Despite increasing threats to Owasco Lake, New York State has halted a years-long effort to strengthen watershed protections, prompting legal action and raising concerns about the future of the region’s drinking water supply.
That was the message from Dr. Adam Effler, Executive Director of the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council, during an appearance Tuesday on Inside Government with host Guy Cosentino. Effler offered a detailed update on the council’s work, the growing impact of harmful algal blooms (HABs), and the state’s refusal to advance updated watershed rules more than a decade in the making.
Owasco Lake, which supplies drinking water to up to 50,000 residents in Auburn, Owasco, Fleming, and surrounding communities, has faced increasingly severe algae blooms in recent years. Last summer marked a particularly intense season, with blooms also reported on Skaneateles Lake — traditionally one of the Finger Lakes’ most pristine bodies of water.
“2024 was a tough year,” Effler said. “We saw significant bloom activity, and while the timing was typical, the intensity was much greater.”
The city of Auburn has since resumed testing for neurotoxins in raw water, though no drinking water bans were issued. Effler emphasized that tap water in both Auburn and Owasco remains safe due to carbon filtration systems installed after earlier bloom events.
“We’ve had people ask, and yes—the water is safe,” he said.
But as local officials ramp up monitoring, they’ve also confronted resistance from the state in modernizing watershed protections. Proposed updates to rules dating back to 1984 were the product of a multi-year community process led by Auburn and Owasco. After advancing to the state level, those efforts stalled when the New York State Department of Health rejected proposed nutrient management provisions, ultimately terminating the entire process.
The City of Auburn has since filed two lawsuits under Article 78 to compel the state to act. The second case, still pending in Albany, seeks to hold the Department of Health accountable for failing to update the regulations under public health law.
Effler said the Watershed Council is not a plaintiff but fully supports the litigation.
“On a daily basis, we see the limitations of the 1984 rules,” he said. “The nutrient management piece is critical to reducing phosphorus loads that drive these blooms.”
Phosphorus is a key driver of HABs, and Effler noted that warmer lake temperatures, which are rising by roughly 0.6 degrees Celsius per decade in New York, create a climate increasingly conducive to algae outbreaks.
As the 2025 season approaches, the council is monitoring snowmelt and sediment runoff that could fuel phosphorus accumulation in the lake. While it’s too early to predict whether blooms will worsen, Effler pointed to warming trends and ongoing land use challenges as cause for concern.
In addition to policy advocacy, the council is focused on long-term solutions, including implementation of the state-approved Nine Element Plan, a roadmap for phosphorus reduction. It is also pursuing land acquisitions to preserve wetlands and forests that filter pollutants and manage runoff.
Effler highlighted a 161-acre Fillmore Nature Preserve acquired by the council, as well as ongoing partnerships with the City of Auburn and Finger Lakes Land Trust to target vulnerable stream corridors for protection and restoration.
Despite limited staffing—currently just two employees—the council has secured a half-million-dollar federal grant and continues to seek additional funding. Still, Effler said the biggest challenge remains behavioral, not scientific.
“One of the hardest things is overcoming barriers to change,” he said. “We need people to understand the role they play in protecting this watershed.”
Residents can support the effort by taking the “Lake Friendly Living” pledge at olwmc.org, committing to environmentally safe practices around their homes and properties.
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