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Grand Lake clarity strong this season; algae complaints prompt monitoring and weed-harvester feasibility work
Summary
Water-quality staff reported Grand Lake Secchi clarity of 4.49 meters (14.7 feet), exceeding the 3.8-meter goal; staff also described filamentous algae complaints on Shadow Mountain, brief stream-temperature exceedances, and cyanobacteria monitoring with no harmful blooms to date.
Kaylee Folk, Grand County water quality specialist, delivered a mid- to late-season update across three monitoring programs. "For the 2024 Grand Lake adaptive management season, we are currently at 4.49 meters, which is 14.7 feet, in Grand Lake, which far exceeds the 3.8 meter goal qualifier," Folk said, noting the season runs July 1'Sept. 11 and that staff do not anticipate severe degradation before monitoring ends.
Folk reported several public complaints about filamentous algae on Shadow Mountain and said staff are working with the Three Lakes Technical Committee and Forest Service to estimate costs and feasibility for a new weed harvester. She also summarized stream-temperature exceedances at Ranch Creek and the Fraser River (brief events) and ongoing cyanobacteria monitoring in Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain, Granby and Willow Creek Reservoir; no harmful cyanobacteria blooms have been identified so far this season. Commissioners asked operational questions about pumping regimes, downstream releases and monitoring partnerships; staff described coordinated releases and pilot programs that helped mitigate temperature spikes and aided clarity this season.
