8/20/2024
WT Staff
 August 20, 2024 926 am EDT
Highest flows ever recorded on an August 20: Beaver, Oswegatchie, St Regis, Salmon, Little Chazy, Great Chazy Rivers
Streamflow Situation from the USGS network of streamflow gauges in New York State
High flows recorded on Long Island Sunday and Monday are back down below the 99th percentile this morning, the north Nassau County creeks at Mill Neck and Cold Spring Harbor still recording 96th to 98th percentile while the south Nassau flows are back to their seasonal normal to much above normal ratings. Upstate flows north and west run normal to much above normal with a number of stations rated high - according to the New York Water Science Center, a high rating here "indicates that the estimated streamflow is the highest value ever measured for the day of the year." Record high streamflows for this date in water recording history are applied to Sandy Creek, East Branch Fish Creek, Beaver River, Oswegatchie, St Regis, Salmon, Little Chazy and Great Chazy Rivers in the northeast. NWS no longer forecasting hazardous weather or flood risk this week.
WT HAB Tracker
From NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: One hundred and twenty-six active bluegreen files populate the NYS HAB dashboard Tuesday as the number of reports continues to decline statewide. Multiple new blooms have been confirmed in the Finger Lakes region including Cayuga Lake with twelve active HABs, Canandaigua Lake with five blooms, Otisco Lake stays on the impacted water bodies list with a single HAB confirmed. Chautauqua Lake in Allegany River watershed is another bluegreen high flyer with a total of eleven HABs confirmed as of this report. See the impacted water bodies list here, updates are in progress.
from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and State sources where available
New York
The latest image of Lake Champlain was captured yesterday, Aug 19 under heavy cloud conditions. A previous image caught Aug 18 showed a slice of the northeast Baie Missisquoi HAB between clouds, concentration down to 600 thousand cells per 100 ml. The last clear image was acquired August 14, this same bluegreen bloom on that date at concentration 1 to 3 million cells per 100 ml. See our NY HAB report for more details here.
Lake Erie west basin
Ohio Department of Health has issued Recreational Health Advisories for algal toxin at Maumee Bay and South Bass Island State Parks yesterday morning following last week's water test results for total microcystins measured above safe level. Microcystins is a toxin that affects the kidneys and liver. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to the hepatotoxin causes damage to vital organs that may not be felt by way of symptoms including skin rash and nausea until damage to the liver has occurred. Dogs are especially sensitive to these toxins, there is no treatment for cyanotoxin poisoning. Follow the guidance on any Recreational Health Advisory issued, for health and safety, people and pets should have no contact with this water.
The latest satellite image of Lake Erie West basin was captured August 19 at very high wind speed, 21.1 mph. This and the previous image snapped Aug 18 are mostly cloud obscured with glimpses of the cyanobacteria showing between clouds. Patches of the bluegreen bloom visible Aug 19 indicate concentration around 1 million cells per 100 ml around Maumee Bay and North Maumee Bay, around 500 to 600 thousand cells per 100 ml in open water.
See the NCCOS images here.
Louisiana: The latest upload from the NCCOS August 19 is cloud obscured, the prior clear image captured August 18 at low wind speed 2 mph shows Lac des Allemands and Bayou Fortier hotspots have expanded in area and increased in concentration in both water bodies. The highest concentrations interpreted from the latest picture exceed 4 millon cells per 100 ml. Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas remain clear of HAB activity, or the HAB is too low concentration for detection. Field Lake has taken on a lakewide HAB at extreme concentration, 3 million cells per 100 ml. It would be safe to say this water would also contain cyanotoxins, keep your people and pets away from the water. Check out the latest satellite image from NCCOS here.
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