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Societal Benefits of Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Bloom Management in Lake Okeechobee in Florida—Potential Damages Avoided During the 2018 Event Under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System Scenarios

Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5091
Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Policy Analysis
By: , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245091

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Abstract

Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) formed by blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, have emerged as a global environmental problem. Their negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems can affect the benefits nature provides to human society by reducing water quality; inhibiting aquatic recreation; killing fish, wildlife, and pets; and posing a risk to human health. To manage harmful algal blooms, the Engineer Research and Development Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is developing an advanced technology called the Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System (HABITATS), which has been tested in pilot demonstrations upstream of spillways at HAB-affected waterbodies in Florida.

The U.S. Geological Survey and cooperators from the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Policy Analysis investigated the societal benefits of HABITATS technology by using data from an actual 2018 harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee to characterize the observed societal impacts and then comparing observed effects to hypothetical scenarios of HABITATS deployment. This study estimated an economic value of $5.5 million in foregone recreation as a result of closed boating ramp facilities and other restrictions on aquatic recreation such as fishing and swimming during the 2018 cyanobacteria harmful algal bloom outbreak. The change in housing sales prices that could have resulted from murky water or bad odor during that outbreak was estimated as $2.3 million. The team also investigated drinking water contamination and human illness but did not find significant societal impacts in this case. If HABITATS had been deployed, the avoided losses less the cost of management could have provided net societal benefits that ranged between negative $2.1 million and positive $0.8 million, depending on the vertical distribution of algae in the water column and the HABITATS version used. The study’s estimated societal benefit is undoubtedly a lower bound estimate because current scientific knowledge is inadequate to characterize, or monetize, all the impacts.

Suggested Citation

Boubacar, I., Pindilli, E., Brown, E., Simon, B., Skrabis, K., and Luby, I., 2024, Societal benefits of cyanobacteria harmful algal bloom management in Lake Okeechobee in Florida—Potential damages avoided during the 2018 event under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System scenarios: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2024–5091, 45 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245091.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Overview of CyanoHAB Societal Impacts
  • Overview of the Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System
  • Purpose and Scope
  • Methods
  • Site and Event Description
  • Benefits Estimation
  • Aggregate Value of CyanoHAB Impacts and Benefit of HABITATS Use
  • Value of Ancillary Products from the HABITATS Process
  • Cost of Deploying HABITATS
  • Net Benefits
  • Discussion
  • Conclusions
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. Changes in Property Values in Four Counties in Florida
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Societal benefits of cyanobacteria harmful algal bloom management in Lake Okeechobee in Florida—Potential damages avoided during the 2018 event under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System scenarios
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2024-5091
DOI 10.3133/sir20245091
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Science and Decisions Center
Description viii, 45 p.
Country United States
State Florida
Other Geospatial Lake Okeechobee
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details