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BY PAUL A. SPECI T aspecht@newsobsei,ver.com RALEIGH The state Senate might in- troduce a freshwater mussel species into Jordan and Falls lakes to reduce algae and clean the water. The state Senate budget proposal that passed a second reading on Thursday earmarks $500,000 from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to study whether certain mus- sels can effectively clean Jor- dan and Falls lakes, which provide drinking water to hun- dreds of thousands of Triangle residents. The mussel study is one of several proposals in the Senate budget that environmentalists said would be detrimental to water bodies across North Car- olina. "This should be a concern for all in Wake County because it affects all of our water," said Karen Rindge, executive direc- tor of WakeUP Wake County. While a Stanford University study found that freshwater mussels can clean chemicals from some waterways, it's un- clear how they would work on algae in stagnant water. Michael Mallin, a research professor of marine and estua- rine ecology at UNC- Wilming- ton, said he doubted that in- troducing mussels into the lakes would clean the water. In stag- nant lake waters, he said, the mussels could further harm the water. "The nutrients in the algae: the mussels are going to excrete a lot of it - ammonia and phos- phorus - back into the water," Mallin said. Among other moves, the Sen- ate proposal would delay until 2020 stringent development restrictions - known as the Jor- dan Lake Rules on upstream communities like Greensboro that the then - Democrat -led General Assembly approved in 2009. In the meantime, the Senate proposal instructs state authorities to come up with alternative in -lake methods for cleaning water. It also would repeal require- ments for riparian buffers along rivers statewide, including the Neuse. Riparian buffers are the strips of natural land next to waterways that filter out pollu- tants before they reach the water. The mussel idea comes less House to protect North Car - than a month after the state olina's water with science -based Department of Environmental solutions. Quality announced that it would Republicans in the Senate on remove the controversial Thursday aimed to use science water- churning devices known against proponents of upstream as SolarBees from Jordan Lake restrictions. because they aren't working. Sen. Trudy Wade, a Guilford "While creative, proposing the County Republican, quoted the use of mussels to clean up Jor- Army Corps of Engineers in dan Lake is possibly the only claiming Jordan Lake would idea bad enough to make Solar- always be impaired. Bee water mixers sound plausi- In that vein, Sen. Rick Gunn ble," said Dustin Chicurel- suggested the Jordan Lake Rules Bayard, communications direc- were too harsh on his constitu- tor of the N.C. Sierra Club. ents. "Why is the Senate putting "To sit here and want to put major policy issues into the all this on the upstream commu- budget, once again ?" he said. nities is asinine," said Gunn, an "The Senate budget will elim- Alamance County Republican. inate protections for waterways Senate Democrats, mean - owned by all of us - all while while, called the proposal un- end - running the normal legisla- necessary. tive process." "It's bad science. It's bad The state House of Repre- policy," said Sena Mike Woodard sentatives must vote to approve of Durham County. "And it's a the proposal, and Gov. Pat waste of money to the tax - McCrory must sign it before it payers." becomes law. Chicurel- Bayard said envi- Paul A. Specht: 919 - 829 -4870, ronmentalists are turning to the @AndySpecht