Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Harmful Algal Blooms State Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New York highlights multi‑agency strategy, new funding to fight harmful algal blooms
Summary
State agencies told a Senate hearing that New York is expanding watershed protections, monitoring and targeted mitigation to address harmful algal blooms, and officials said recent state investments and interagency work aim to reduce nutrient pollution that fuels blooms.
New York state agencies told the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation on Wednesday that they are coordinating monitoring, watershed planning and targeted mitigation to limit harmful algal blooms, or HABs, and their effects on drinking water, recreation and ecosystems.
Alexander J. Smith, assistant division director for the Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Water, said New York has documented HABs in more than 650 water bodies and has invested heavily in prevention and research. "Since 2018, New York State has invested more than half a billion dollars in projects aimed at reducing nutrient pollution to help reduce HABs," Smith said, pointing to grant programs, targeted phosphorus‑reduction plans and pilot projects testing mitigation techniques.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation described the effect blooms have had at state facilities and beaches. "Documented incidences of HABs at New York State Parks are on the rise," Ron Rausch, deputy commissioner for environmental stewardship, said. He told senators that 40 percent of state park facilities have experienced a HAB and that Lake Welch’s multi‑week bloom in 2022 cost nearly $1 million in lost revenue and prompted a multiyear, $5 million commitment to wastewater and stormwater upgrades.
Richard Ball, commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets, described partnerships with soil and water conservation districts and farm programs. He said the agency has directed nearly $125 million in the last five years to on‑farm projects to reduce nutrient runoff and cited the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition and other regional efforts that channel grants and technical assistance to farmers.
Why it matters: HABs are driven mainly by excess phosphorus and nitrogen delivered to water bodies through runoff, wastewater discharges and, increasingly, extreme weather and warming. State officials emphasized prevention at the source—keeping nutrients on the land—while also funding monitoring, research and, where appropriate, lake‑scale mitigation.
The agencies named several tools for reducing nutrient loads and improving resilience: regional watershed plans (including total maximum daily loads and nine‑element plans), grants for on‑farm practices, upgrades to wastewater treatment and targeted pilot projects. Smith said another $75 million in water quality improvement funding had recently opened through the state's consolidated funding application.
Officials and local speakers urged continued, steady investment and emphasized coordination. "The most effective and resource‑efficient method to reduce frequency of HABs focuses on an integrated approach with prevention at the center," Smith said.
What was not decided: The hearing was informational; no legislation or formal votes were taken. Several witnesses, however, urged lawmakers to sustain or increase funding and to consider statutory or programmatic changes that would help scale monitoring and mitigation.
Funding and next steps: Agencies and local partners asked the Legislature to continue appropriations for water quality grants, to support centers of excellence that test new mitigation methods, and to expand monitoring programs that can support forecasting for high‑risk lakes.
"We have to match long‑term watershed management with lake mitigation strategies and cutting‑edge research," Smith said.
