The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said parts of the Connecticut River could soon appear bright red in color.
The USACE's New England District said the Engineer Research and Development Center will apply a tracer dye, called rhodamine, beginning this month at multiple sites along the river to "better understand water exchange dynamics as a part of a research project."
Officials will conduct a research and demonstration project to better understand and control the invasive aquatic plant, hydrilla, that is currently spreading through the lower Connecticut River and its tributaries.
The dye will be applied to four sites over the next few months: Keeney Cove in Glastonbury, Chapman Pond in East Haddam, Chest Boat Basin in Chester and Selden Cove in Lyme.
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Surrounding areas could also see a change in water color, but it's expected to be minimal and short term as the dye will dilute and dissipate with the flow and tides of the river, officials said.
Rhodamine, also known as RWT, is a fluorescent, xanthene dye that has been safely used for decades for water tracing to quantify time of travel in dynamic waters, according to USACE.
The district said the dye has no significant effects on aquatic organisms and has been proved to be safe for use during these types of studies.
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The dye is scheduled to be applied weekdays starting Aug. 7 through Sept. 15. The schedule is subject to change.
