harmful algal blooms

Harmful algal blooms can cause a variety of health concerns, from mild rashes to severe illness. The problem is particularly bad in the Finger Lakes region.

Cayuga Lake has struggled with harmful algal blooms or HABs in recent years, but in 2021 unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rainfall may have extended their prevalence late into the year.

The draft plan focuses on a broad array of areas that largely focus on limiting the amount of phosphorus running into the lakes

The most recent HABs were in the northern part of Cayuga Lake.

In Tompkins County, educational activities and games were organized by FORCES, Friends of Recreation, Conservation and Environmental Stewardship.

Significantly more harmful algal blooms were reported on Cayuga Lake this year than in 2017. A local non-profit reports the 2018 blooms were more likely to contain toxins harmful humans and small mammals, like cats and dogs.