How to Reduce Nutrients & Improve Water Quality with Biochar

First Things First, What is Biochar?

Biochar is a pure carbon, charcoal-like substance made from organic material. Archeological studies indicate populations of native Amazonians began using biochar over 2,000 years ago to amend nutrient-poor soils to increase agricultural productivity and enhance soil fertility.

Recently, biochar has received tremendous attention and its usage has moved beyond traditional agricultural and landscaping soil amendment applications. It is being championed as a useful technique for soil restoration, carbon sequestration, and – the one we’re most excited about – water quality management.

How Does Biochar Improve Water Quality?

Biochar improves water quality by removing nutrients from waterbodies. Biochar can be placed in floatation balls, cages, or bags/socks, which are then tethered along the shoreline and in critical locations throughout the waterbody, like where an inlet enters a lake.

How is Biochar Installed in a Waterbody?

Princeton Hydro recently installed biochar floatation bags in four waterbodies throughout Hemlock Farms. Environmental Scientists, Johnny Quispe and Will Kelleher, captured footage from the field and provide a brief overview of the installation process:

As shown in the video, biochar bags (aka socks) were attached to an anchor and a buoy using various lengths of rope. The various lengths of rope ensure that the biochar bags are distributed throughout the entire water column. For example, in cases where the buoy location is somewhat shallow, some of the biochar bags that have short ropes will stay near the surface of the water and those with longer ropes will rest toward or completely on the bottom of the waterbody.

Our team installed biochar bags in four locations in Hemlock Farms: Willow Pond, Wish for Fish Pond, Falling Brook Pond, and the south end of McConnell Lake. The biochar bags were placed in front of each waterbody’s outfall in order to remove excess nutrients.

Thanks to Johnny and Will for capturing great footage and providing helpful insights into biochar implementation for water quality management! To learn more about biochar, check out our blog about a biochar installation at Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey.

• Lake and Pond Management