Good Morning Everyone, 10/3/2016
Last week, we had very few blooms of significant size.
Unfortunately, the cyanobacteria cells were still present in the water column, but the weather conditions were not
ideal for a bloom to develop at the surface. With the ability for the bacteria to migrate up and down in the water
column, the toxin producing organism made their way into water intakes for the City of Auburn and the Town
of Owasco and eventually into the treated drinking water. Luckily, the toxins are at low enough levels that
they are not a major health concern to children, pregnant women, or adult; but nevertheless, it is still a
major concern for the water quality of Owasco Lake. The most recent results for the State Health Department have
shown no detectable toxins in the drinking water for the City of Auburn and the Town of Owasco. We will
continue to monitor the situation along with the County Health Department.
Today marks the last day of the year for weekly
surveillance of your zone.
I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication
to help us better understand the frequency and severity of blooms in Owasco Lake. In the next few
weeks/months, the inspection Program, OWLA, Health Department, and the DEC will meet to discuss the next step
and hopefully come up with a plan to help minimize the impact Cyanobacteria on Owasco Lake. I think we
exceeded our expectations for the first installment of the “Owasco Lake HAB Program” and it was not
possible without the help of our 24 zone volunteers.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to report
a water quality concern, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
Sincerely,
Tim Schneider
Watershed Inspector
Owasco Lake Watershed Inspection Program
7413 County House Road
Auburn, NY 13021
Violations, & Technical Assistance:
ph(o): 315.252.4171 x-120
ph(c): 315.237.2066
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