Four years after Lakewood launched a project using floating wetlands to fight harmful algal blooms, city officials say the pilot succeeded. It also taught them that no single solution will be enough as Colorado’s summers become hotter and drier.
In 2022, CBS Colorado first reported on the city’s installation of floating treatments, where artificial islands planted with native vegetation were designed to absorb excess nutrients that fuel blue-green algae.
At the time, officials hoped the project could reduce harmful blooms while improving water quality. Today, the floating islands remain in place…