Governor Hochul Announces Additional Actions to Accelerate Water ...

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $42 million will be disbursed to the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition to begin implementation of priority projects that will help mitigate Harmful Algal Blooms in the Finger Lakes Watershed area. The Coalition will implement on- and off-farm projects that align with federal and State-approved clean water plans and other pollution prevention plans in an effort to further drive down nutrient and sediment runoff in the Eastern Finger Lakes watersheds. The investment is a part of the Governor’s 2024 State of the State commitment to develop on-the-ground actions necessary to address the controllable causes of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and significantly reduce their prevalence while supporting projects that help prevent nutrient and sediment runoff into lakes and improve climate resiliency.

“Protecting New York’s water supply is a top priority for New York State,” Governor Hochul said. “We are moving this funding quickly to accelerate watershed protection and restoration measures that will reduce nutrient inputs to the Finger Lakes, improve water quality, and help reduce the frequency of HABs, while building resilience to support New York’s agricultural industry. Clean water is critical to sustaining the health of our communities, protecting our environment, and supporting local economies in the Finger Lakes.”

In August 2024, New York State announced that $42 million, supported by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 and other capital resources, was being directed to the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition to further water quality protections and investments to improve water quality and reduce HABs in the Finger Lakes watershed area. HABs are caused by many factors and impact public health, recreation, and the local economy. The Coalition covers 11 Soil and Water Conservation Districts and seven of New York’s Finger Lakes – Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, and Otisco, and their watersheds.

This dedicated funding, scheduled to the Coalition imminently, is supporting innovative agricultural and resilience projects both on and off farms. This critical investment will not only safeguard the health of the Finger Lakes but also support local farmers by providing additional resources to implement best management practices, such as erosion and sediment controls, nutrient management, and stormwater management that will contribute to cleaner water and soil health throughout the region.

This direct support of the Coalition is a part of the Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) partnership, alongside the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, and the 11 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in the Eastern Finger Lakes, to accelerate watershed protection and restoration measures to improve water quality and mitigate HABs.

Projects will focus on:

• Implementing the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program projects  to help farmers reduce water pollution from agricultural activities;
• Enhancing flood resiliency by stabilizing and protecting vulnerable streams, reducing sediment erosion, and upgrading culverts and implementing water control practices in steep road ditches to minimize sedimentation and runoff; and
• Supporting nutrient reduction strategies outlined in watershed-based plans.

Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Governor Hochul’s sustained investments to reduce the frequency of HABs is evident in the ongoing support for the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition, as well as record infrastructure funding and sustainable farming assistance that helps continue improving the quality of waterbodies statewide. DEC looks forward to collaborating with the Coalition and our many partners on the State and local level to ensure the long-term protection of the lakes and rivers that provide countless environmental, health, and economic contributions to the region’s vibrant communities.”  

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are proud of the work we are doing to drive down instances of HABs; however, we know that more must be done to address this issue in our watersheds, including in the Finger Lakes. As such, we are developing comprehensive action plans that will not only build on our current work to prevent water pollution, improve nutrient management, and reduce erosion, but will also guide our future goals for a sustainable environment and cleaner waterbodies. This funding will allow our Soil and Water Conservation Districts to work with both our farms and with local government to complete management projects that will have a critical impact on the reduction of sediments and nutrients entering the waterways and protect the water quality for the region now and for the future.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “This latest funding demonstrates Governor Hochul’s commitment to addressing water quality improvements and Harmful Algal Blooms in the Finger Lakes Watershed area. The State Health Department will continue our work with local water suppliers and our state partners on infrastructure upgrades and technical assistance to help protect drinking water for years to come.”

Cayuga SWCD Executive Director Doug Kierst said, “Through the continued support of NYS, Soil and Water Conservation Districts of the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition will continue to get common sense conservation practices on the ground, where they are desperately needed. This dedicated funding will allow local SWCDs to focus on the implementation of an abundance of Best Management Practices that we have identified across the Finger Lakes Region. These important projects, when completed, will facilitate the protection of water quality through the reduction of nutrients and sediments to local waterbodies, support NYS clean water goals and maintain agricultural sustainability.”

New York State SWCC Chair Matthew Brower said, "The NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee is proud to be a part of the partnership working to improve the water quality of the Finger Lakes. The farming community, the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and local governments have been working on these issues for many years and it is great that they will be able to continue this work with the funding provided by New York State. The Agricultural Environmental Program (AEM) has been an excellent program to help farmers identify needs on the farm and get the best management practices implemented to address water quality issues."

HABs Mitigation Efforts

This investment builds on $1.2 million announced by the Governor in July 2024 for the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition to build professional capacity to address HABs. It also included increased technical support for farmers to implement more cover crops, improve culverts to reduce runoff, enhance soil health, and reduce water quality impairments in the region.

In just over the last five years, AGM has dedicated nearly $125 million— through its Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control, Climate Resilient Farming, and Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) programs— to on-farm projects that protect soil and water quality, conserve natural resources, fight climate change, and reduce the conditions that cause HABs, such as nutrient runoff and soil erosion, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Through various funding streams allocated in the Budget, the Department supports the SWCDs, who work on behalf of New York’s farms to implement better nutrient and sediment control practices. The Department also supports SWCDs in their work with the State’s municipalities to increase stormwater absorption and improve water retention. These are accomplished through best management practices, such as nutrient management through manure storage, vegetative buffers along streams, conservation cover crops, water management, and more.

Since 2020, specific to the Finger Lakes Watershed area, $66 million has been awarded over the last five years to implement best management practices on 370 farms within this region of the state. The projects awarded in the Finger Lakes alone have reduced 32,800 pounds of total phosphorus, 746,000 pounds of total nitrogen, and 43 million pounds of sediment per year. This work has also reduced New York State’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 43,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year and have also made a measurable impact towards keeping HABs out of the State’s waterways.

Since 2017, DEC worked with stakeholders in the Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Owasco, and Skaneateles lake watersheds to develop clean water plans to protect and improve water quality. In addition, DEC has completed Total Maximum Daily Load analysis in Conesus, Honeoye, and Cayuga lakes. In 2018, DEC convened four regional summits to examine the causes of HABs and develop sustainable solutions to reduce impacts. DEC worked with State and local partners to develop and implement  HABs Action Plans for 13 high- priority waterbodies, including several in the Eastern Finger Lakes.

To date, New York State awarded more than $530 million in grants for projects statewide designed to reduce the frequency of algal blooms by targeting phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, factors that trigger HAB occurrences. DEC also created the New York Harmful Algal Bloom System (NYHABS) webpage, which features an interactive map that provides active HAB locations. Members of the public should report suspected HABs so DEC experts can review and identify for accuracy. Because it is hard to tell a HAB from a non-harmful algal bloom, it is best to avoid swimming, boating, otherwise recreating in, or drinking water with a suspected bloom. DEC encourages people to “Know it, Avoid it, Report it!” all year round, especially during the summer. The summer months are the peak time for HABs – warmer weather, calmer conditions, and more sunlight will often contribute to the blooms.

Also, since 2014, DEC awarded more than $55.7 million to 96 projects for water quality improvement planning and implementation within the Eastern Finger Lakes watershed through the Water Quality Improvement Project program and the Non-agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 Mapping Grant. Projects funded prepare planning reports or directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source. Awards within the Eastern Finger Lakes watershed included land acquisition for source water protection, streambank and road ditch stabilization, wastewater disinfection, sanitary sewer overflow improvements, sediment and erosion control, wetland restoration, riparian buffers, salt storage, and aquatic habitat restoration.

At least $75 million in grants is currently available through DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program to support new projects that can help reduce HABs and other actions that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source.

Other recent funding to help protect water quality includes more than $90 million in grants and low-interest financing to the City of Auburn announced by Governor Hochul and the State Environmental Facilities Corporation. This will support planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment improvements. To help promote buffers that prevent runoff and other water quality impairments, DEC established the 287-acre Cayuga Shores Wildlife Management Area along Cayuga Lake and awarded $1.2 million to the Finger Lakes Land Trust for land acquisitions to protect Owasco Lake water quality.

New York's Commitment to Water Quality

New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure. With an additional $500 million for clean water infrastructure in the 2025-2026 enacted State Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. In addition, the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act is helping State agencies, local governments, and partners access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change.

The Governor also expanded EFC’s Community Assistance Teams to help all communities access assistance, particularly small, rural, and disadvantaged communities so they may leverage this funding and address their clean water infrastructure needs. Any community that needs help with funding its water infrastructure is encouraged to contact EFC.