Early Water Quality Update for Tuesday, August 27th

 

LAKE – WIDE cHABS

CLWA’s 67 trained cHABs (cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms) Volunteers have submitted 52 reports of blooms since last Friday afternoon!

Locations range from near German Brothers and Walton Point on the west side of the lake and from the Country Club to Deep Run and south to Vine Valley on the east side (VV beach is closed). While several beach operators are saying goodbye to their college-age lifeguards, do not assume that if your favorite beach is unstaffed, the water has been monitored by paid professionals.

cHABS can form mid-lake and along the shoreline. Based on our 5 years of sampling and NYS-certified lab analysis, blooms on Canandaigua Lake are more toxic than those on other Finger Lakes. Tropical Storm Debby fed the lake with nutrients that, in combination with the warm, calm weather, are producing lake-wide cHABS.

PLEASE use caution with young children, pets, and those with compromised immune systems, severe allergies and asthma – if entering the water. The long-term exposure to cyanotoxins is not well studied but the EPA and NIH both reference organ damage, particularly to the liver. Exposure, ingesting, and inhaling aerosolized cHABS are unsafe for pets and people. Symptoms can include rashes (skin, eyes), asthma-like cough, vomiting, and diarrhea; please contact your doctor and the local DOH Ontario County Public Health or Yates County Health Department.

The US EPA recommends that when blooms are visible, to avoid:

  • Playing & swimming
  • Jet-skiing & tubing through streaks/blooms as accidental inhalation is also a pathway for ingestion
  • Eating fish caught during blooms
  • Pets from entering the lake; if your dog has gotten into the water, please rinse thoroughly, provide plenty of fresh water, and watch for signs of GI or neurologic distress. Call your vet immediately if your dog displays symptoms and tell them about their exposure.
Always avoid water that is bright green, streaked, foamy, or is cloudy-brownish – especially following a rain storm!

The cHABS map on our website is updated more frequently than the DEC’s NYHABS – please check here first for the most current information available. https://www.canandaigualakeassoc.org/…/shoreline-habs…/

IF you are confidently observing a bloom, please take 3 good pictures with your location services toggled on and submit a report to the NYSDEC NYHABs portal: on.ny.gov/habform

Due to reduced office staffing this summer and the high volume of public reports coming into our email (HABS@canandaigualakeassoc.org), we apologize in advance for missing any questions; please use our website or feel free to contact the Watershed Manager at 585.396.3630 or your local/municipal beach operator.

Photos taken at Deep Run Beach at 3:45 on 8/27/24