8/14/2024
Wt Staff
 August 14, 2024 1137 am EDT
Did Lake Erie bluegreen just hit a high concentration record?
WT HAB Tracker
from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and State sources where available
Lake Erie west basin
Get a look at the Lake Erie HAB here.
Lake Erie looks to set a new record for high concentration HAB. The latest image from NCCOS was captured August 13 at a low surface wind speed 4.3 mph.
A clear view of the western Lake Erie HAB reveals an enormous, dense hot spot in open water, approximately thirty-five square nautical miles that has inflamed to multiple millions of cells per 100 ml sample. The highest levels inside this raging mass appear five to six millon cells, a possible concentration record. WTOH has reached out to the NCCOS for a statement, more to follow.
According to Richard Stumph, Program Manager for the NCCOS HAB monitoring, extreme high concentrations build up where HAB mats are piled up by the wind and trapped along a sheltered shoreline, forming a scum. August 2023 Maumee Bay State Park microcystins reached a level 85 times the EPA guidelines for recreational water safety.
The Maumee Bay State Park hot spot has also dramatically expanded, three to four million cells in a large area of the water both on and off shore. As we write this report, Department of Health has not posted a new beach advisory here. Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducts the recreational water testing for the Maumee Bay State Park, inquiries have been made, more to follow. Get a look at the Lake Erie HAB here.
New York
One hundred and eighty-two active HABs are confirmed in New York midweek, down from a peak 235 reports last weekend. New reports have come on for Chautauqua Lake, Oneida Lake, Harlem Meer is back on the impacted list for a second wave along with Waneta Lake, coming out of the 2024 archives.
Bluegreen algae impacted water bodies are listed here.
The latest image in from NCCOS was snapped August 12, completely cloud obscured. A previous image captured Aug 11 showed a sliver of the Baie Missisquoi HAB with high concentration in the league of 800 to 900 thousand cells per 100 ml. See our latest report here.
Louisiana: The latest upload from the NCCOS was captured August 12 at moderate wind speed 5.3 mph. Lac des Allemands is the undisputed HAB leader in the last few days, the bloom here continues to increase in concentration, the west bay joining the center and southeast hot spots at the extreme high level 3 million cells per 100 ml or more. Check out the latest satellite image from NCCOS here.
California: The new bluegreen bloom report expected Friday afternoon head of the weekend, not yet available as of this update Tuesday. WTCAL connected with Director of EPA for Big Valley Pomo Tribe for an update on Clear Lake, more to follow.
The latest HAB Recent Bloom report is dated August 2, seven water bodies are posted with DANGER level advisories, including Lago Los Osos, Lake Chabot, Lake Anza, Discovery Bay, Contra Loma Reservoir, Big Break Regional Shoreline and Copsey Creek. Three water bodies have been posted with HAB Warning level advisories, including Discovery Bay, Tahoe Keys and San Luis Reservoir's Dinosaur Point Boat Launch. Caution advisories have been activated for another 31 sites. See the California HAB tracker report with advisories by watershed region, HAB DANGER and WARNING advisories are pinned to the map with bluegreen tags, the full list is here.
Georgia:
Georgia's Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island beaches were still testing clear of bacterial contamination on Monday this week, the update is unavailable as of this report. Flooding in the south could contribute to higher bacterial levels around the beaches, exercise caution and watch for advisory signage.
Two permanent advisories for Jekyll Island tested clear for bacteria in the last quarterly water sample taken July 1, 2024. Since the flooding event caused by Tropical Storm Debby, no new test results are available for these beaches under permanent advisory. Assume bacterial contamination may be a factor, watch for local signage.
Georgia's Coastal Health District advises pet-owners on the harms of bluegreen algae. If your pet has been in contact with water containing bluegreen algae, "Wash your pet immediately with tap water, and don’t let your pet lick its fur until it has been washed. Harmful algal blooms are especially dangerous for our pets. Animals can die within hours after exposure to a harmful algal bloom. Some symptoms in pets include: too much saliva, weakness, staggered walking, difficulty breathing, convulsions, or even death."
If you think your pet may be sick because of a harmful algal bloom, consult your veterinarian right away.
No new information has been found on the presence of HABs in Georgia since our last update. Georgia Environmental Protection Division does accept reports from the public of suspicious algal blooms. As we receive updates from EPD, the results will be found here.
Fifty three reference sites in the monitored streamflow network of the USGS are still in active flood mode midweek, including seven in WT coverage area, all in south Georgia. Drinking water infrastructure is often impacted by weather and climate events, here is where we track boil water advisories. Watch for water advisories in your local area, be sure to boil water for minimum of one minute at a rolling boil to sanitize from potential microbiological contamination.
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