wildfires – Aquarius-Systems

September 2024 Newsletter

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 15:04:09 +0000

Wildfires Impact Local Water Quality

A Message from Our Leader: Human Activity and Lake Management

Wildfires Destroy & Pollute

Harvester Removes 35,000 Cubic Yards of Eelgrass

Anglers Say Invasive Plant Spraying is Harming Lakes

Upcoming Conferences:

Florida Lake Management Society Technical Symposium
Oregon Lake Association & Washington State Lake Protection Association Joint Conference
California Stormwater Quality Association Conference
North American Lake Management Society International Symposium

August 2023 Newsletter

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 20:30:59 +0000

Smoke on the Water

A Message From Our Leader: The Solution to Pollution is Dilution

Smoke on the Water

Classic Smoke on the Water

Future Challenges of Surface Water Quality

Upcoming Event:

Visit Aquarius Systems as PWX 2023 in San Diego – Booth 313

Global Drought Impacts Are Escalating From Farms to Forests

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 02:07:30 +0000

Across the country and around the globe, the effects of drought are everywhere. Google the word “drought” and the news stories are endless; some with severe consequences.

In California, over 100 million trees have died due to the drought. In Tennessee the drought is posing a huge threat to the cattle industry. Pastures have dried up and farmers have resorted to feeding the cattle hay which is normally saved for the winter months. Similar stories are reported out of Georgia as well.

Wildfires have ravaged over 54,000 acres of forest, protected areas and farmland in parts of Peru. Peru is experiencing the regions worst drought in at least half a century. Wildfires have burned over 100,000 acres of land across seven southern U.S. states leading to mass evacuations.

As devastating as those issues are; other countries are faring much worse. The severe drought in Madagascar has left 330,000 people on the brink of famine.

As Bolivia faces its worst drought in at least 25 years, the government has been forced to declare a state of emergency. It is estimated that the drought has affected 125,000 families and threatened 716,605 acres of agricultural land and 360,000 head of cattle.

Fire-Retardant Chemicals Fight Wildfires

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 18:28:00 +0000

There are currently dozens of large wildfires burning over 7.8 million acres across western United States. Many blame global warming for the increased wildfires, as temperatures rise and droughts continue to plague much of the U.S. Fire seasons are longer and causing more frequent, large-scale, high-severity wildfires. The risk of large wildfires is expected to increase sixfold by mid-century.

These wildfires cost billions to battle, destroy property, displace wildfire, and are deadly; many firefighters have lost their lives battling the blazes. The smoke is dangerous to the heart and lungs and we can’t help but ponder what the fires impact is to the water.

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of fire-retardant chemicals (LC95A) are being dropped by air tankers to shield homes and protect firefighters from the wildfires. Laced with ammonia and nitrates, the chemicals have the potential to kill fish and taint water supplies.

New rules prohibit the application of fire-retardant chemicals within 600 feet of waterways. Air tanker pilots and crew commanders now are required to carry maps that identify sensitive terrain — such as areas where greenback cutthroat trout and Pawnee montane skipper butterflies are monitored as sentinel species. But if wildfires threaten people, the chemicals are applied regardless of the location.

Forest Service fire managers acknowledge concerns about toxic fire retardants degrading habitat and watersheds, yet they rely upon the bombers to protect houses and firefighters from the potentially catastrophic wildfires. LC95A air tankers target houses and power grids; the retardant cools and coats fuel, depleting fire of oxygen and slowing the combustion. A layer of retardant can slow the fire for about two hours which can be enough time for water to actually douse the flames.