The largest widespread harmful algal bloom (HAB) in the Hudson River estuary in living memory appears centered near Kingston. It extends Village of Catskill and City of Hudson, south to the Town of Esopus and Town of Hyde Park, with isolated observations at other points.
Kingston Point Beach has been closed, and signs have been posted at Rotary Park as well, Kingston mayor Steve Noble reported on Friday. “While drinking and interacting with the algae water in the creek or Hudson River can be harmful to humans and animals, the City of Kingston tap water is not affected and is quite safe to drink,” wrote Noble. He warned that people not on public water supplies should not drink surface water during an algal bloom, even if it is treated, because in-home treatments do not protect people from HABs toxins.
HABs can produce toxins that pose health risks to people, pets and wildlife via ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. Exposure to high concentrations of the more potent and rare toxins can damage the liver or neurological system. Dogs that swim in waters affected by HABs have died. It is unknown how long the condition may persist.
State and regional entities have been testing water quality.
“Drinking-water plants along the river are effectively treating the water to ensure safe tap water for the 100,000 people who draw their water from the Hudson,” according to Riverkeeper director of advocacy, policy and planning Dan Shapley. “The current bloom underscores the need to understand and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate on our drinking water.”
Warmer water temperatures, longer periods of low river flow, and more frequent droughts create an ideal environment for HAB-forming cyanobacteria to thrive, said Riverkeeper. Extreme precipitation events can also increase runoff of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen into the river, fueling blooms. Treated sewage, fertilizer, agricultural runoff, and insufficiently maintained septic systems are common sources of nutrient runoff.
“In slower-moving parts of the river, green paint-like swirls coated the water’s surface, and along the shoreline you could see green clumps,” said Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies research technician Sophia Atkinson. “When we pulled out the net we’d been towing in the river’s channel, it was so clogged with microcystis that it wouldn’t drain properly.”
Join the family! 
