Lacamas Lake is getting a new weapon in the fight against toxic algae blooms. Crews from the city of Camas spent the early part of this week on boats spraying aluminum sulfate on the lake.
The aluminum sulfate binds with organic matter in the water, making the phosphorus unavailable to feed algae, said Rob Charles, utilities manager for the city.
This was the first of two planned treatments for Lacamas Lake this summer. The city plans to apply EutroSORB G, a chemical that quickly eliminates phosphorus in water, later in the summer. The city is also increasing its water quality monitoring to find the best time to apply the second treatment…