by identifying turquoise pigmentation.
 
The buoy takes readings every 30 minutes and has a cell phone that sends data to Pickett’s laptop, which is close by during summer months.
 
“It reduces so much of the lag time to get test results,” he said. “The former method, which is still used as a backup, can sometime take five days to get lab results to determine toxicity from the time algae are detected. Now we’ll have some advance warning if there’s a bloom coming on. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a serious outbreak since the 1980s in Hebgen, but we’re even better prepared now if problem conditions develop.”
 
Hebgen Dam creates Hebgen Lake just north of the Idaho border, which stores water for the Madison-Missouri river system. PPL Montana owns and operates eight hydroelectric facilities on the Madison and Missouri rivers. PPL Montana operates the dam to balance the needs of recreational users of Hebgen Lake, and the need to protect important river resources downstream on the Madison River.