Upper Saranac Lake (USL) is one of the most intensely studied lakes in the Adirondacks. The lake has been the subject of numerous scientific research projects, a 32-year water quality monitoring initiative, and an invasive plant management program that has served as a model for lakes worldwide. The Upper Saranac Foundation (USF), in partnership with Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI), monitors the water quality of the lake’s seven tributaries, the north and south basins, and its outflow. The Water Quality Update provides a synopsis of the health and trends of water quality for Upper Saranac Lake.
While Upper Saranac Lake (USL) has had numerous algal blooms over the years, including a lake-wide bloom in 1989, this past summer was the first confirmed harmful algal bloom (HAB). HABs occurred twice on USL this year: the first and last weeks of September. These HABs are toxic and capable of producing contaminants that can cause adverse health effects in people and animals. HABs occur when cyanobacteria capable of producing toxins grow to extremely high numbers and are concentrated at the surface of a lake. Some species of cyanobacteria are capable of producing powerful cyanotoxins.
The report includes information obtained from the Environmental Monitoring Platform, analysis of hydrological and chemical loading through the lake’s tributaries, meteorological data, and aquatic plant monitoring data. Data from the platform is critical in understanding the cause of these blooms.
Click here to view the 2022 Water Quality Update.
Other noteworthy observations indicate that water clarity continues to decrease in both basins. The average transparency across the summer is nearly a meter less than it was in the early 1990s. On a positive note, phosphorus concentration of the surface water has exhibited a positive downward trend in the north basin since the early 1990s.
Long-term data for Upper Saranac Lake is invaluable and provides a broad view of lake ecology and watershed function. Analyzing the watershed in the context of time improves our capacity to understand slow and highly variable ecological processes and provides reliable information to support lake management.