Observation Dates: Thru 8/21/2022
% Zones Monitored: 7%
Suspicious Blooms:  49
Confirmed Blooms:  39

Week three of the Seneca Pure Waters' Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring season is in the books and there were several blooms found. We had 59 zones covered or about 70% of the actively monitored zones.

As many of you already know, last Tuesday volunteers spotted the first blooms of the season. The timing was consistent with previous years--third week of August. Significant bloom activity occurred on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The winds picked up Sunday and although we do not anticipate blooms during windy conditions, there was a bloom spotted in the docking area along the Geneva lakefront. 

Blooms were spotted in all four quadrants, but by far the most were found on the eastern shore, mostly toward the northern end of the lake. In addition, volunteers reported visible Cyanobacteria blooms far away from shore in both the north and south. 

We also received many emails with photos from the general public, plus a few phone calls expressing concern. We appreciate the support and interest. 

Last week's blooms were more intense than we typically see at the very beginning of the season. What this means for the rest of the season is unknown. In 2020, August was fairly active, but September was very quiet. We will remain vigilant, so stay tuned. 

It is important to remember that blooms are transient. They come and go. Our volunteers are not out looking every day and we cannot monitor the entire shoreline. Therefore, it is important for everyone using the water now to know what HABs look like and to avoid them when they are visible. HABs occur frequently in shallow, still water and are often seen in marinas.