EASTHAMPTON — Lakes and ponds around the world are experiencing an increased occurrence of algae blooms as a result of warmer temperatures.

This has had a particularly significant impact on water bodies that are shallow, stagnant and rich in nutrients from agricultural runoff including fertilizer.

Some of the blooms contain cyanobacteria — microscopic single-celled organisms also called blue-green algae — which can be harmful to people and pets.

With Nashawannuck Pond having had cyanobacteria blooms in the recent past, the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee is leading an experimental effort to reduce the occurrence of cyanobacteria by installing barley straw in a number of coves around the pond on Saturday.

“It has been found that barley straw, as it decomposes in certain water bodies, will release a non-harmful agent that will prevent these blooms from occurring,” said Paul A. Nowak, chairman of Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee.

On Saturday morning, volunteers will stuff barley straw from a bale into 100 onion bags that will be deployed during the afternoon by volunteers on two boats. Nowak explained that they will be staking the barley straw bags in water that’s 2 to 3 feet deep. Signs will be installed requesting that the public not disturb the project.

“We’re only doing a portion of the pond as an experiment,” he said. “These barley straw bags will not litter the whole pond or disrupt the overall aesthetic appearance.”

The idea of the barley straw project came from Dr. R. Allison Ryan, a retired physician and neurologist from Florence. For the last 25 years, Ryan has been active with invasive water chestnut control efforts. In the last four to five years, Ryan said algae blooms have been found in the same places where water chestnut  infestations have been found.

Through her research, she discovered that the toxic cyanobacteria blooms can cause acute and chronic health hazards to plants, animals and people. Cyanobacteria can produce the neurotoxin BMAA (also known as beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine), which has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases including Lou Gerhrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.

That research led to her proposing the use of barley straw, which Ryan said she hopes will “nip the bloom in the bud, so to speak.”

Gary Golas, a former member of the pond committee for more than two decades who now serves as a consultant to the group, presented a request to install barley straw to the Conservation Commission at its Feb. 28 meeting. Golas, a member of the faculty in the environmental studies department at Holyoke Community College, said because the plant material is not a herbicide, algaecide or pesticide, it doesn’t require a permit.

“The use of barley straw became popular in Europe in the 1990s and has been starting to gain popularity in the United States,” he said.

He noted that the barley straw does not kill the bacteria, but rather prevents it from forming blooms. However, the efficacy of the material has had mixed success.

“The barley straw will release a hydrogen peroxide-like material that doesn’t upset the ecobalance of the water body as it decays,” Nowak said. “We’ve done extensive research and found that there were no harmful side effects to the water body or wildlife. … More often barley straw works than not, but it’s possible it also may not work. Every water body is different.”

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>