Conditions have improved since last Friday’s water quality update, as the impacts on the lake brought on by the significant flooding event on Sunday, July 9th are slowly subsiding. While there is still some debris out on the lake, this week the clarity began to increase as reported by Secchi disk volunteers. Last week’s weekly average water clarity was 3.2 meters, and this week the weekly average is up to 5.3 meters. Water clarity is measured using a Secchi disk, which helps us understand the amount of turbidity throughout the water column. A higher number means you can see further down into the lake.

Today also marks the kickoff of the 2023 Volunteer Shoreline CyanoHABs Monitoring Program. This year, we have 66 volunteers monitoring 59 different zones around the lake, reporting weekly on their findings. CLWA volunteers are trained on how to identify, report, and sample harmful algal blooms, contributing to the overall monitoring and research efforts on Canandaigua Lake.

We are thrilled to have the support of many interested volunteers in helping to enable scientific research and collect top-notch data that is used to track trends and help make informed watershed management decisions. Below you will find a graphic of the projects that our Citizen Science Committee has running this summer. Thanks to all who are involved!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each Friday, you will receive a weekly update summarizing the current lake conditions using reports from these ongoing research and monitoring programs. Updates are especially important when we are experiencing water quality concerns, so please help us spread the word by sharing updates with neighbors, family, and friends.