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Excess phosphorus and nitrogen can rapidly degrade ecological conditions, limit recreational use, impact sources of potable water, and increase management costs, often despite the implementation of conventional best management practices. As a result, there is growing interest in tools that can complement or augment existing approaches and address nutrients in more targeted ways. Biochar has emerged as one such tool. While it is best known as a soil amendment, its physical, chemical, and biological properties have prompted increasing use in aquatic systems as a means of improving water quality. Over the past five years, Princeton Hydro has applied biochar in a range of lakes, ponds, streams, and stormwater-related settings across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. These field applications, supported by monitoring, have provided important insight into when biochar is most effective, where its limitations lie, and why observed improvements in water quality are not always explained by phosphorus removal alone. [gallery link="none" size="medium" ids="9215,19122,9225"] What Is Biochar and Why Use It in Waterbodies? Biochar is a carbon-rich, charcoal-like material produced through pyrolysis, a process in which organic biomass is heated in a low-oxygen environment. The resulting material has a highly porous structure and extensive surface area, properties that make it effective at adsorbing nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen (Joseph et al., 2021). Because excess nutrients are a primary driver of eutrophication and HABs, biochar has emerged as a promising amendment for aquatic systems and stormwater best management practices (BMPs). In aquatic applications, biochar is typically installed in permeable sleeves (aka socks) or incorporated into stormwater treatment practices to intercept nutrient-rich water before it enters lakes or ponds. Used biochar can also be repurposed as a soil amendment, adding to its appeal as a sustainable, circular material. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="medium" ids="19134,9226"] Aquatic Ecologist Katie Walston-Frederick (right) leads a biochar sleeve filling session. Katie and her team members wear full protective equipment when handling biochar due to the fine, carbon-based nature of the material. Lessons Learned from Five Years of Field Applications Through approximately half a dozen monitored projects implemented since 2020, several consistent patterns have emerged. Standing Waters Show the Strongest Response: Biochar has proven most effective in low-flow or standing water environments such as ponds and stormwater basins. In these systems, Princeton Hydro has documented total phosphorus (TP) removal rates as high as 80%, with soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) reductions approaching 97% in some stormwater ponds (Princeton Hydro, Lake Hopatcong Report, 2022). The extended contact time between water and biochar in these settings appears to be a key driver of performance. Flow and Contact Time Matter: In streams and fast-moving stormwater infrastructure, nutrient removal rates tend to be lower, with phosphorus reductions typically closer to 50%. While still meaningful, these reduced efficiencies are largely attributable to limited contact time. Simply put, the shorter the interaction between water and biochar, the fewer opportunities there are for adsorption and other removal processes to occur. Enhancement to Conventional Stormwater BMPs: Biochar can be particularly effective when paired with stormwater BMPs that primarily rely on sedimentation. Traditional practices often excel at removing particulate-bound phosphorus but are less effective at capturing dissolved forms of phosphorus—the fraction most readily utilized by algae. Incorporating biochar into these systems can enhance removal of dissolved phosphorus, improving overall treatment performance. Streams Present Physical Challenges: Installing biochar in stream environments presents practical challenges. Even with careful anchoring, large storm events, including remnants of hurricanes, can dislodge biochar sleeves, transporting them downstream or onto streambanks. These risks must be considered during design and often limit the suitability of biochar for higher energy systems. Chemistry Alone Does Not Tell the Whole Story: At very high pH levels, phosphorus adsorption onto biochar can become less predictable, sometimes exhibiting a “decoupling” between measured phosphorus sorption and observed water quality improvements. Monitoring data from multiple projects indicate that reductions in chlorophyll-a, cyanobacteria abundance, and overall bloom severity cannot always be explained by phosphorus removal alone. Beyond Adsorption: The Role of Biology The disconnect between measured nutrient sorption and improved water quality suggests that additional mechanisms are at work. Increasingly, evidence points toward biological processes occurring within and around biochar installations. Biochar is known to favor the growth and proliferation of heterotrophic bacteria (Moore et al., 2023). These microbial communities may contribute to water quality improvements in the following ways:
Nutrient-driven water quality impairments, particularly harmful algal blooms (HABs), continue to challenge lake managers, municipalities, and watershed organizations across the Northeast. Excess phosphorus and nitrogen can rapidly degrade ecological conditions, limit recreational use, impact sources of potable water, and increase management costs, often despite the implementation of conventional best management practices. As a result, there is growing interest in tools that can complement or augment existing approaches and address nutrients in more targeted ways.
Biochar has emerged as one such tool. While it is best known as a soil amendment, its physical, chemical, and biological properties have prompted increasing use in aquatic systems as a means of improving water quality. Over the past five years, Princeton Hydro has applied biochar in a range of lakes, ponds, streams, and stormwater-related settings across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. These field applications, supported by monitoring, have provided important insight into when biochar is most effective, where its limitations lie, and why observed improvements in water quality are not always explained by phosphorus removal alone.
Biochar is a carbon-rich, charcoal-like material produced through pyrolysis, a process in which organic biomass is heated in a low-oxygen environment. The resulting material has a highly porous structure and extensive surface area, properties that make it effective at adsorbing nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen (Joseph et al., 2021). Because excess nutrients are a primary driver of eutrophication and HABs, biochar has emerged as a promising amendment for aquatic systems and stormwater best management practices (BMPs).
In aquatic applications, biochar is typically installed in permeable sleeves (aka socks) or incorporated into stormwater treatment practices to intercept nutrient-rich water before it enters lakes or ponds. Used biochar can also be repurposed as a soil amendment, adding to its appeal as a sustainable, circular material.
Through approximately half a dozen monitored projects implemented since 2020, several consistent patterns have emerged.
Standing Waters Show the Strongest Response: Biochar has proven most effective in low-flow or standing water environments such as ponds and stormwater basins. In these systems, Princeton Hydro has documented total phosphorus (TP) removal rates as high as 80%, with soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) reductions approaching 97% in some stormwater ponds (Princeton Hydro, Lake Hopatcong Report, 2022). The extended contact time between water and biochar in these settings appears to be a key driver of performance.
Flow and Contact Time Matter: In streams and fast-moving stormwater infrastructure, nutrient removal rates tend to be lower, with phosphorus reductions typically closer to 50%. While still meaningful, these reduced efficiencies are largely attributable to limited contact time. Simply put, the shorter the interaction between water and biochar, the fewer opportunities there are for adsorption and other removal processes to occur.
Enhancement to Conventional Stormwater BMPs: Biochar can be particularly effective when paired with stormwater BMPs that primarily rely on sedimentation. Traditional practices often excel at removing particulate-bound phosphorus but are less effective at capturing dissolved forms of phosphorus—the fraction most readily utilized by algae. Incorporating biochar into these systems can enhance removal of dissolved phosphorus, improving overall treatment performance.
Streams Present Physical Challenges: Installing biochar in stream environments presents practical challenges. Even with careful anchoring, large storm events, including remnants of hurricanes, can dislodge biochar sleeves, transporting them downstream or onto streambanks. These risks must be considered during design and often limit the suitability of biochar for higher energy systems.
Chemistry Alone Does Not Tell the Whole Story: At very high pH levels, phosphorus adsorption onto biochar can become less predictable, sometimes exhibiting a “decoupling” between measured phosphorus sorption and observed water quality improvements. Monitoring data from multiple projects indicate that reductions in chlorophyll-a, cyanobacteria abundance, and overall bloom severity cannot always be explained by phosphorus removal alone.
The disconnect between measured nutrient sorption and improved water quality suggests that additional mechanisms are at work. Increasingly, evidence points toward biological processes occurring within and around biochar installations.
Biochar is known to favor the growth and proliferation of heterotrophic bacteria (Moore et al., 2023). These microbial communities may contribute to water quality improvements in the following ways:
This emerging science mirrors what Princeton Hydro has observed in the field: water quality can improve in ways that chemical measurements alone do not fully explain, suggesting that biological processes may be playing an important supporting role.
Since 2020, Princeton Hydro has applied biochar across a range of aquatic and stormwater settings, tailoring each installation to site-specific conditions and management goals. Together, these projects demonstrate biochar’s versatility and its ability to integrate into holistic watershed and lake management strategies, often working best when paired with other nature-based and engineered solutions.
At Duke Farms, a 2,700-acre estate in New Jersey, Princeton Hydro has supported lake and wetland management efforts for more than two decades. Biochar was recently introduced as an additional tool within an established, science-based nutrient management program. By placing biochar in low-flow areas where contact time could be maximized, phosphorus removal was enhanced and improvements in water clarity were observed. This effort highlights how biochar can be layered into long-term management strategies alongside floating wetland islands and other nature-based solutions.
Harvey’s Lake, the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania, has long faced challenges associated with nutrient loading and recurring HABs. As part of a broader stormwater management effort, Princeton Hydro incorporated biochar into select stormwater BMPs to reduce phosphorus before it entered the lake. Installed within targeted stormwater conveyance and treatment features, the biochar helped achieve measurable reductions in dissolved phosphorus, complementing other watershed-scale measures such as vegetated buffers and wetland enhancements. The spent biochar, having captured phosphorus and nitrogen from runoff, was then repurposed as a soil amendment to enrich a 500-square-foot pollinator garden. This repurposing effort served a dual purpose: demonstrating a closed-loop approach to managing excess nutrients while also creating a community-oriented space that supports local biodiversity.
Across multiple stormwater projects in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, biochar has been installed in detention basins, rain gardens, and other stormwater treatment devices. These applications were designed to target dissolved phosphorus, a nutrient form that conventional BMPs can struggle to remove. In several cases, biochar was paired with other nutrient control measures such as floating wetland islands to further improve nutrient capture. Collectively, these projects illustrate how biochar can be adapted and scaled to address local water quality challenges across diverse settings.
At Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest lake, biochar was deployed as part of a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy to reduce nutrient concentrations and mitigate HABs. Biochar was installed in permeable flotation bags and placed at targeted shoreline and inlet locations where nutrient loading is most pronounced, including several stormwater inlets and outlets around the lake. Funded through the NJDEP Freshwater HABs Prevention & Management Grant Program and implemented in partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Commission and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, these installations complemented other in-lake management measures such as floating wetland islands.
In Manhattan's Central Park, Princeton Hydro supported the Central Park Conservancy in developing and implementing a long-term management strategy for the park's network of lakes and ponds, where harmful algal blooms driven by excess nutrients were a persistent concern. As part of a broader, phased approach to improve water quality, biochar was incorporated as a nutrient reduction tool and will be incorporated alongside other measures such as floating wetland islands, aeration and circulation, and stormwater treatment techniques. Used in targeted locations, biochar helped support efforts to reduce nutrient loading and mitigate cyanobacteria blooms within these highly visible urban waterbodies.
Across these projects, biochar installations have been associated with measurable reductions in total and dissolved phosphorus, decreases in chlorophyll‑a concentrations, and lower cyanobacteria cell counts. While performance has varied by site, the strongest and most consistent results have occurred in enclosed or low‑flow environments where contact time is maximized and physical disturbance is minimized. When thoughtfully designed and integrated with other BMPs, these case studies show how biochar can contribute meaningfully to broader efforts to reduce nutrient loads and improve overall water quality.
Biochar is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Reviewing site-specific water quality data is essential to determine whether biochar is an appropriate standalone treatment or should be combined with complementary approaches. Ongoing and future research is focused on better quantifying the relative contributions of chemical adsorption and biological activity associated with biochar. Current studies, including collaborative efforts with academic partners, aim to document pollutant removal capacity, characterize microbial communities, and evaluate biochar’s potential role in degrading cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins. As these processes continue to be studied and further understood in the water quality context, biochar may become an increasingly valuable component of integrated, science-based watershed management strategies.
Our lakes in New Jersey are an invaluable resource for clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, and agriculture and provide habitat for aquatic flora and fauna. Home to about 1,700 lakes, the “Garden State” is also the most densely populated state. Excess nutrients from fertilizers, roadway pollutants, overdevelopment, and failing septic systems can end up in our lakes and impair water quality. Larger rain events can also cause erosion and instability of streams, adding to the influx of more excess nutrients to our lakes and ponds. Changes in hydrology, water chemistry, biology, and/or physical properties in these complex ecosystems can have cascading consequences that can alter water quality and the surrounding ecosystem. For example, excess nutrients can fuel algal and plant growth in lakes and lead to issues like harmful algal blooms (HABs) or fish kills.
In order to ensure that we protect the overall health of our local waterbodies, it’s important that we look beyond just the lake itself. Implementing holistic watershed-based planning is a critical step in managing stormwater runoff, preventing the spread of HABs, and maintaining water quality. A watershed management plan defines and addresses existing or future water quality problems from both point sources and nonpoint sources of pollutants*. This approach addresses all the beneficial uses of a waterbody, the criteria needed to protect the use, and the strategies required to restore water quality or prevent degradation. When developing a watershed plan, we review all the tools in the toolbox and recommend a variety of best management practices to prevent nutrients from entering lakes or streams. Options include short- and long-term solutions such as green stormwater infrastructure, stream bank stabilization, and stormwater basin retrofits.
To reduce nutrient availability in lakes, one innovative tool in our toolbox is floating wetland islands (FWIs). FWIs are a low-cost, effective green infrastructure solution that are designed to mimic natural wetlands in a sustainable, efficient, and powerful way. They improve water quality by assimilating and removing excess nutrients; provide valuable ecological habitat for a variety of beneficial species; help mitigate wave and wind erosion impacts; provide an aesthetic element; and add significant biodiversity enhancement within open freshwater environments. FWIs are also highly effective in a range of waterbodies from big to small, from deep to shallow.
Typically, FWIs consist of a constructed floating mat, usually composed of woven, recycled plastic material, with vegetation planted directly into the material. The islands are then launched into the lake and anchored in place, and, once established, require very little maintenance.
It estimated that one 250-square-foot FWI has a surface area equal to approximately one acre of natural wetland. These floating ecosystems can remove approximately 10 pounds of phosphorus each year. To put that into perspective, one pound of phosphorus can produce 1,100 pounds of algae each year, so each 250-square-feet of FWI can potentially mitigate up to 11,000 pounds of algae.
In addition to removing phosphorus that can feed nuisance aquatic plant growth and algae, FWIs also provide excellent refuge habitat for beneficial forage fish and can provide protection from shoreline erosion.
Princeton Hydro has been working with Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest Lake, for 30+ years, restoring the lake, managing the watershed, reducing pollutant loading, and addressing invasive aquatic plants and nuisance algal blooms. Back in 2012, Lake Hopatcong became the first public lake in New Jersey to install FWIs. In the summer of 2022, nine more FWIs were installed in the lake with help from staff and volunteers from the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Lake Hopatcong Commission, and Princeton Hydro. The lake’s Landing Channel and Ashley Cove were chosen for the installations because they are both fairly shallow and prone to weed growth. The installation of these floating wetland islands is part of a series of water quality initiatives on Lake Hopatcong funded by a NJDEP Harmful Algal Bloom Grant and 319(h) Grant awarded to Lake Hopatcong Commission and Lake Hopatcong Foundation.
Princeton Hydro partnered with the Greenwood Lake Commission (GWLC) on a FWI installation in Belcher's Creek, the main tributary of Greenwood Lake. The lake, a 1,920-acre waterbody located in both New Jersey and New York, is a highly valued ecological, economical, and recreational resource. The lake also serves as a headwater supply of potable water that flows to the Monksville Reservoir and eventually into the Wanaque Reservoir, where it supplies over 3 million people with drinking water.
The goal of the FWI Installation was to help decrease total phosphorus loading, improve water quality, and create important habitat for beneficial aquatic, insect, bird, and wildlife species. The project was partially funded by the NJDEP Water Quality Restoration Grants for Nonpoint Source Pollution Program under Section 319(h) of the federal Clean Water Act. GWLC was awarded one of NJDEP’s matching grants, which provided $2 in funding for every $1 invested by the grant applicant.
Measuring 630+ acres, Harveys Lake is the largest natural lake (by volume) in Pennsylvania and is one of the most heavily used lakes in the area. It is classified as a high quality - cold water fishery habitat (HQ-CWF) and is designated for protection under the classification. Since 2002, The Borough of Harveys Lake and Harveys Lake Environmental Advisory Council has worked with Princeton Hydro on a variety of lake management efforts focused around maintaining high water quality conditions, strengthening stream banks and shorelines, and managing stormwater runoff. Five floating wetland islands were installed in Harveys Lake to assimilate and reduce nutrients already in the lake. The islands were placed in areas with high concentrations of nutrients, placed 50 feet from the shoreline and tethered in place with steel cables and anchored. The FWIs were funded by PADEP.
Working with the Deal Lake Commission (DLC), Princeton Hydro designed and installed 12 floating wetland islands at two lakes in Asbury Park, NJ. In order to complete the installation of the floating wetland islands, our team worked with the DLC to train and assist over 30 volunteers to plant plugs in the islands and launch them into the two lakes. Our experts helped disseminate knowledge to the volunteers, not only about how to install the floating wetland islands, but how they scientifically worked to remove excess nutrients from the water. With assistance from Princeton Hydro, DLC acquired the 12 floating islands – six for Wesley Lake and six for Sunset Lake – through a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant awarded by NJDEP.
In addition to the direct environmental benefits of FWIs, the planting events themselves, which usually involve individuals from the local lake communities, have long-lasting positive impacts. When community members come together to help plant FWIs, it gives them a deepened sense of ownership and strengthens their connection to the lake. This, in turn, encourages continued stewardship of the watershed and creates a broader awareness of how human behaviors impact the lake and its water quality. And, real water quality improvements begin at the watershed level with how people treat their land.
For more information on watershed planning or installing FWI in your community, click here to contact us. To learn more about ANJEC, go here.
Looking for a unique and creative way to manage nutrient runoff in freshwater lakes? Installing Floating Wetland Islands (FWI) is a low-cost, effective green infrastructure solution used to mitigate phosphorus and nitrogen stormwater pollution often emanating from highly developed communities and/or agricultural lands.
FWIs are designed to mimic natural wetlands in a sustainable, efficient, and powerful way. They improve water quality by assimilating and removing excess nutrients that could fuel algae growth; provide valuable ecological habitat for a variety of beneficial species; help mitigate wave and wind erosion impacts; provide an aesthetic element; and add significant biodiversity enhancement within open freshwater environments.
“A pound of phosphorus can produce 1,100 lbs of algae each year. And, each 250-square foot island can remove 10 lbs of phosphorus annually.” explains Princeton Hydro Staff Scientist Katie Walston. "So, that's 11,000 lbs of algae that is mitigated each year from each 250 square foot of FWI installed!"
Typically, FWIs consist of a constructed floating mat with vegetation planted directly into the material. Once the islands are anchored in the lake, the plants thrive and grow, extending their root systems through the mat and absorbing and removing excess nutrients from the water column such as phosphorus and nitrogen.
The plants uptake a lot of nutrients, but the workhorse of the FWIs is the microbial community. The matrix used within the islands has a very high surface area and it promotes microbial growth, which performs the majority of the nutrient uptake. Additionally, the root growth from the plants continues to increase the surface area for the microbial biofilm to grow on. Both the plants and microbes acting together help optimize nutrient removal.
Princeton Hydro has designed and installed numerous FWIs in waterbodies large and small for the purpose of harmful algal bloom control, fisheries enhancement, stormwater management, shoreline preservation, wastewater treatment, and more. FWIs are also highly adaptable and can be sized, configured, and planted to fit the needs of nearly any lake, pond, or reservoir.
Recently, the Princeton Hydro team completed a FWI installation in Belcher's Creek, the main tributary of Greenwood Lake. The lake, a 1,920-acre waterbody located in both Passaic County, New Jersey and Orange County, New York, is a highly valued ecological and recreational resource for both states and has a substantial impact on the local economies. In addition, the lake serves as a headwater supply of potable water that flows to the Monksville Reservoir and eventually into the Wanaque Reservoir, where it supplies over 3 million people and thousands of businesses with drinking water.
Since the lake was negatively impacted by HABs during the 2019 summer season, Greenwood Lake Commission (GWLC) has made a stronger effort to eliminate HABs and any factors that contribute to cyanobacteria blooms for 2020 and into the future. Factors being addressed include pollutant loading in the watershed, especially that of Belcher's Creek. The installation of FWIs in Belcher's Creek will immediately address nutrients in the water before it enters Greenwood Lake and help decrease total phosphorus loading. In turn this will help reduce HABs, improve water quality throughout the Greenwood Lake watershed, and create important habitat for beneficial aquatic, insect, bird and wildlife species.
“In addition to the direct environmental benefits of FWIs, the planting events themselves, which involve individuals from the local lake communities, have long-lasting positive impacts,” said Dr. Jack Szczepanski, Princeton Hydro Senior Project Manager, Aquatics Resources. “When community members come together to help plant FWIs, it gives them a deepened sense of ownership and strengthens their connection to the lake. This, in turn, encourages continued stewardship of the watershed and creates a broader awareness of how human behaviors impact the lake and its water quality. And, real water quality improvements begin at the watershed level with how people treat their land.”
The project was partially funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (NJDEP) Water Quality Restoration Grants for Nonpoint Source Pollution Program under Section 319(h) of the federal Clean Water Act. As part of the statewide HAB response strategy, the NJDEP made $13.5 million in funding available for local projects that improve water quality and help prevent, mitigate and manage HABs in the state’s lakes and ponds. The GWLC was awarded one of the NJDEPs matching grants, which provided $2 in funding for every $1 invested by the grant applicant. For this project, the GWLC purchased the FWIs and NJDEP provided the 2:1 cash match in order for the GWLC to implement additional HAB prevention and mitigation strategies in critical locations throughout the watershed.
Over the coming weeks, our team will be in Asbury Park, New Jersey installing FWIs in Sunset Lake. Stay tuned for more! For additional information about our lake management services, go here: bit.ly/pondlake.
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Mowing near streams and ponds eliminates the natural protective buffer that tall grasses, shrubs and trees provide. Natural buffers protect against erosion, filter stormwater runoff, reduce harmful pollutant loads and provide habitat for mosquito-eating amphibians, fish, birds and beneficial insects.
One of the best ways to support the health of local water resources is to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Not only are they costly, but, when over-applied or if applied before a rainstorm, the chemicals runoff directly into our local waterways. Before applying, always remember to test your soil, read product labels and check the forecast. Also consider natural alternatives like compost!
Removing debris that collects in nearby stormwater catch basins, storm drains and along curbs promotes cleaner runoff and reduces the amount of pollution and trash entering our waterways. Make a note on your calendar each month to maintain a regular cleaning schedule! Learn more about stormwater management.
Well testing is a great way to promote groundwater protection, help people understand their role in safeguarding drinking water quality, and provide education around the proper disposal of oil, chemicals, pesticides and medicines. Learn how to host an event in your community!
You've heard this one from us before, but, what can we say, we love rain gardens, and rightfully so! They're cost effective, easy to build and do wonders in reducing erosion, promoting ground water recharge, minimizing flooding and removing pollutants from stormwater runoff. Princeton Hydro President Geoff Goll, P.E. recently constructed one in his own yard and documented each of the steps so you can build your own too.
Testing your pond/lake water is an important part of preventing problems like harmful weed and algae growth. Princeton Hydro professionals can provide a comprehensive analysis and an array of eco-friendly approaches to control nuisance species and promote the continual health of your pond/lake. Learn more!
If you notice erosion occurring on your property, planting native plants can really help! Their roots stabilize the soil, reduce erosion and prevent sediment loading in your waterways, which has a huge impact on the water quality of downstream ponds, lakes and reservoirs!
Bring your community together to help preserve its natural resources. Princeton Hydro's team of natural resource scientists can help you get the ball rolling by preparing stewardship plans focused on controlling invasive species and protecting the long-term health of open spaces, forests habitats, wetlands and water-quality in your community.
Thanks for reading our blog and doing your part to improve water quality in your community!
Click here to learn more about Princeton Hydro's efforts to improve water quality and protect natural resources. And, click here to check out our recent blog: "How to Reduce Nutrients & Improve Water Quality with Biochar."
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