Community Science Institute

Thank you, Tompkins Weekly for continuing to assist us in sharing information about Cayuga Lake’s harmful algal blooms.

If you think you’ve spotted a HAB, please submit a report at this link: https://arcg.is/08nfyP1

Harmful algal blooms are hitting Cayuga Lake earlier and lasting longer, prompting health officials to warn swimmers and pet owners to watch for toxic green scum this summer.

📰: https://www.tompkinsweekly.com/news/harmful-algal-blooms-arriving-earlier-lasting-longer-officials-urge-vigilance-as-hab-season-returns-to-cayuga-lake-860b8f5d

📸: Left and center photos submitted. Right photo by Jaime Cone Hughes

Last month, teams of volunteers braved a wide range of temperatures while collecting samples across the watershed from Cayuga Heights to Canoga. Storm events remained elusive throughout the month, resulting in all monitoring being conducted under baseflow conditions. Baseflow refers to the sustained, low-flow state of a stream or river during dry periods, when streamflow is supplied primarily by groundwater slowly discharging into the channel, along with delayed contributions from wetlands and lakes.

We also continued our longstanding partnership with the West Shore Neighborhood Association to monitor for E. coli along Cayuga Lake's west shore. This year marks our 12th consecutive year of collaboration, demonstrating the enduring value of community-based water quality monitoring.

The following are the Synoptic Events held this past month:

-Johnsons Creek: May 5th
-Cayuga Heights Streams: May 12th
-Canoga/Burroughs Creeks: May 12th
-Yawger/Great Gully Creeks: May 19th
-West Shore Neighborhood Association: May 19th
-Sheldrake Creek: May 21st

CSI Board Members and volunteers, Bob Meek and Steve Carroll, collected samples from sites along Sheldrake Creek. Photo: Jared Thomas.

💦 Great news for the Cayuga Lake watershed and our local drinking water sources!

On June 1, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Finger Lakes Land Trust announced the protection of 33 acres within the Six Mile Creek and Cayuga Lake watersheds.

One of the newly protected properties consists of 18 acres in the Town of Caroline, including approximately 15 acres of wetlands—natural features that help filter pollutants, reduce runoff, and improve water quality downstream. The parcel was immediately transferred to the Wetland Trust, a New York State nonprofit organization, to be permanently protected and managed as wildlife habitat.

These conservation efforts help safeguard drinking water supplies for more than 29,000 people, including residents served by the City of Ithaca and Cornell University water systems, as well as communities served by Bolton Point.

Protecting land at the source is one of the most effective ways to protect water quality for future generations.

Read more: https://www.fllt.org/land-trust-and-nys-dec-announce-projects-to-protect-ithacas-water-supply/

📷 Photo: Chris Ray/FLLT

Our 2025 Annual Report is now available!

Last year marked an important milestone for Community Science Institute: 25 years of community-powered science in service of clean water. Over the past quarter century, volunteers, partners, supporters, and staff have helped build a legacy of accessible science and environmental stewardship, generating more than 150,000 water quality data points to better understand and protect our region's waters.

The 2025 Annual Report highlights a year of remarkable community impact, including:
💧 A record-breaking harmful algal bloom monitoring season on Cayuga Lake
🔬 Expanded stream, lake, and biological monitoring across regional watersheds
🚰 The launch of our Water Testing Assistance Program to increase access to drinking water testing
🌎 Continued growth of our education and outreach efforts through Journey of Water, public presentations, HABby Hour, and community events

None of this work would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, partners, members, donors, and supporters. Thank you for being part of CSI's first 25 years—and for helping shape the next 25.

Read the full 2025 Annual Report here: https://communityscience.org/annualreports/

The beautiful cover photo was provided by local drone photographer, Mike Dressing. Taken near Taughannock Falls State Park, looking to the north, in October 2025.

Save the date: June 10th!

CSI’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program Coordinator, Alyssa Johnson, will be one of the presenters during this virtual community conference hosted by Cayuga Lake Watershed Network!

💦Log on to learn about what Lurks in the Lake!

📣Register today for our Community Conference on June 10th, live ONLINE by Zoom! 6:30-8:00pm.

👉Registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nn47Jsg5R861DrvP0C-Gcg #/registration

🐟Dive into the latest science from Cayuga Lake! Join regional experts for a community conversation exploring what recent harmful algal bloom monitoring and fisheries surveys are revealing about the health, ecology, and future of the lake we all share.

FYI: there is apparently an area-wide Spectrum outage that is affecting our internet and phones. We will update when we’re back online! Thank you for your patience in the mean time.

Last month, our Synoptic Stream & Lake Monitoring volunteers were busy across the Cayuga Lake watershed!

Throughout April, multiple volunteer teams collected water samples from Cayuga Lake and the many creeks and streams that flow into it, helping CSI build a clearer picture of watershed conditions during both storm events and normal flow conditions.

Here’s a snapshot of April’s monitoring efforts:

• 🌧️ April 1 Storm Sampling: Intense storms caused widespread flooding across the watershed and volunteers pulled on their boots to collect critical stormwater samples during the event from Fall Creek, Virgil Creek, Yawger Creek, and Great Gully Creek.

• 💧 Eastern Watershed Baseflow Sampling: Samples were collected from Deans Creek, Paines Creek, Mill Creek, Townline Creek, and Milliken Creek.

• 💦 Late-April Monitoring Events: Samples were collected from the Cayuga Inlet, Pony Hollow Creek, Trumansburg Creek, Taughannock Creek, Salmon Creek, Minnegar Brook, and from the eastern shoreline of Cayuga Lake.

📊 By the numbers:
• 7 monitoring events
• 115 water samples collected
• More than a dozen streams monitored throughout the Cayuga Lake watershed

🧪To keep up with the influx of samples, CSI’s laboratory staff powered through water quality analyses in record time, ensuring this valuable community science data could quickly become part of our long-term watershed monitoring efforts. When analysis results are ready, they can be viewed on CSI's open-access Water Quality Database here: https://www.database.communityscience.org/monitoringregions/1

Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers and staff who make this work possible! 👏

💧 The 2026 Journey of Water (JoW) program schedule and registration are now LIVE on our website! 💧

If your family is interested in participating, we encourage you to sign up soon — spots may fill quickly for some programs!

CSI's JoW is a free, hands-on learning series offered June–September that invites children and their families to explore how water moves through our lives — from local streams and creeks to the tap and back again.

Designed primarily for children ages 5–12 (and welcoming to learners of all ages and backgrounds), this 12-program series combines outdoor exploration, simple science activities, and real-world examples to spark curiosity, joy, and connection to the natural world.

Participants will:
🌎 Take a "journey" through the Cayuga Lake watershed
💧 Learn how natural and built water systems work
🔬 Engage in hands-on science and outdoor discovery
🐟 Build a stronger connection to the Finger Lakes environment
🌱 Discover how everyday actions help protect clean water

📅 View the full 2026 schedule and register today on our website!
https://communityscience.org/journeyofwater/

On this rainy day in May, it seems appropriate to share this resource to understand how water is moved out of the Cayuga Lake Watershed and beyond:https://ny.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/fs18099/fs180-99.pdf

This PDF was sourced from NYS Canal Corporation. They also posted these helpful graphics a year ago in May 2025 due to very similar circumstances that many of us are experiencing currently.

CSI is still seeking harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring volunteers on Cayuga Lake—and there are several ways to get involved:

🦠 HABs Harrier – Monitor an assigned shoreline zone at least once per week and report suspected blooms. The season runs June 1–October 31 (though reports are always welcome outside that window!).
🚙 HABs Carrier – Help transport samples from Aurora/Romulus to our lab in Ithaca on an as-needed basis. We especially need support on the east side of the lake.
💦 Both! – Some volunteers choose to monitor and assist with transport.

Why do we continue to monitor when we know HABs can appear here, there and everywhere on the lake?

HABs can change quickly and aren’t always easy to spot. By continuing to monitor, we can:
🧪Protect public health by identifying toxin risks with strategic sample collection efforts and certified lab analysis
⌚️Provide timely updates so people know when waters are safe
📊Build long-term data to better understand trends
🤝Support informed decisions that protect Cayuga Lake now and into the future

Monitoring ensures our community isn’t guessing when it comes to water safety—it’s grounded in science.

👉 Interested? Volunteer sign-up links will be shared in the comments!