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DEC's 2016 Summary of Harmful Algal Blooms in NYS

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:50 am
by RochNY
The following is from DEC's Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) webpage. The Black Lake Association participates annually in the Citizens' Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) that is referenced in the summary. We provide samples to a state-certified laboratory that provides the data. As you may know, Black Lake was on that DEC list a number of times this year as well as in prior year. HABs are a common problem throughout NY, the U.S. and the world.

From DEC:
2016 Year End Summary

During the 2016 sampling season (May – October), over 170 waterbodies around the state were listed on the HABs Notifications webpage. Over 3,000 total samples and reports were collected by DEC and its partners, and of those, about 840 had evidence of cyanobacteria HABs. The HABs notifications are summarized in the 2016 HABs Archive (PDF, 211 KB), and in the 2012-2016 HABs Archive Summary (PDF, 316 KB).

DEC documented 39 waterbodies with Suspicious Blooms, 95 waterbodies with Confirmed Blooms, and 38 waterbodies with Confirmed with High Toxins Blooms. These incidences ranged from a single observation to widespread blooms that were persistent throughout the season. The 2016 DEC Lakes Monitoring Program identified 92 waterbodies with HABs. Public reporting outside of monitoring programs identified 23 waterbodies with HABs.

DEC’s Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program and the Lake Classification and Inventory Program contributed extensively to HABs reporting and sample collection in 2016.