In 2017, human access project and oregon state university (OSU) began a partnership to remedy the ross island lagoon harmful cyanobacteria bloom (HCB)

This Project Grant award, valued at $100,000.00, was provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 under the Endangered Species Recovery Implementation program (CFDA 15.657). The funding supports a partnership between Human Access Project and Oregon State University to address harmful cyanobacteria blooms in the Ross Island Lagoon. The project aims to restore river flow to the lagoon, which research indicates will reduce water temperature, increase mixing, and lower pH levels - conditions favoring beneficial algae growth over toxic cyanobacteria. This in turn will improve habitat for juvenile salmon. The project is expected to be completed by December 19, 2027.

Our partnership has cultivated diverse, contributing, invested parties, including all relevant permitting agencies who continue to make themselves available for technical assistance to support a solution to the ross island lagoon HCB. OSU research shows restoring river flow to the lagoon with a flushing channel will reduce water temperature, increase mixing (breaking up stagnation) and the level of HCB production which will also lower the PH in the lagoon. Restored river flow from the mainstem willamette would allow river flow to guide juvenile salmon to the lagoon s shallow water habitats. Mixing also favors beneficial algae growth (food source for salmon), such as diatoms and green algae, over the toxic and inedible cyanobacteria which are currently out-competing beneficial algae.