The dozens of tributaries that feed into Skaneateles Lake run the risk of carrying nutrient surges that can fuel harmful algal blooms, particularly in the warmer months. Rainfall can flush nitrogen and phosphorus from farms and septic systems into streams and lakes. State officials last week activated its annual notification system to monitor for the potentially toxic events in our region’s waters.
In Skaneateles Lake, which provides drinking water to the city of Syracuse, at least 65 blooms were reported through the system last year. That’s compared to three in Lake Ontario and two in Otisco Lake, the water sources for Onondaga County.
Richard Stumpf, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the blooms can cause skin irritation when swimming or worse if ingested.
“If you swallow the water, there's a risk of gastrointestinal (issues), and if you consume a lot, then it becomes liver and kidney disease,” said Stumpf, who conducts NOAA's bloom forecasting for Lake Erie.
Treatments to eliminate any toxins from drinking water are well established, Stumpf said. However, Skaneateles Lake is largely untreated because its pristine quality earned it a special pass from the federal government. But a city of Syracuse spokeswoman said in an email officials increase chlorine levels when necessary but most blooms “dissipate quickly.”
Not all algal events are toxic, but it is difficult to confirm without testing, and Stumpf said blooms can be fatal to pets.
"If you see scum, keep your dog out of the water because the toxin is deadly to dogs and they swim with their mouth open,” he said.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation notification system that launched last week for the 2022 season helps track the location and duration of blooms to warn the public. Only a handful across the state have been reported so far, according to the map.
DEC research scientist Lew McCaffrey said the monitoring includes a network of trained community members.
“Which have been particularly successful in the Finger Lakes in finding where blooms occur and how long they occur for,” McCaffrey said.
Contributing community members to the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program also collect multiple samples over the summer for state researchers to monitor water quality.
According to the DEC’s notifications from last year, Cayuga Lake experienced the most observed harmful algal blooms with 117. Canandaigua Lake had the second most with 84, followed by Seneca Lake with 72. Skaneateles Lake ranked fourth.
However, the list does not mention Lake Erie, which is closely watched by NOAA. The Great Lake was the site of a large unexpected harmful algal bloom in 2014 that prompted Toledo officials to shut off the Ohio city's water supply.
This story comes from WAER's Syracuse Speaks episode on the region’s water systems.
