Blue-green algae concerns prompt push for demolition of Mannus Lake Dam

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Landholders are ramping up a campaign for Mannus Lake Dam to be demolished. The dam has contained blue-green algae for about seven years. The local council is considering the feasibility of transforming the dam into a wetland.

Transcript

00:00It may seem like a picturesque landscape, but Manus Creek in the snowy valleys is plagued

00:08by toxic blooms of blue-green algae.

00:11We used to swim in this every night. We had a barbecue and a picnic area.

00:15The family swims ended in 2017 after the algae showed up in tests.

00:21My daughter has been diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome. She had six

00:26months off school last year.

00:28When several doctors' appointments produced inconclusive results, the McCalls ended up

00:33contacting a naturopath who diagnosed Charlotte with the disease.

00:37Serves is not a registered illness in Australia, meaning it's under-researched.

00:43With the dam gone, a nice wetlands here will make it a lot better place.

00:50Landowners say Manus Lake Dam upstream of the creek is the cause of the algae and want it

00:56turned into a wetland to improve flows.

00:58There will be still swimming, fishing, everything will be here and it will be a lot better area.

01:05Blue-green algae can produce a range of different toxins which can cause issues to humans, particularly

01:12for a drinking water supply.

01:13It's not just an issue here.

01:15The blue-green algae that develops in this dam flows onto many other catchments in southern

01:20New South Wales, all the way down to the Murray.

01:23The local council owns the dam and has commissioned several reports to find a solution.

01:29The latest suggests it would cost up to $13 million to knock it down.

01:34We're not experts, but we're going to experts to try and get some really good advice about

01:41how to handle this problem.

01:43Despite the price tag, a return to wetland is still an option on the council's agenda.

01:55Bye-bye.

02:13Bye-bye.

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