Water Awareness for 7-15-2021

Conditions Report from waterfronts of Lake Ontario

Weed breakdown releases phosphorus into waterbody which causes Algae blooms along shallow waters of Sodus Bay.

With spotty storm events throughout the week and an increase of about 2 inches on Lake Ontario, there was a significant amount of water running through the watershed.  Observations below certainly correspond with these weather events and will help with the life cycle of many of the plants and animals in these waterbodies (including humans for recreation and tourism).

– Water turbidity is somewhat strained/green with planktonic algae and suspended particles. This is most likely due to recent rainfall events and upland inputs from the watershed.

What is Planktonic Algae:

– The dominant aquatic plant where we are harvesting is Elodea or Common Waterweed. The dense growth of elodea can interfere with boating and fishing. Coontail and Milfoil are also present. We observed eelgrass in shallow areas.

For more detail on specific plants please review the Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Guide: and Field Guide to Aquatic Plants in NYS

– Detached plant material floating appeared to be fine-stemmed pondweed species and eelgrass. Some of the free-floating plants had roots still intact, suggesting that they are being dislodged by wave/wake action. Watercraft docked for extended periods of time start to collect these floating plants. It’s best to remove these masses as they store heat, deplete dissolved oxygen in the water, and incubate bacteria.

“How do you eat an elephant?”………………………………….One bite at a time…..

By slowly removing plant masses and dispersing them to dry versus immediately piling them, they dry down in less than a day with current daytime heat and are more manageable to rake, compost, or bag and dispose.Composting Techniques: (opens in new tab) http://ccewayne.org/gardening-home-grounds/compost-resources 

-With increased rainfall events, be conscious of where you dispose of yard debris and grass clippings. Keep these out of and away from stormwater drains and roadside drainage ways. This adds excessive nutrients to the received waterbody.