The green film that sometimes covers the Central Park Lake is an algae that can be dangerous to wildlife and sometimes smells unpleasant.
The city parks department is planning to ask state environmental regulators for permission to place bundles of dry barley straw in select algae-choked city ponds, according to Nadya Ali, an environmental analyst.
This would be an experimental treatment to try to prevent this situation from happening again.
Informal discussions are already underway, says Kevin Frazier, a spokesman for the state agency.
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