8/30/2024
WT Staff
 August 30, 2024 920 am EDT
Lake Champlain Maquam Bay HAB
WT HAB Tracker from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS), Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) and State sources where available
A program for the advanced detection and monitoring of HABs in the USA is a collaborative effort by a number of national entities including NOAA, NASA, CDC and others. The focused effort of these agencies has accelerated the development of technologies for sensing and monitoring the harmful blooms, leading to better understanding of their growth and movement, of their potential toxicity. With careful monitoring and knowledge transfer to and from the local experts, negative health effects can be minimized for wildlife and human populations. According to the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science forecasting program information on line, "We have now reached a point in several regions where the understanding of these blooms is mature enough to put into place the detection and monitoring tools, and to bring these systems into an operational capacity." The benefits of these efforts to study and comprehend the impact and risk of cyanotoxins leads to better drinking water treatment and increased safety in consumption of fish and shellfish and in the enjoyment of recreational water bodies and beaches.
New York State HAB reports keep coming in, another record breaking count today: 317 HABs current and confirmed in the freshwater lakes, rivers and reservoirs. First HAB of the season has been reported for Bonds Lake in Bonds Lake County Park in Niagara County. Yesterday we saw a first HAB of the season on Canadarago Lake. The Finger Lakes represent the majority of the HAB activity presently, a count is in progress. HABs reported prior to August 16 have been transferred to the archive file, now 663 reports deep. The latest impacted water body list is available here, updates are in progress as more reports are confirmed by the DEC.
Another clear visual of Lake Champlain dated Aug 29 is mostly clear, a good view of the high concentration Baie Missisquoi HAB bunched up at the north shore in Canada, appearing 2 to 3 millon cells per ml by the concentration color scale. Lake Carmi lakewide HAB matches the color scale for 1 million cells per ml. St Albans Bay in Vermont is hosting a widespread HAB 900 thousand to 1 million cells with a small hotspot along the south shore 2 million cells. A new area of water manifesting HAB activity today, the Maquam Bay showing off widespread HAB at a low concentration below 100 thousand cells per 100 ml. Water east of Shelburne Bay, likely Shelburne Pond, continues to show off a lakewide HAB above 3 million cells. See the NCCOS color images, here.
Safe Drinking Water Advisories
Lake Champlain watershed: Clinton County, parts of Plattsburgh under a BWA following a water main break on Tuesday. Customers connecting on 171-196 Oak Street and 68 Riley Avenue are affected by the order until further notice. From the US EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online, Greater Plattsburgh Water District serves 11,162 people from a groundwater well source. The facility was last inspected October 2023, non-compliance with the SDWA noted in 12 of the last 12 quarters, the matter concerning the monitoring and reporting of Lead and Copper, unaddressed since 2002.
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