MakingWaves - May 26, 2017

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 05/26/2017 02:33 PM EDT
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC Delivers - Information to keep you connected and informed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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MakingWaves

The Division of Water has posted new announcements on its webpage.

This Week's Updates:

  • Harmful Algal Bloom Notification Season Begins
  • Extreme Weather Resilience Training
  • Sprinkler Spruce Up

Harmful Algal Bloom Notifications

DEC’s harmful algal bloom (HABs) notification season starts today. The HABs Notifications webpage will be updated every Friday through the fall, and a link and the number of waterbodies with blooms will be included in every MakingWaves.  

This week, 9 waterbodies were added to the notification list. There HABs Brochureare currently 9 waterbodies with blooms on the list.

New Brochure and Program Guide Available

To help educate the public about HABs, DEC released a new brochure (PDF, 415 KB) explaining how to detect, avoid and report HABs, as well as the health risks of HABs. DEC has also released a new Program Guide (PDF, 1.8 MB) that details how the DEC HABs Program works with partners to identify, track and report HABs throughout the state, and communicate health risks to the public.

Avoid and Report Suspected Blooms

Because waterbodies may have HABs 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 HAB, or you, your family, or pet has been in contact with a HAB, please follow the instructions for reporting a bloom to DEC. If you see it, avoid it and report it!

Build Resilience to Extreme Weather Events — Free Training

Thursday, June 22, 2017 | 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Leo W O'Brien Federal Building, Albany, New York

Registration is open for a free, hands-on interactive training to learn how to adapt to current and future extreme weather impacts on critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater assets. The New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are hosting this training on CREAT, a risk assessment application that helps utilities adapt to extreme weather events. For more information view the attached flyer.

Spruce Up Your Sprinkler Sprinkler Spruce Up

Planting a beautiful yard this spring? Spruce up your sprinkler before you ramp up your water use. Your plants need water, not your driveway. Make sure to direct your sprinklers so that they apply water only to the landscape—not the driveway, house, or sidewalk. Learn more on the EPA WaterSense Watering Tips webpage.