algal blooms

[68rooster]

I have been reading about the harmful algal blooms on the lake we are
coming up in sept. for the first time are they a real problem

[Phil]

Not in September. And they are not a huge problem at this time.

[RochNY]

I would like to expand on Phil's comment in answer to the original poster's question. The NYSDEC website was just updated this afternoon with the most recent testing results and now 29 lakes (most lakes are not even sampled) are suspected or confirmed as having Harmful Algal Blooms. Black Lake has once again had water from the bloom areas confirmed as having extremely high toxin levels.

Please AVOID areas of the lake that have visible algae floating near the shore and on the surface. Because Black Lake is so large, the vast majority of the lake is safe to fish and play in and at this point, none of the campgrounds' beaches have algae blooms though these can arise at any time. That's the difficult part of this--not all algae present is bad and even when we have the Harmful species, they're not always producing toxins. But when they do, these toxins are nothing to take chances with.

Late summer and early Fall typically has produced the most significant Harmful Algal Blooms, but again they are localized and easy to avoid because they're very visible.

It's important to note that lakes that are aggressively removing aquatic vegetation (weeds) are experiencing more HABs with toxins for longer periods of time. When the weeds are gone, the algae takes over. And lakes that use aquatic herbicides (chemicals) are having greater areas of blooms of longer duration with more frequent and higher concentrations of toxins.

Black Lake is still one of the best lakes in the eastern U. S. and folks should NOT hesitate to enjoy it! With common sense and reasonable care, folks will have a safe and enjoyable time on the lake well into Fall. For more information, go to these links: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/83310.html and http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/77118.html .

Sincerely,
Rich Henderson, Director, Black Lake Association

[492VS]

Made the list again for 2014. Was wondering if they still sampled cause I saw the stuff two weeks ago around my place.

[RochNY]

The Black Lake Association continues (as it has for many years now) it's biweekly water sampling as a participant in the NY Federation of Lake Association's (NYSFOLA) Citizens' Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP). Our volunteer water sampler takes samples specifically geared toward identifying Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) whenever he sees a suspicious bloom--he saw one near the causeway last week. The state lab confirmed that it was indeed five different species of harmful algae. Please recall that just because these species are present, it doesn't necessarily follow that toxins are present. The results of toxin analysis for the sample won't be in for a few more days. Meanwhile, it is wise to avoid any/all algae bloom areas. If you do get in it or if a pet gets into algae-thick water, wash off immediately with lots of fresh water. Do not allow pets to groom themselves by licking their fur. Also do not consume any fish taken from water where extensive algal blooms are present.

If you notice an algal bloom anywhere else in the lake with the appearance of bright blue-green or green paint on the water, please notify us and we will try to sample it. With just one trained volunteer, that may not happen immediately, but a detailed description of the location and approximate size of the bloom will be helpful. Meanwhile, stay safe--stay out of the algae and continue to have fun at Black Lake--the vast majority of our lake is safe for swimming and fishing.

Rich Henderson, Board Member, Black Lake Association

[ShaneO19]

The algae so far is definitely much less worse then the previous 2 years. I think maybe the higher water and cooler spring this year has helped. That being said, there were a few clumps of blue algae near my island the past week. Only in one small area where the water is more stagnant. Anywhere south of the wide part of the lake there was little to no algae. Anywhere from Lonesome Bay north there was algae but nothing severe. Also to note there seems to be far fewer weeds in the lake this year which is nice.