Owasco Lake inspectors report 47 sites of concern; council hears update on monitoring, grants and staffing

Adam Efler, executive director of the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council, told the Auburn City Council on May 8 that the council is expanding inspections, grants and on-the-ground projects aimed at reducing phosphorus and limiting harmful algal blooms in Owasco Lake.

The update outlined the watershed council’s recent work, funding status and a 2024 inspection summary that the council’s lead inspector said identified 47 sites of concern across the watershed. "Inspections are based on regulatory parameters with guidance from the Watershed Inspection Committee," Jesse Lloyd, lead watershed inspector for the Owasco Lake Watershed Inspection and Protection Division, told the council. "Watershed inspectors identified 47 sites of concern in 2024."

Why it matters: Owasco Lake supplies drinking water for roughly 45,000 people in the city and Cayuga County, and the council and city described harmful algal blooms as a continuing public‑health and recreation risk. The management council said monitoring, agricultural best management practices and stream stabilization are central to its 9‑element watershed plan and long‑term water quality goals.

Key facts and recent developments presented to…