[MUSIC] WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH BLOOMS IN FRESH WATER RESOURCES FOR A WHILE.

IN 2014, I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED IN LAKE ERIE, THE LARGEST BLOOMS WE HAD EVEN AND IT DISRUPTED THE DRUNKING WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF TOLEDO.

IT WAS SO THICK THAT THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE DRINKING WATER INTAKES IN LAKE ERIE AND SO THAT IS ALL THE PUBLIC WATER COMING INTO A COMMUNITY, SO NO SHOWERING, NO WASHING DISHES, YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WAS USED FROM THE TAP.

>> WHAT HAPPENED IS THE CHEMISTRY INSIDE OF THE METABOLISM OF THE LAKE CHANGED SO THE LOADING LEVELS THAT WE WERE HITTING BEFORE WITH THE LIMITS ON THE NUTRIENTS WERE BEING MET BUT THE LAKE WAS RESPONDING DIFFERENTLY SO THAT OUR MANAGEMENT STYLES HAD TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.

SO FAST FORWARD TO 2017, WE SAW VERY SIMILAR HOT WEATHER PATTERNS, INTENSIVE STORMS THAT BROUGHT IN LOADING OF THE MATERIALS THAT BROUGHT IN PHOSPHOROUS, MANURE IN THE SOILS THAT FUELED LARGE ALGAE GROWTH.

>> THOSE ARE THE TWO NUTRIENTS YOU NEED, PHOSPHOROUS AND NITROGEN.

IN THE FINGER LAKES SYSTEM, THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE IS PHOSPHOROUS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE RATIO OF PHOSPHOROUS TO NITROGEN, THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH NITROGEN.

YOU USE UP AVAILABLE PHOSPHOROUS FIRST.

SO WHEN YOU TRACK WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLOOM, YOU START MEASURING TOES FRUSES.

THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS TOXIC BY CYANBACTERIA CAN PRODUCE THE TOXINS.

IT'S A PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISM.

THEY'RE COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLUE GREEN ALGAE.

SOME OF THE OLDEST LIVING ORGANISMS ON EARTH, 3.5 BILLION YEARS OLD.

THEY'RE THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING OXYGEN INTO THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARTH.

CYANBACTERIA'S CLAIM TO FAME IS THAT THEY PRODUCE TOXINS.

SOME OF THE TOXINS YOU GET A SCUN RASH.

OTHER IS GIVE YOU DIE REARIA AND GASTROINTESTINAL TOXINS BUT THE THIRD TYPE YOU CAN DIE FROM IF YOU GET A HIGH ENOUGH DOSE.

>> WE ARE LOOKING HERE SOME LAKE SAMPLES FROM THE FINGER LAKES AND LOOKING AT THE CYANBACTERIA THAT ARE PRESENT.

WE SEE A LOT OF MICROCYSTIS HERE AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE MICROCYSTIS IS THESE ARE COLONIAL FORMS.

MUCH HARDER TO INGEST BY ZOO BLANK HOIF HIVE ZOOPLANKTON AND OTHER FEATURES.

THEY CAN FLOAT ON THE SURFACE.

THEY CAN MOVE UP AND DOWN IN THE WATER COLUMN.

AND ONCE THEY START TO GROW VERY QUICKLY, THEY CAN SHADE OUT OTHER COMPETING PHYTOPLANKTON.

OWASCO LAKE WAS THE FIRST FINGER LAKE TO HAVE A RECOGNIZED BLOOM IN 2016.

WHAT IS CAUSING IT NOW TO BLOOM?

SO THIS IS WHERE THE SCIENTISTS AND THE RESEARCHERS ARE HELPING US IDENTIFY WHAT HAS CHANGED.

>> PEOPLE WERE PARTICULARLY SURPRISED WHEN SKANEATELES LAKE EXPERIENCED A CYANBACTERIA OUTBREAK AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE LAKE AND ITS WATER CHEMISTRY AND SO ON.

THAT SIGNALED TO FOLKS THAT OUR SITUATION HAS CHANGED.

THAT WE CAN'T TAKE THIS WATER QUALITY FOR GRANTED ANYMORE.

THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN SKANEATELES BECAUSE IT'S THE UNFILTERED DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR SYRACUSE.

THE OTHER LAKES ARE USED FOR PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES.

BUT ALL THAT WATER IS FILTERED BEFORE IT GOES INTO PEEP'S HOMES.

>> HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS WHETHER THEY'RE TOXIC OR NOT IMPACT OUR WATER QUALITY IN THE FINGER LAKES.

IT LIMITS SWIMMING, LIMITS FISHING.

IF IT IS IMPACTING THE DEPTHS OF WATER SUPPLY INTAKES, THAT CAN BE A MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY THAT FOLKS HAVE TO DO TO TREAT THAT WATER.

IT'S AN ESTIMATED 1 TO 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE THE WATER OF THE FINGER LAKES AS PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.

>> WORST CASE SCENARIO WE ARE FIGURING OUT RIGHT NOW, IF NOTHING IS DONE, THE PICTURE IS SAD.

IT WILL BE REALLY HOT, WE WON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO SWIMMING, WE WON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GET WATER.

SPEND MORE MONEY FOR TREATMENT OR ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLIES AND IT'S GOING TO IMPACT BUSINESSES AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.