CyanoHABs (Harmful Algal Blooms): 11 Blooms Reported, 5 Confirmed 

Average Secchi Disk Water Clarity: 6.8 meters

Average Surface Water Temperature: 75 .5 F

On Tuesday, July 23rd, we shared a mid-week update notifying the public that blooms were observed on the east side of Canandaigua Lake. Two cyanoHABs samples were collected that day and brought to the certified laboratory at the Finger Lakes Institute in Geneva for analysis. The blue-green chlorophyll content in the samples confirmed the blooms, as both were more than six times the DEC’s threshold of 25 micrograms per liter.

Here are some updates since our last communication:

• There were 11 bloom reports in total filed this monitoring week. Five of the blooms were confirmed by either lab analysis or by review from DEC. We anticipate more blooms to be confirmed as DEC updates its NYHABs website.
• Since Tuesday’s update, only one zone has reported suspicious blooms, noting slight streaking under the water surface and mild green water.
• Deep Run public beach in Gorham was closed on Tuesday 7/23 due to a bloom. It remains closed until the County receives the testing results to reopen.
• We completed our first full week of volunteer monitoring, with 77 total reports filed! Thank you to all the dedicated volunteers keeping a trained eye on Canandaigua Lake.
• The Secchi disk readings coming in today are showing an increase in clarity in open water areas – an 8.25 meter reading off Vine Valley and 7.3 meters of clarity of Bopple Hill.

As always, we encourage you to check the waterfront before swimming (or letting pets swim) to look for signs of cyanoHABs. Check out the resources below for examples. Conditions can change daily, if not hourly, so your best course of action is to get familiar with cyanoHABs to know what to look for.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or to report suspicious blooms. You can email us at HABS@canandaigualakeassoc.org.

The weather looks great…. enjoy the beautiful weekend by the lake!