In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a sweeping plan to address one of the most challenging water quality issues facing communities across the state — Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
Harmful Algal Blooms are over-growths of algae (in New York State primarily cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae) that can produce dangerous toxins, appearing primarily but no longer exclusively during the warm months of August and September.
These blooms are a growing concern across the state’s lakes, rivers, and coastal waters, frequently impacting popular areas as widespread as the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, the Finger Lakes, Hudson River, and Central Park.
DEC’s new HAB Roadmap is hoped to inform short- and long-term HAB management efforts across New York State into the future and provide a guide for DEC, the public, and other researchers.
DEC developed the HAB Roadmap to provide a clear, deliberate, and comprehensive plan to inform New York’s approach to HAB management.
The HAB Roadmap includes six focus areas covering important aspects of managing HABs and their impacts:
Monitoring and Assessment – develop and implement monitoring approaches for HAB indicators to characterize presence, abundance, and improve the application of data.
Water Quality Standards and Guidance Values – identify key HAB parameters and develop regulatory thresholds for assessment of best uses, if appropriate and applicable.
Planning and Implementation – expand and develop existing clean water planning mechanisms and implementation programs to reduce HABs and their impacts.
General and In-Waterbody Mitigation Research – conduct and support applied research to advance HAB mitigation knowledge and utilize findings to improve DEC HAB management.
Permitting In-Waterbody Mitigation Practices – clarify and improve communication of existing permitting pathways for HAB mitigation and move toward development of an efficient, adaptive approach to permitting novel technologies.
Public Outreach and Reporting – conduct reporting of HAB monitoring and research to ensure continued transparency of DEC efforts and enhance public understanding of coordinated HAB management and research actions.
Each focus area includes a goal statement and associated projects and tasks to improve the understanding of HAB drivers, impacts to health and recreation, and development of short- and long-term actions.
“As climate change makes our world warmer, this new roadmap will be vital in helping to protect the health of our communities, as we know Harmful Algal Blooms cause health effects to people and our pets,” according to State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald.
The HAB Roadmap will complement existing HAB program elements and connect published resources such as the HABs Research Guide and DEC water quality monitoring programs such as the Lake Classification and Inventory Program.
Surface water quality data generated by DEC is made publicly available through the Division of Water Monitoring Portal. These data, along with applied research efforts, provide insight into management of HABs and water quality issues across New York.
DEC’s Harmful Algal Blooms webpage provides access to additional background information on HABs, potential health risks, and efforts to manage HABs.
DEC conducts research on the underlying factors contributing to HABs and HAB occurrence; reporting officially began in 2012.
Though phosphorus is naturally present and essential to aquatic ecosystem functions, it has also been identified as a primary controllable cause of HABs in New York.
In December 2024, DEC announced the development of draft guidance values for phosphorus and draft updates to DEC’s phosphorus permitting strategy to help reduce the frequency of HABs in state waters.
DEC also manages one of the most comprehensive HAB reporting programs in the nation, New York Harmful Algal Bloom System (NYHABS), to provide a central resource for public communication of HAB occurrence and to coordinate with state agencies to closely monitor and protect public health.
To understand statewide HAB trends, in 2023, DEC published an analysis using data generated through its monitoring programs and NYHABS.
Leveraging these findings and other research, DEC has established a holistic approach to addressing HABs: Deliberate clean water planning to improve nutrient reduction efforts; Funding to plan and implement nutrient reduction; Applied research on HABs; and short-term HAB mitigation efforts.
However, HABs continue to present unique challenges due to the wide-ranging potential human and environmental health impacts. HABs are typically driven by excess nutrients but also occur in low-nutrient waterbodies. HABs are dynamic and may form, move around, and dissipate rapidly.
To date, New York has awarded more than $614 million in grants that support reducing the frequency of HABs by targeting phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, and more than $14 million to research and development, pilot projects, and advanced HAB monitoring.
Funding to help address HABs is primarily awarded through DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project; the next grant opportunity is expected to open for Round 22 in May 2026 through the Consolidated Funding Application.
When it comes to HABs, New Yorkers are being encouraged to “KNOW IT, AVOID IT, REPORT IT.”
KNOW IT – HABs vary in appearance from scattered green dots in the water, to long, linear green streaks, pea soup or spilled green paint, to blue-green or white coloration.
AVOID IT – People, pets, and livestock should avoid contact with water that is discolored or has algal scums on the surface.
REPORT IT – If members of the public suspect a HAB, report it through the NYHABs online reporting form available on DEC’s website. Symptoms or health concerns related to HABs should be reported to DOH at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov.
For more information about HABs, including bloom notifications, which are updated daily through fall, visit DEC’s Harmful Algal Blooms webpage.
The HAB Program Guide, which includes information and links to resources regarding bloom prevention, management, and control, can also be downloaded from the DEC website.
Visit DOH’s website for public health information on HABs.
Photo of a cyanobacteria bloom (a highly toxic HAB) in New York State courtesy DEC.
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