Volunteer HABs Monitoring Program

Since 2018, CLWA has recruited and trained Volunteers to monitor a section of waterfront shoreline for 10weeks starting in late July through early October, reporting both “bloom” and non-bloom conditions. A subset of these volunteers who observe blooms also collect water samples for analysis at the NYS certified lab at the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart & William Smith Colleges. All findings are submitted through an online using a system developed by Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association. Volunteer reports and sample results help us assess overall lake conditions, allows us to send timely public notifications about water quality during the bloom season, and share the data with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council, NYS DEC, and regional scientific research partners. Findings are reported on our website, Facebook page, Instagram, and in our email blasts.

Starting with just 14 volunteers in 2018, we are proud to have expanded to over 70 – providing greater coverage, “eyes on the lake” this year! We thank our volunteers and are pleased to provide regular reports through our Water Quality Updates each Friday July through October. Your support and this effort help us increase our understanding of the cyanobacteria dynamics in Canandaigua Lake and to provide public notification on the safety of the water.

2026 Volunteer HABs Monitor Resources 

Volunteers who participate in HABs monitoring are encouraged to review the online resources to familiarize themselves with the online reporting tools for the monitoring season.

2026 Interactive HAB Map for Canandaigua Lake

The interactive bloom map and volunteer program reporting is thanks to a partnership with Seneca Lake Pure Waters.

PLEASE NOTE: Water quality conditions can change daily, if not hourly. This map serves as a record of the reports that have come in this season and may not indicate current lake conditions. Please continue to use your visual indicators and look for suspicious algal activity before recreating in the lake. If no blooms are observed during the sampling week, then no markers will appear.

This interactive map and volunteer program reporting is thanks to a partnership with Seneca Lake Pure Waters.

How you can report suspicious blooms

Help by collecting information on blooms:

• Location (GPS coordinates, address, or geographic description of the area )
• Photos
• Description – Was it streaky, globby, thread-like, spilled paint, pea soup, scummy, silky, or have small leaves? What color was it?
• How large of an area did it cover?
• How long was it there?

Report Suspected Blooms to HABs@canandaigualakeassoc.org.

Trained Volunteers can use this link to report the activity in their zones.