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Additionally, drinking water providers must be concerned with the amount of Total Organic <br />Carbon, or TOC, in water. As nutrients increase in area water supplies, TOC also increases. <br />During the treatment process, when TOC comes into contact with chlorine, the combination <br />produces byproducts that are regulated as potential carcinogens. The byproducts are subject to <br />strict regulatory limits, and therefore if the cities are incompliance, the customers are not at <br />risk. However, to provide this level of protection drinking water providers may have to install <br />more expensive treatment facilities. <br />Last, algae blooms slow water flow through treatment plants by clogging the filters. When this <br />happens, it limits water production, resulting intime-consuming and costly maintenance. <br />For farmers, excessive nutrients can affect nutrient management plans for crops, resulting in <br />increased costs. Some strains of algae can produce neurotoxins that have proven deadly to <br />livestock and potentially harmful to humans. Furthermore, filamentous algae builds up on the bar <br />screens in irrigation ditches, impeding the flow of water. <br />One primary concern for recreationists is that human contact or ingestion of certain strains of <br />algae can be harmful. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, sometimes contain neurotoxins that are <br />poisonous and cause illness and skin rashes. In the summer of 2004, samples taken from the <br />Three Lakes and the Fraser River on the Western Slope showed levels of cyanobacteria high <br />enough to justify increased monitoring. In Nebraska, state health officials closed two popular <br />swim beaches and put another lake area on alert in May 2004 due to high levels of toxic algae <br />considered hazardous for full-body contact. The state urged the public to take extra precautions <br />for small children and pets. Besides the human health threat, filamentous algae growth and rooted <br />aquatic plants hamper boating and swimming. <br />Desirable aquatic life is also compromised by high nutrient levels. The effects of eutrophication, <br />particularly low oxygen levels, severely reduce the habitat of desirable aquatic life within <br />streams, lakes and reservoirs. As levels of dissolved oxygen drop, desirable aquatic life is <br />stressed, sometimes resulting in fish kills. One such fish kill occurred in Loveland's Silver Lake <br />where an estimated 2,000 fish died when oxygen levels fell dramatically during September <br />1997. <br />With water's integral role in Northern Colorado's attraction and quality of life, the aesthetics <br />of our waterways plays an important role both socially and economically. Algae blooms <br />create taste and odor problems that result in increased costs for communities; ash kills are <br />unattractive and perceived negatively in the community; and low water clarity perpetuates the <br />idea of a polluted water body. <br />Benefits of acting now <br />These high nutrient levels have the potential to become more common in the water bodies of <br />the Big Thompson Watershed as rapid population growth continues throughout Northern <br />Colorado. If the trend of increased nutrient levels continues, area water suppliers and other <br />users will face greater challenges. Implementing protective measures now is key to sustaining <br />the health of the region from an environmental, social and economic standpoint. <br />-16- <br />