Water Quality Update for September 30, 2022

Current Lake Conditions:

Harmful Algae Blooms:  3 Blooms reported today on the east side

Average Secchi Disk Water Clarity: 4.62 meters

Average Surface Water Temperature: 70.7 F

Lake Level: 687.64 feet above sea level (desired level 688.02)
Fall is officially here, and you never know what the weather will bring day-to-day. We’ve certainly had some cooler, rainy days mixed with stretches of calm, sunny weather. With this seasonal weather variability we can also expect to see variable lake conditions.

Today’s calm, sunnier conditions have brought a few reports of blooms on the east side of the lake. These are areas of moderate to dense surface streaking. Ontario Beach Park and Deep Run both had blooms along the shoreline today. This is a reminder to continue to use caution, especially if you have dogs swimming at the waterfront. See image from the Crystal Beach neighborhood below.
The timing of blooms is in line with what we’ve seen in the season’s past. Cyanobacteria are trying to optimize the light to use for photosynthesis and they may hang at the surface on calm days.

There are still a few more weeks left in the shoreline monitoring program and there will continue to be trained eyes on the lake well into the fall between paid watershed staff and volunteers. If you remember, in 2021 we had blooms late into October.

As always, please continue to use your visual indicators when recreating in the lake – conditions may change daily, if not hourly, so look for signs of surface streaking of algae, surface scums, or green/discolored water. These areas should be avoided.

The HABs and secchi disk monitoring programs are nearing an end for the season, but we are continuously thinking of ways to expand our monitoring networks in the future. If you are a CLWA supporter and would like to get involved in volunteering next season,  feel free to send us an email to HABs@canandaigualakeassoc.org and we will add you to our training list for next year!