Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Filter HAB Events

Legend

Confirmed: No sample collected, or the sample pending is microscopy and analysis. Report will be updated as appropriate.
Confirmed Bloom: Microscopy confirms cyanobacteria
Confirmed Bloom: Microcystin toxin concentration less than the drinking water limit (0.3 µg/L).
Confirmed Bloom: Microcystin toxin concentration in between the drinking water limit (0.3 µg/L) and the limit for contact recreation (4.0 µg/L).
Confirmed Bloom: Microcystin toxin concentration that exceeds the limit for contact recreation (4.0 µg/ L).

What is a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)?
A harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when aquatic microorganisms, primarily cyanobacteria on Cayuga Lake, grow rapidly under favorable conditions. These blooms have the potential to impact the public health with regard to recreation (swimming) and consumption.

Purpose of this Database
This database is designed to:

  1. Quickly alert you to recent reports of cyanobacteria blooms (HABs)
  2. Provide detailed information about each HAB reported
  3. Make it possible to analyze long-term patterns of HABs occurrences.

Background
The Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program was launched in 2018, recording HABs and their location, approximate size, density, genera of cyanobacteria it contained, and concentration of microcystin (a toxin created by the most commonly detected genera of cyanobacteria on Cayuga Lake). The reporting of bloom occurrences in this database is organized by geography and by areas of recreational interest, for example, parks and boat launches. Thus, Cayuga Lake is divided into 34 shoreline segments and four open water segments for a total of 38 segments used to track HABs spatially along the shore and in the open water of Cayuga Lake.

More Info & Reporting a HAB
Click here for more information about our Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program. To report a HAB on Cayuga Lake, please e-mail HABsHotline@gmail.com

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HABS Reported
2025-11-24 00:00:00 to 2026-01-23 23:59:59
Segments
Segment Events
1 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 10: Long Point State Park to Elmwood Point 7
2 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 1: Northern Marshes to Harris Park 61
3 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 2: Harris Park 16
4 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 3: Harris Park to Frontenac Park 114
5 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 4: Frontenac Park 33
6 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 5: Frontenac Park to Ellis Point 48
7 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 6: Ellis Point to Wells College Boathouse 36
8 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 7: Wells College Boathouse 14
9 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 8: Wells College Boathouse to Long Point State Park 10
10 Lakeshore Segment Northeast 9: Long Point State Park 13
11 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 1: Sheldrake Point to Deans Cove 74
12 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 2: Deans Cove 6
13 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 3: Deans Cove to Schuyler Creek 26
14 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 4: Schuyler Creek to Canoga Creek 40
15 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 5: Canoga Creek to Cayuga Lake State Park 2
16 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 6: Cayuga Lake State Park 8
17 Lakeshore Segment Northwest 7: Cayuga Lake State Park to Northern Marshes 7
18 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 1: Elmwood Point to Lake Ridge Point 56
19 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 2: Lake Ridge Point to Salt Point Natural Area 26
20 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 3: Salt Point Natural Area 10
21 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 4: Myers Park 14
22 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 5: Myers Park to East Shore Park 29
23 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 6: East Shore Park 8
24 Lakeshore Segment Southeast 7: Stewart Park 3
25 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 10: Lively Run to Sheldrake Point 27
26 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 1: Cass Park 0
27 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 2: Cass Park to Glenwood Point 24
28 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 3: Glenwood Point 17
29 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 4: Glenwood Point to Crowbar Point 7
30 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 5: Camp Comstock 2
31 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 6: Camp Comstock to Taughannock Falls State Park 25
32 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 7: Taughannock Falls State Park 37
33 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 8: Frontenac Point 8
34 Lakeshore Segment Southwest 9: Frontenac Point to Lively Run 37
35 Open Water 1: Cayuga Lake North End 3
36 Open Water 2: Cayuga Lake Mid-North 7
37 Open Water 3: Cayuga Lake Mid-South 13
38 Open Water 4: Cayuga Lake South Shelf 1
39 Test Segment 0
Events
Bloom Code Observed Segment Extent