10/31/2024
WT Staff
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October 31, 2024 updated 1024 am EDT
New bluegreen reports confirmed in Canandaigua Lake as the region reaches moderate drought
WT HAB Tracker from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and NYS DEC
New York
Eighty-eight active HABs in NYS Friday, up from 76 yesterday. Canandaigua Lake has three new blooms confirmed this week, the total active blooms in this Ontario County lake at 18, an even mix of small and large localized HABs with one open water bloom occurring in the north end. Harlem Meer and Upper Saranac Lake have been confirmed with new blooms this week, Beaver Dam Lake has another burst of bluegreen activity, 13 HABs in the Orange County lake. Reports made prior to Oct 17 have moved into the archive file overnight, the aged HAB reports for the season up to 1997. The combined active and archived HAB reports by water body list is available, here.
The latest satellite image of Lake Champlain was captured Oct 30, a cloud obscured picture. The prior image Oct 28 was nice and clear, we see a clear view of Lake Champlain with no apparent HAB activity. Lakewide HAB in Lake Carmi, VT is high concentration matching the color scale at 600 thousand cells per ml. According to the NCCOS Program, where HABs are observed by the early detection satellite monitoring program, cyanotoxins must be presumed present. State and local health authorities follow up with water sampling and lab testing for the common cyanotoxins and posting public warning advisories. See the NCCOS color image of Lake Champlain here.
Streamflow Situation from the USGS network of streamflow gauges
Streamflow gauges in the central drainage area including Hudson River and tributaries continue to run much below seasonal normal Friday. Fair and low 60's through the west and southeast this morning, heading for a mostly sunny day, high of 75, 30% chance of showers in the city tomorrow, 60% chance of showers upstate west Friday. The north is warmer today, sunny and clear, high 77 with wind advisory coming on late tonight gusts up to 50 mph off the north side of the Adirondacks until noon tomorrow, a 60% chance of showers upstate north this evening.
The Finger Lakes region has jumped up from below normal to moderate drought overnight, including Ontario County where Canandaigua Lake has been confirmed with three new HAB blooms this week. Also in the moderate drought patch of west NYS are south Wayne, Yates, Seneca, Schuyler, Tompkins and Cayuga Counties. Champlain watershed remains in severe drought in the upper end at East Essex and north Washington Counties, Upper Hudson River watershed area adjacent south has gone to from below normal to moderate drought rating through Saratoga and south Washington Counties. St. Lawrence River watershed now has two river systems and the immediately surrounding valley area rating severe drought, the immediately surrounding area of St. Lawrence County is rated moderate drought. Lake Ontario minor tributaries west section remains in moderate drought from Niagara to west Monroe, Niagara River - Lake Erie watershed remains in moderate drought through Erie County. The remaining watersheds are rated below normal with the exception of the Genesee, the upper portion of Mohawk River watershed, Chemung River watershed, Upper Delaware and a portion of Lower Hudson River watershed, these continue with normal streamflows, these are unrated on the drought map.
As of this report, there are two stations rated low, neither are 1st percentile.
Voluntary Water Conservation
The Town of Monroe is asking residents to conserve water as the lack of rainfall, low streamflows and drought conditions have dropped the level in the reservoir. Town of Monroe established 1799 is operates seven water treatment plants in Orange County, each licensed separately. The water districts impacted by the voluntary water conservation request include:
- Water District 1 - High Ridge, population 308, served by surface water source purchased from another licensed facility in Orange County
- Water District 2 - STRL Heights-Hor Manor with 128 residents supplied by a groundwater source
- Water District 7 - Oreco Terrace - distributes potable water to 47 residents served with surface water purchased from another facility
- Water District 8 - Skyview Hills - distributes potable water to 544 residents with surface water purchased from another licensed facility
- Water District 10 - Pine Tree Road - distributes potable water to 50 residents with surface water purchased from another licensed facility
- Water District 12 - Monroe Hills Estates - serves potable water to 196 residents from a groundwater well source in Orange County
- Water District 14 - Orchard Hills Estates - serves potable water to 196 residents from a groundwater well source in Orange County
Orange County is in the Lower Hudson River watershed, rated below normal on the USGS drought map for some time. The below normal streamflows are clearly impacting drinking water supplies in the area, including surface reservoirs and groundwater wells which may not be refreshing underground as fast as the water is withdrawn. Watch for reports of HABs and spills in the region as the water levels are lower and this tends to concentrate nutrients and contaminants spilled. Turn on the watershed layer to view the water events occurring in the same drainage area as Monroe, depicted on the map with a brown tag for low water level.
Check here for the latest hazardous spill report for NYS,
and the latest report of NYS water bodies impacted by HABs this season.
Safe Drinking Water Advisories
Rensselaer County: The Town of Brunswick issued a BWA last week Friday following repairs made in the distribution system. The boil advisory impacted customers east of McChesney Ave, Hoosick Road east of Route 142, Route 2, and Pinewoods east to Mountain View Area. Sycaway and the Northlake below the reservoir were not impacted by the boil order. The Town of Brunswick operates more than one licensed water treatment facility. The Brunswick Consolidated Water District serves 7050 residents with surface water purchased from another facility. This facility has Safe Drinking Water Act non-compliance records with the EPA for 12 of the last 12 quarters, including unaddressed violations of the Consumer Confidence Rule and lack of monitoring and reporting of Lead and Copper in the distribution system.
See the latest EPA - SDWA Compliance Report for NYS, October 2024, here.
See prior quarter EPA - SDWA Compliance Report for NYS, July 2024, here.
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