MakingWaves

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 10/09/2015 05:00 PM EDT
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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MakingWaves

What’s New in the Division of Water?

Grants Available to Implement the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda

DEC has announced the availability of $150,000 for projects that support the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda. Eligible projects include those that conserve, protect and restore fish, wildlife and their habitats; protect and improve water quality; and promote flood hazard mitigation and enhanced flood resiliency. Municipalities and not-for-profit corporations can apply for grant awards ranging from $15,000 to $50,000. More information on the Action Agenda and the Mohawk River Basin program are available on the DEC website.

How to apply:

Grant applications are available online at the New York State Grants Gateway.  The deadline for applying is 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2015.

Shower Better and Cut Utility Bills

In conjunction with Energy Action Month, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense® program has declared October to be Shower Better Month.  By saving water, homeowners also save the energy that is used to heat and deliver that water to faucets and showers.  As a WaterSense® partner, the NYSDEC is promoting Shower Better Month in New York as an opportunity to improve the water efficiency in homes across the state.  EPA estimates that replacing a showerhead with a WaterSense® labeled model can save four gallons of water per shower.  For an average family, this adds up to an annual savings of 2,900 gallons of water and 13 days of energy. 

Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices

New information about lakes with blue-green algae bloom notices has been posted today, October 9, on the DEC Blue-Green Algal Bloom Notices webpage.

This week, five waterbodies were added to the notification list, and blooms were reported in several locations in the state. This information is provided from about 113 waterbodies sampled in the last two to three weeks by DEC monitoring programs, volunteers and public reports.

Because waterbodies may have blue-green algae blooms that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating rafts, scums and discolored water – If you see it, avoid it and report it!

Report a suspected bloom

If you suspect you have seen a blue-green algae bloom, or you, your family, or pet has been in contact with a blue-green algae bloom, please follow the instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC.