Cuomo: Algae blooms threaten local water

From drinking water to fishing spots, New York's water is under threat.

The culprit? Simple algae.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have the potential to be fatal in drinking water and make bodies of water unsuitable for swimming and fishing. 

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Unlike environmental threats such as PCBs in the Hudson River, it isn't a matter of cause-and-effect.

"This is more insidious," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday. "There is no one cause that you can put your finger on. There is nothing that we can now go fix one thing and it's going to make a difference. And frankly, it's more frightening and more problematic."

In a series of summits announced by Cuomo, environmental leaders will research ways to prevent and repair harmful algal blooms. By examining the 12 most problematic lakes impacted by HABs, New York hopes to get ahead of a problem before it devastates the state's other bodies of water.

"(M)any of these lakes are sources of drinking water and once you have a polluted or dangerous source of drinking water, you have a real problem," Cuomo said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes harmful algal blooms as "when colonies of algae — simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater — grow out of control and produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds." 

While the situation regarding HABs isn't yet critical in terms of drinking water, Lloyd Wilson, director of the Bureau of Water Supply Protection, said the blooms also impact industries such as tourism and fishing.

"On regulated beaches, if a bloom is visible, that beach is required to close," Wilson said. "And there are other biological issues. All of that dying algae can absorb the oxygen, killing fish and other life in the water."

Wilson was one of several experts to discuss the impact of HABs during the first summit held at SUNY New Paltz. The summit focussed on Putnam Lake, Lake Carmel and Palmer Lake in Putnam County and The Monhagen Reservoir in Middletown.

The public portion of the summit will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the college's Student Union.

"So we can't tell you this is the formula and this is the solution," Cuomo said. "So what do we want to do? Start with twelve of the most problematic lakes, study those lakes, determine what is happening to cause the blooms in those lakes, address those lakes and hopefully learn from the exercise overall."

There's no one cause for HABs. Runoff, phosphorous, nitrogen, failed septic systems, factory residue and excess fertilizer all contribute in some way to HABs, but not in such a way that offers an easy solution. 

"It's all of the above, and there is no one thing where you can say, oh that's it," Cuomo said. "We should turn off that valve and we're going to be fine. Now we've seen it coming for years if you wanted to see it. You saw the growth in our lakes and our ponds. It was incremental. It was slow. It was over time. But it was there if you really paid attention. But now it is critical."

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW