Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) has been awarded more than $32,000 to assess the presence of a potentially toxic cyanobacteri um (blue-green alga) in Silver Lake.
Researchers at AWRI will monitor the presence and abundance of Gloeotrichia , conduct experiments to determine what factors control its growth, and assess its toxicity . Silver Lake has suffered the past two years from outbreaks of Gloeotrichia , which can survive harsh Michigan winters by forming spores in the sediment. The project will complement another study, being jointly conducted by AWRI and the US Geological Survey, to determine stressors to the lake and put into place best management practices to improve and protect the lake , according to the grant’s Principal Investigator, Al Steinman.
The water quality monitoring grant was one of five awarded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to universities, local governments, and nonprofit organizations. All five grants totaled $197,115, and were awarded to Grand Valley, the Eaton Conservation District, the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, and the Timberland Resource Conservation and Development organization.
