MakingWaves - News from the Division of Water

This Week's Updates:

• Reminder: Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Open
• 2019-2023 Draft Lake Erie Lakewide Action and Management Plan Available for Public Review
• Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications
• Flood Proofing Workshop
• DEC and Peconic Land Trust Announce Second Preservation of Pine Barrens Land Critical to Protect Long Island's Sole Source Aquifer

Reminder: Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Open

Water Quality Improvement Project grant, Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant and Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning Grant applications are being accepted through the CFA until 4 p.m. on July 26, 2019.

2019-2023 Draft Lake Erie Lakewide Action and Management Plan Available for Public Review

In accordance with the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a draft 2019-2023 Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) has been prepared for Lake Erie and the connecting St. Clair – Detroit River System, and is currently available for review and comment on Binational.net.

The draft LAMP was developed by the Lake Erie Partnership, a collaborative team of natural resource managers led by the governments of the United States and Canada, in cooperation and consultation with state and provincial governments, Tribal governments, First Nations, municipal governments, and watershed management agencies. The LAMP for Lake Erie identifies key priorities for the lake and connecting rivers, and guides the coordination of binational environmental protection and restoration activities aimed at preserving and protecting Lake Erie’s water quality and ecosystem health.

Please use Binational.net's Contact Us page to direct your questions and comments by August 26, 2019.

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications

Visit NYHABS, DEC’s HABs notification map, to view locations of current freshwater HABs in New York State. Each yellow dot on the map represents a HAB reported in the past two weeks. Click on a dot for more information, including the date it was reported, the waterbody name, and pictures. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen to view a list of reported HABs.

Know it. Avoid it. Report it.

If you see a HAB, please use the new reporting form to submit a report to NYHABS. Because waterbodies may have HABs that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating mats, scums and discolored water.

If you, your family, or pet have been in contact with a HAB, please rinse with clean water and report any symptoms to your local health department. 

Flood Proofing Workshop

A free Flood Proofing Workshop for community officials and an Open House for community members will be held at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Hwy, Great River, NY on July 9. The workshop is from 1 – 4 p.m., and the open house is from 5 – 7 p.m. Learn what flood proofing options are available, as well as what state and federal programs exist to assist your community with flood proofing. For more information, visit DEC's Floodplain Management Training Resources web page.

DEC and Peconic Land Trust Announce Second Preservation of Pine Barrens Land Critical to Protect Long Island's Sole Source Aquifer

DEC and the Peconic Land Trust announced the preservation of a second parcel in the Central Pine Barrens Core to help protect Long Island's groundwater. The parcel, located in the Town of Brookhaven, is the second on Long Island to be approved and purchased with funding from DEC's Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grants to specifically target the protection of source waters. For more information, view DEC's June 28 press release.