Harding: Owasco Lake can't be green
When Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino invited me to join him for a boat tour of Owasco Lake to survey harmful algal blooms, I wasn't expecting to see what I saw.
Owasco Lake is green.
Kevin Rivoli, The Citizen's photographer, provided a preview of what I observed Saturday. His photos along Owasco Lake's shoreline show large, bright green blooms. If you spend any time around the lake, those images are familiar.
Al Bielecki, commodore of the Owasco Yacht Club, captained the boat Saturday. No matter where we went, there was at least a tinge of green in the water. Even in the open water, where I thought there might be a respite from the effects of harmful algal blooms, you could see that familiar color in the lake.
The worst of the blooms, though, were in the Owasco River. There are portions of the river that were so green it reminded me of the Chicago River on St. Patrick's Day. (Chicago River is famously dyed green for the holiday.)
As Giannettino observed the blooms, he said the condition of the lake and river was "tragic" and that it was an avoidable situation. He has criticized the state for not doing enough to combat harmful algal blooms and the threats posed to the city's drinking water.
The city of Auburn, town of Owasco and Owasco Watershed Lake Association filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Health over its failure to update the watershed rules and regulations. The lawsuit, which was moved from Cayuga County to Albany, is pending.
The latest water tests show that toxins from harmful algal blooms are in the city's raw water, but not in the treated drinking water that is used by 45,000 area residents. The amount of toxins in the raw water could rise as the algal bloom season winds down.
As the boat tour concluded and we traveled up the river to return to the lake, we saw ducks swimming through the bloom-infested water. Boaters were returning from the lake. Bielecki remarked about the beautiful view that awaited us as we reentered the lake.
Owasco Lake is a gem. It is a drinking water source and a place for recreation. It is also a key to future prosperity. With climate change affecting the availability of water elsewhere, the Auburn area can benefit from having access to water.
Protecting Owasco Lake must be a top priority. What the boat tour showed me Saturday is there is a lot more work to do to achieve that goal.
Owasco Lake can't be green.
Gallery: Widespread harmful algal blooms in Owasco Lake, riverThe Citizen took a boat tour of Owasco Lake and Owasco River to observe harmful algal blooms on Saturday. The presence of the blooms has turned the northern end of the lake and the river different shades of green. The worst of the blooms were observed in the river.
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or . Love
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