The End of a Great WAVE Sampling Season

The three month WAVE sampling season that ends today was the most productive season to date. DEC’s WAVE project (Water Assessments by Volunteer Evaluators) partners with citizen scientists across NY State to assess water quality conditions in freshwater rivers and streams.

This year’s success was due in large part to partners who serve as local coordinators, recruiting and training their own WAVE teams. Through these partnerships, DEC was able to expand the reach of the project significantly.

Thank you to this year's WAVE partners

Join the WAVE

Sampling will resume again July 1, 2017. WAVE training sessions will be held next spring in the Lake Champlain, Susquehanna River, and Atlantic Ocean/ Long Island Sound basins. For information on how to become a WAVE participant, contact wave@dec.ny.gov.  

Black River Watershed 9 Element Plan Uploaded to DEC Website

DEC, in coordination with Black River watershed stakeholders, recently approved the "Black River Nine Element Watershed Management Plan: Reducing Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Sediment loading in priority Sub Watersheds." Nine Element Watershed Plans identify and describe sources of pollutants, water quality goals, and needed pollutant reductions and actions to meet those goals.

The plan can be accessed on DEC's Nine Element Watershed Plans webpage, and more information is available in DEC’s September 26 press release.

Drug Enforcement Administration to Collect Prescription Drugs

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will conduct a nationwide prescription drug collection on Saturday, October 22, 2016 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Collections will be held at many locations around New York and are the best way to dispose of unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Collection locations in New York can be found on DEA’s National Take Back Initiative webpage.

For more information about drugs in water and DEC’s work to keep drugs out of our water, visit DEC’S Drugs in New York’s Waters webpage.

Research has shown that continuous exposure to low levels of medications has altered the behavior and physiology of fish and aquatic life

Drought in Effect in NYS--Help Conserve Water

Most of Western NYS remains under a drought warning, with the rest of the state under a drought watch. You can do your part to save water.

Plug up the sink or use a wash basin if washing dishes by hand. If you use a dishwasher, scrape plates instead of rinsing before loading into the dishwasher.

For more tips on conserving water, visit DEC’s Saving Water Makes Good Sense webpage. 

Harmful Algal Bloom Notices

New information about lakes with harmful algal blooms has been posted today, September 30, on the DEC Harmful Algal Blooms Notifications webpage.

This week, 6 waterbodies in several locations in the state were added to the notification list. There are currently 58 waterbodies with blooms on the notification list.

Avoid and report suspected blooms

Because waterbodies may have harmful algal blooms that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating mats, scum and discolored water.

If you suspect you have seen a harmful algal bloom, or you, your family, or pet has been in contact with a harmful algal bloom, please follow the instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC. If you see it, avoid it and report it!