According to an email from the Skaneateles Lake Association, the first harmful algal bloom of the season was spotted on the lake Monday morning.
According to the email, the bloom has since dissipated but could return.
The Village of Skaneateles shared an email from Joseph Awald, PE, commissioner of water with the City of Syracuse Water Department, who also reported the bloom had dissipated and in his email Awald said of the bloom, “No concern for our water supply.”
The entire SLA message, including links to resources on HABs follows below.
The Skaneateles Lake Association (SLA) Executive Director trained by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), as part of their Shoreline Monitoring program, recently reported a “Small Localized”
The bloom has also dissipated as of 11 a.m., but could re-establish with continuation of sunlight, high temperatures, and lack of wind.
This is the first confirmed report of a HAB for 2020 on Skaneateles Lake.
To help and learn more about identifying HABs, please click HERE.
After becoming familiar with what HABs look like, please click HERE to learn how you can take photos and report to NYSDEC your observations.
A map showing HABs recently reported in New York State including Skaneateles Lake can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Please share with the community. SLA will send more confirmed information along as it becomes available.
According to the NYSDEC:
People, pets and livestock should avoid contact with any floating mats, scums, or discolored water. Colors can include shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown or red.
Never drink, prepare food, cook, or make ice with untreated surface water, whether or not algae blooms are present. In addition to toxins, untreated surface water may contain bacteria, parasites, or viruses that could cause illness if consumed.
People not on public water supplies should not drink surface water during an algal bloom, even if it is treated, because in-home treatments such as boiling, disinfecting water with chlorine or ultraviolet (UV), and water filtration units do not protect people from HABs toxins.
Blooms can change locations and dissipate rather quickly, so it is important to use your best judgement when deciding to use the water and to keep an eye out for new bloom locations. See pictures at the bottom of this email to identify HABs and refer to this website:
https://www.dec.ny.gov/
Information according to NYSDEC regarding swimming can be found at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/
According to the New York State Department of Health:
Exposure to any cyanobacteria HABs can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled. This is true regardless of toxin levels; some blue-green algae produce toxins, while others do not. Exposure to blooms and toxins can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. People and pets should avoid contact with blooms, and should rinse off with clean water if contact occurs. For more information go to www.health.ny.gov/
Any questions or comments may be sent to [email protected]
Please refer to SLA’s “Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) tab” on our website (skaneateleslake.org) for updated information about Harmful Algal Blooms on our lake.
