HAB Locations in New York State
DEC compiles and provides notifications of known HAB locations in NYS when they are reported to DEC HABs Program staff by local/state/federal government personnel, trained monitors, and the public via NYHABS.
NYHABS is composed of 1) an online reporting system, and 2) an interactive map. When bloom reports are confirmed by DEC staff, information about the HAB and their location are posted publicly on the NYHABS interactive map.
HAB Reporting through the NYHABS
To report a HAB: Use the Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form.
If you are a participant in a HABs reporting program, please refer to the HABs Reporting Guide (PDF).
HAB Notifications
The link below leads to the NYHABS interactive map and displays the location of HABs in New York State. Each blue dot outlined in black represents a HAB reported in the past 2 weeks. There may be other waterbodies with HABs that have not been reported to DEC.
NYHABS displays the location of current freshwater (non-marine) HABs in New York State. Try switching browsers if the application does not load properly.
We’re excited to share that NYHABS has a fresh new look in 2025! While the layout and design have been updated to improve your experience, all the features and content you rely on are still right where you need them. These changes are part of our ongoing efforts to make the site more user-friendly, modern, and accessible.
Map Icons
- Blue icon with black halo: Current HABs that have been reported through DEC's reporting system within the last two weeks.
- Blue icon without black halo: Archived HABs have been reported through DEC's reporting system within the current season.
NYHABS can also be accessed at: on.ny.gov/nyhabs.
What if the map shows a HAB on my waterbody?
Avoid contact with HABs. HABs in large lakes or rivers may be limited to specific shorelines or confined bays. Portions of any of these waterbodies may be clear and fully support recreational uses.
The public should use the information on this site to help them make informed decisions about where and when to recreate, particularly outside of designated swimming areas. Swimmers and recreational users should remember that health and safety cannot be assured outside of designated swimming areas- for more swimming information, visit DEC's swimming webpage.
The NYHABS map does not include:
- Marine HABs, such as red tide and brown tides.
- Other types of algal blooms such as filamentous green algae.
- Some HABs on Lake Champlain
- HABs reported from New York State beaches on Lake Champlain will be displayed on NYHABS, but not all Lake Champlain HABs reports will be included. For information about HABs on Lake Champlain, visit the Vermont Department of Health's cyanobacteria notification page.
- Information about beach closures and drinking water are available from DEC's swimming page, or your local health department.
- HABs from previous years. Compiled summaries of waterbodies with reported HABs since 2012 are provided on Open Data NY.
What the NYHABS map shows
Each dot on NYHABS represents a HAB report and includes the date of observation, the HAB status, the extent of the bloom, who submitted the report, the county, and any photos submitted.
HAB Status
DEC HABs Program staff use visual observations, digital photographs, and laboratory sampling results to determine whether a reported bloom consists of cyanobacteria (which would indicate a HAB), or another type of algae. Exposure to blooms can pose health risks to people and pets, regardless of whether toxins are present. If the bloom is thought to be a HAB, it is labeled with the following status:
- Confirmed Bloom: DEC staff determined that conditions fit the criteria of a HAB, based on visual observations, digital photographs, and/or water sampling results.
Some HABs can produce toxins, some do not. Exposure to any HABs can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled. Exposure to high levels of HABs and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. Therefore, people and animals should avoid any visible blooms.
Extent
The extent of the bloom is a rough estimate of the size of the bloom within the waterbody and is recorded by the observer.
- Small Localized: Bloom affects a small area of the waterbody, limited from one to several neighboring properties.
- Large Localized: Bloom affects many properties within an entire cove, along a large segment of the shoreline, or in a specific region of the waterbody.
- Widespread or Lakewide: Bloom affects the entire waterbody, a large portion of the lake, or most to all of the shoreline.
- Open Water: Sample was collected near the center of the lake and may indicate that the bloom is widespread and conditions may be worse along shorelines or within recreational areas.
Reported by:
The data provider is also listed for each record on NYHABS. Reports may come from the public, or other monitoring programs such as the DEC Lake Classification and Inventory (LCI) Program, Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program volunteers, and partner HABs monitoring programs.
How to filter records on NYHABS
NYHABS records can be filtered by county and waterbody.
To filter records on the map:
- Click on the funnel in the info tab on NYHABS, labeled "Filter HAB reports".
- Users may filter either just one type of HAB report (current or archived) or both.
- Select the lake or county from the dropdown and toggle the filter on. The filter is on if the toggle is green.
- Only waterbodies or counties with HAB reports will appear in the dropdown choices.
- To turn off filters, and view the entire data set, either refresh the page, or turn off the filters so the toggles are grey.
How to print records from NYHABS
NYHABS also has a print records feature. The printing feature will only print those records displayed on the map. If any filters are enabled, only those records will be printed.
To print records:
- Click on the print records widget in the info tab on NYHABS, labeled "Print HAB records".
- Use one of the two drawing methods to select the records for printing.
- Draw a box around the desired HAB records.
- Click the print records button.
- Select from both or either of the current or archived HABs records.
- Hit the printer icon to start printing.
- Select the desired layout, or paper size.
- Select print again.
- A new window will open with a .pdf report with a map of the boxed records.
- Select the print icon on the top of the ribbon to save or print.
Directions are also available on the info tab for NYHABS.