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7/11/2024
 HAPPENING NOW
Thursday, July 11 2024
New HABs reports on the rise
July 11, 2024 updated 304 am PDT
HAB Tracker satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
WT follows the movement and growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) as provided by the satellite monitoring program of the NCCOS for New York's Lake Champlain, Ohio's Lake Erie and Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain and surrounding area. Interpretation of satellite images is best in clear conditions at wind speed less than 4 mph, where the appearance and extent of HABs is reliably matched to a color scale for concentration. HABs are known to produce algal toxins of concern for raw drinking water sources and recreational water bodies. Plan beach access to avoid HABs and consider carrying a rapid test kit to detect the toxin microcystins.
New York
Lake Champlain's Baie Missisquoi HAB is clearly visible in the latest satellite image from NCCOS dated Monday July 8, a high concentration bloom stretching from north shore in Canada to the shore of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge on the US side of the border. This HAB appears to match the color scale for a concentration around 900 thousand cells per 100 ml standard sample in the south end, reaching an extreme high concentration 2 million cells per 100 ml along the north shore in Canada. A prior image captured Friday July 5 showed even higher concentration, 3 to 4 million cells per 100 ml. Ninety-one HABs are confirmed by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Thursday morning, up from sixty-two yesterday. First HABs of the season have been confirmed for Quaker Lake and Lake Welch. Additional or subsequent HAB reports have been confirmed at Cannonsville Reservoir, Ellicott Creek, Maratooka Lake and Honeoye Lake. Updates are in progress, more to follow. A complete list with location descriptions is found here.
Louisiana: Southeast LA water bodies are captured in a wide angle pass by the Copernicus-Sentinel III satellite, catching Lake Pontchartrain to Black Bay in frame. The latest image was captured July 10 at a surface wind speed 10.3 mph. This latest image is completely cloud obscured. In the previous image captured July 9, a very high concentration HAB 2 million cells per 100 ml is visible in Wetland Watchers Park south of Lake Pontchartrain. The most recent HAB report for Louisiana is available here.
Ohio: Lake Erie west basin is captured by the NCCOS monitoring satellite, the latest upload taken July 10 at surface wind speed 18 mph. The image is completely cloud obscured. The prior image captured July 9 at a low wind speed showed a glimpse of the massive west basin HAB mass at the international border matching the color scale for a concentration around 600 thousand cells per 100 ml. In a previous image captured July 8, the Lake Erie west basin HAB fills inner Maumee Bay from the outlet of Maumee River and extends north approximately 17 nm up the Michigan shoreline and fifteen plus nautical miles into open water of Lake Erie. The hot spot of this massive HAB is near the shoreline south of Monroe, around the 2 million cells per 100 ml sample. Sandusky Bay HAB appears in the recent clear images at a lower concentration, around 600-700 thousand cells per 100 ml, down from peak concentration of 3 million cells per 100 ml seen in June. Updates are in progress. The latest Ohio HAB report is available here.
See the North American drainage basin map here, scroll all the way down to see how surface water moves across the continent into the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Arctic Oceans. WT Media Group tells the story of water in three countries, Canada, USA and Mexico. See the drinking water advisories, hazardous spills, floods, drought and harmful algal blooms plotted on the maps, as the water flows. Check out the CrimeBox for historic prosecutions under the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act box for details on public drinking water facilities, interviews with the scientists and tech developers on the leading edge of clean water technology here.
As many drinking water facilities are supplied from surface water reservoirs, the streamflow situation is pertinent to both drinking water supply and quality. High flows can stir up sediment and cause turbidity in the reservoirs, requiring additional treatments to render the water potable. Low flow volume is linked to warmer temperatures in the reservoir and can be an issue for water quality where HABs are present. WT tracks streamflow trends with an eye to the impacts on drinking water supply and quality in each of the state's watersheds. Check the watershed layer on the map to see the direction of flow and streamflows that may be impacting drinking water today.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
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