A Mountain Garden of Eden

The Arcane Blue Green Algae & what we know

An ancient world rediscovered

In his science fiction classic, The Lost World, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented an isolated terrain high on a mountain plateau, which acted as a biological time machine to preserve prehistoric plants and dinosaurs (just waiting for Doyle's heroes to discover). The geological reality of the Klamath Lake terrain is more extraordinary than Doyle's fantasy - and it is the key reason for the extraordinary nutritional qualities of Super Blue Green Algae.

In the shadow of Shasta

Nestled within the Cascade Mountains in the center of Southern Oregon (with the legendary Mount Shasta in full view), Upper Klamath Lake is fed by a mix of pure streams and creeks, natural springs and two major snow-fed rivers, the Wood River and Williamson River. With mountainous terrain to the west and north and the town of Klamath Falls lying downstream to the south, the Lake is naturally isolated and protected from any infringement of human development that could compromise its purity.

Where algae rules

Despite the Lake's massive size, it has never yielded to commercial development - boating or other recreational activities are made virtually impossible on any large scale by the thick growth of Blue Green Algae. It is as if Nature had carefully designed the perfect environment to keep the hand of Man from despoiling this natural treasure!

The result?

The surrounding volcanic geology pours a rich legacy of minerals into the Lake each year. In this age of rapidly acidifying lakes and streams, this Oregon "Lost World" environment not only shelters the lake, it also allows it to maintain a richly alkaline pH level.

A treasure trove of minerals

Where do these minerals come from? For the past 10,000 years, since the last retreat of West Coast glaciers, the Lake has served as a "nutrient trap" for a rich supply of minerals, volcanic silt, organic nitrogenous matter and other nutrients washed in from some 4,000 square miles of land surface, much of it mountainous.

For a hundred centuries

In this environment of abundant minerals, natural nitrogen, fresh water and sunlight, Super Blue Green Algae has for a hundred centuries had the perfect opportunity to flourish to its full potential.

100,000 tons of growth every year

And flourish it does! Each year the Lake's 594,000 acre-feet of water produce in excess of 200 million pounds of its unique strain of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Properly managed, enough Blue Green Algae could be produced to feed one or two grams per day to every person on the planet.

Nutrient rich sediment

Much of the Algae produced by Upper Klamath Lake each year remains within the Lake system; over the millennia, this has gradually built up a thick blanket of nutrient rich sediment on the Lake's floor. This annual deposit has resulted in a layer of sediment that at points reaches 35 feet in depth.

Just how rich is this sediment?

The top one inch contains enough nutrients to support the massive annual bloom of Algae for 60 years - even without any new nutrients coming into the Lake!

Back to Articles Directory

Official COB disclaimer statement: Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

millenium2 Home | Super Blue Green Algae Main Page
Sweet Mystery of Life Graphics | Inventing The Good Life Seth Blog
At Your Fingertips Web Directory