The harmful algae bloom on the Allegheny Reservoir is still present, but its severity has lessened.
Improvements have been seen at six locations where measurements were taken on Sept. 24 and 25 by Shannon Seneca with the Seneca Nation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water quality team, said Rose Reilly, water quality unit lead.
No harmful algae bacteria were found in Willow Bay or in any of Pennsylvania portion of the reservoir, Reilly indicated.
In New York, blue-green algae cell counts were at the World Health Organization’s caution level near Lowbanks, Bearclaw, Highbanks and Wolf Run, and at advisory level at Moebanks and Sawmill Bay.
Near Bearclaw in Quaker Bay was the only location where cell counts were up. According to the data, the measurement was 121,035 cells/mL, up from 28,348 cells/mL a week earlier.
Elsewhere, a significant drop was seen at Lowbanks, where the measurement was 431,934 cells/mL, down from 3,514,330 cells/mL a week earlier. At Highbanks, the sample measured 110,431 cells/mL, down from 115,383 cells/mL on Sept. 17.
Near Wolf Run, the sample measured 102,764 cells/ml; no previous level was given. Near Moebanks, the sample measured 27,975 cells.mL, down from 80,251 cells/mL.
Reilly said another set of samples will be collected this week.
