As the effects of last week’s tropical storm Debby subside, our watershed community continues to observe lingering impacts. The storm brought localized flooding, with rainfall amounts ranging from 3 to 5.5 inches in some areas within just a few short hours. With this runoff comes nutrients and sediments, and we are experiencing lower Secchi disk readings as a result of the increased turbidity. There has been a full-meter decrease in the weekly average Secchi disk reading since last week.

The intense rain also brought duckweed/watermeal that has been pushed out of the West River. I’m sure many of you have observed it! These tiny aquatic plants have been slowly making their way north with the lake currents. We have had reports of large swaths out mid-lake and the winds can also blow them into coves where they can collect. These can easily be mistaken for cyanoHABs because of their bright green color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While duckweed and watermeal are naturally occurring and are harmless on their own, cyanHABs can get mixed in. Look for green, murky water or surface streaks alongside the duckweed.

We did have 8 suspicious cyanoHABs reports come in from volunteers this week, although several of them appear to be duckweeds. There are a few reports of surface streaking in the mix as well, so please continue to exercise caution when recreating in the lake and letting pets swim.

Remember, conditions can change daily, if not hourly, so your best course of action is getting familiar with cyanoHABs to know what to look for.

Feel free to reach out with any questions at HABS@canandaigualakeassoc.org.