The risk of aquatic macrophyte overgrowth

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Eutrophication, resulting from the external loads of nutrients received by a body of water, or from internal nutrient cycling processes, can lead to explosive growth of algae or macrophytes and alter the composition and dominance of biotic communities. Usually, during eutrophication, different ecological groups of macrophytes colonize aquatic ecosystems.

In many water bodies, undesirable macrophytes show excessive growth, generating adverse effects on the aquatic environment, such as loss of biodiversity and increased rates of evapotranspiration, which accelerates the process of eutrophication. They can also bring economic losses such as reduced drinking water, recreational areas and the hindering of navigation.

In hydroelectric reservoirs, the uncontrolled growth of macrophytes causes problems in the turbines, forcing frequent discharges through the spillways to the exit of the plants, generating waste of water and decrease in electricity production. For all these reasons, it is necessary to control or remove these plants from many aquatic environments, controlling the eutrophication of the water body.

Here at Cemig, we have programs for monitoring aquatic macrophytes in reservoirs impacted by eutrophication in order to assess the need to remove these plants and minimize their impacts on power generation.