New York State's Water Quality Rapid Response Team, national experts and local stakeholders collaboratively developed Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action Plans for twelve priority lakes that are vulnerable to HABs. These twelve lakes represent a wide range of conditions and the lessons learned will be applied to other impacted waterbodies in the state.
- Action plans have been developed for the priority lakes, including five of the Finger Lakes within the Lake Ontario watershed.
- Each action plan identifies contributing factors fueling HABs and immediate actions that can be taken to reduce the sources of pollution that spark algal blooms.
- $60 million in grant funding has been allocated for implementation, which includes advanced research and monitoring, in-lake mitigation pilot projects, and a variety of other mitigative actions.
While HABs have not been identified in New York State waters of Lake Erie, the State has established and implemented various programs and initiatives to research water quality issues throughout the state relating to HABs, including the priority lake Action Plans.
NYSDEC works closely with other state agencies to identify and respond to HABs under its statewide HAB Program, including an ArcGIS based public reporting platform.