MakingWaves - News From the Division of Water

In This Issue:

• Land Acquisition in Owasco Lake Watershed to Improve and Protect Water Quality
• Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications--Final Week

Land Acquisition in Owasco Lake Watershed to Improve and Protect Water Quality

DEC and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have announced the acquisition of a 203 acre parcel in the Owasco Lake watershed that will help protect public water supplies and safeguard riparian buffers and wetlands. The acquisition of the Hirst parcel in the town of Locke, Cayuga County, is the first of several parcels to be purchased by TNC with funding from New York State's Water Quality Improvement Project grant program that specifically targets the protection of source waters. 

Acquisition of the Hirst parcel builds upon the actions the State has already taken for Owasco Lake to reduce the frequency of harmful algal blooms, which are a persistent challenge in the Finger Lakes and waterbodies statewide. 

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications - Final Week

HAB occurrences are rare this time of year, and therefore, this is the last week MakingWaves will include information about HAB notifications until next spring. However, HABs may still occur on waterbodies throughout the fall and possibly winter, so continue to:  

Know it. Avoid it. Report it.

If you see a HAB, please use the reporting form to submit a report to DEC.  

Because waterbodies may have HABs that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating mats, scums, and discolored water.

Look for a summary of the 2020 NYHABS reports in a future MakingWaves edition.