Current HAB Conditions on Chautauqua Lake:
- Permitted Public Beaches: Click the link below to view the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services Beach Closings website. This page provides information on permitted public bathing beaches in Chautauqua County.
- HAB Reports (NYHABS): Click the link below to view the New York State Harmful Algal Blooms Notification Page (NYHABS). This link provides the user with spatial information pertaining to the approximate locations of reported HABs. Please note this link is typically active from May through October (typical NYS DEC HAB reporting season).
HAB Related Work On Chautauqua Lake
- The Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Action Plan seeks to identify factors contributing to HABs in Chautauqua Lake and identifies actions that could be taken to address HABs. The plan was published in 2018 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health, and Department of Agriculture and Markets.
- In 2020 the US Army Corps of Engineers led a pilot test on Chautauqua Lake of its innovative HAB removal technology called the Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System (HABITATS).
What is a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)?
- NYS DEC HAB Brochure: Click the link below to view the NYS DEC HAB Brochure, which provides useful information on how to identify and report HABs and provides guidance on what the public should do if they observe a HAB.
- NYS HAB Warning Sign: Click the link below to view the NYS HAB Warning Sign, which advises the public not to swim, fish, boat, or allow pets to come in contact with HABs.
How Do I Report a Potential Harmful Algal Bloom?
- NYS DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form: Click the link below to submit a suspicious algal bloom report to the NYS DEC.
- NYS DEC Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form
- Email HABsInfo@dec.ny.gov if you are not able to complete the form.
Other Harmful Algal Bloom Resources:
- NYS DEC Harmful Algal Blooms Webpage: This webpage contains a variety of HAB-related resources to help the public identify and report HABs. For more information, please click the link below.
- NYS DEC HAB Archive Page: This webpage contains links to archived HAB reports dating back to at least 2012. For more information, please click the link below.
- 2021 NYS DEC HABS Research Guide: This document prioritizes research focus areas to advance the study, management, and mitigation of HABs in New York State. Please click the link below to view the document.
- The 2020 Harmful Algal Blooms Program Guide outlines how NYS DEC identifies and documents freshwater cyanobacteria HABs throughout the state, communicates
health risks to the public, provides guidance on bloom management, interacts with other agencies, and conducts research. Included in Chapter 6 is information regarding methods for bloom prevention and potential mitigation.