Lake George sees algal bloom
Early October outbreak was 2nd cyanobacteria formation this year
A harmful algal bloom formed on Lake George in early October during a stretch of calm and sunny weather, the second concerning bloom of the year, according to state and local officials.
The formation of cyanobacteria was spotted in the Harris Bay area in the southeastern part of the lake near Assembly Point. Other blooms have also occurred in that area.
Dave Wick, executive director of the Lake George Park Commission, said that the harmful algal blooms on Lake George have mostly been small and short-lived but that they do pose long-term concerns. He also highlighted that none of the blooms has been identified as toxic.
“There have been a few warning shots across the bow, and we hope these stay limited,” Wick said in a recent interview.
The recent bloom was the second of the year and the fourth documented on the lake since one was first reported in October 2020. The state Department of Environmental Conservation received reports of the bloom on Oct. 6, Oct. 8 and Oct. 10, confirming “two small localized HABS,” according to a DEC statement.
“No impacts (to drinking water) were determined, though (the state Department of Health) reminds residents to never drink untreated surface water,” according to the DEC statement.
While the bloom in July was widely reported by local media outlets, following a press release issued by the Lake George Association a couple of days after the bloom was identified, the October bloom appeared to receive far less attention. The Lake George Association did not publicize the bloom, but local officials did report the bloom to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
During an Oct. 26 meeting, William Mason, a Lake George commissioner, mentioned seeing the bloom and said he wanted to note that in the interest of transparency.
Chris Navitsky, the Lake George waterkeeper, said he and other staff members at the Lake George Association reported the bloom to state officials but did not publicize it more broadly to the public, citing DEC’S ultimate responsibility on the issue. But Navitsky said he does think there needs to be a more consistent process to notify the public when future blooms occur.