Community Science Institute

06/02/2026

Our 2025 Annual Report is now available!

Last year marked an important milestone for Community Science Institute: 25 years of community-powered science in service of clean water. Over the past quarter century, volunteers, partners, supporters, and staff have helped build a legacy of accessible science and environmental stewardship, generating more than 150,000 water quality data points to better understand and protect our region's waters.

The 2025 Annual Report highlights a year of remarkable community impact, including:
💧 A record-breaking harmful algal bloom monitoring season on Cayuga Lake
🔬 Expanded stream, lake, and biological monitoring across regional watersheds
🚰 The launch of our Water Testing Assistance Program to increase access to drinking water testing
🌎 Continued growth of our education and outreach efforts through Journey of Water, public presentations, HABby Hour, and community events

None of this work would be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, partners, members, donors, and supporters. Thank you for being part of CSI's first 25 years—and for helping shape the next 25.

Read the full 2025 Annual Report here: https://communityscience.org/annualreports/

The beautiful cover photo was provided by local drone photographer, Mike Dressing. Taken near Taughannock Falls State Park, looking to the north, in October 2025.

05/29/2026

Save the date: June 10th!

CSI’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program Coordinator, Alyssa Johnson, will be one of the presenters during this virtual community conference hosted by Cayuga Lake Watershed Network!

💦Log on to learn about what Lurks in the Lake!

📣Register today for our Community Conference on June 10th, live ONLINE by Zoom! 6:30-8:00pm.

👉Registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nn47Jsg5R861DrvP0C-Gcg #/registration

🐟Dive into the latest science from Cayuga Lake! Join regional experts for a community conversation exploring what recent harmful algal bloom monitoring and fisheries surveys are revealing about the health, ecology, and future of the lake we all share.

05/27/2026

FYI: there is apparently an area-wide Spectrum outage that is affecting our internet and phones. We will update when we’re back online! Thank you for your patience in the mean time.

05/13/2026

Last month, our Synoptic Stream & Lake Monitoring volunteers were busy across the Cayuga Lake watershed!

Throughout April, multiple volunteer teams collected water samples from Cayuga Lake and the many creeks and streams that flow into it, helping CSI build a clearer picture of watershed conditions during both storm events and normal flow conditions.

Here’s a snapshot of April’s monitoring efforts:

• 🌧️ April 1 Storm Sampling: Intense storms caused widespread flooding across the watershed and volunteers pulled on their boots to collect critical stormwater samples during the event from Fall Creek, Virgil Creek, Yawger Creek, and Great Gully Creek.

• 💧 Eastern Watershed Baseflow Sampling: Samples were collected from Deans Creek, Paines Creek, Mill Creek, Townline Creek, and Milliken Creek.

• 💦 Late-April Monitoring Events: Samples were collected from the Cayuga Inlet, Pony Hollow Creek, Trumansburg Creek, Taughannock Creek, Salmon Creek, Minnegar Brook, and from the eastern shoreline of Cayuga Lake.

📊 By the numbers:
• 7 monitoring events
• 115 water samples collected
• More than a dozen streams monitored throughout the Cayuga Lake watershed

🧪To keep up with the influx of samples, CSI’s laboratory staff powered through water quality analyses in record time, ensuring this valuable community science data could quickly become part of our long-term watershed monitoring efforts. When analysis results are ready, they can be viewed on CSI's open-access Water Quality Database here: https://www.database.communityscience.org/monitoringregions/1

Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers and staff who make this work possible! 👏

05/11/2026

💧 The 2026 Journey of Water (JoW) program schedule and registration are now LIVE on our website! 💧

If your family is interested in participating, we encourage you to sign up soon — spots may fill quickly for some programs!

CSI's JoW is a free, hands-on learning series offered June–September that invites children and their families to explore how water moves through our lives — from local streams and creeks to the tap and back again.

Designed primarily for children ages 5–12 (and welcoming to learners of all ages and backgrounds), this 12-program series combines outdoor exploration, simple science activities, and real-world examples to spark curiosity, joy, and connection to the natural world.

Participants will:
🌎 Take a "journey" through the Cayuga Lake watershed
💧 Learn how natural and built water systems work
🔬 Engage in hands-on science and outdoor discovery
🐟 Build a stronger connection to the Finger Lakes environment
🌱 Discover how everyday actions help protect clean water

📅 View the full 2026 schedule and register today on our website!
https://communityscience.org/journeyofwater/

05/06/2026

On this rainy day in May, it seems appropriate to share this resource to understand how water is moved out of the Cayuga Lake Watershed and beyond:https://ny.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/fs18099/fs180-99.pdf

This PDF was sourced from NYS Canal Corporation. They also posted these helpful graphics a year ago in May 2025 due to very similar circumstances that many of us are experiencing currently.

05/05/2026

CSI is still seeking harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring volunteers on Cayuga Lake—and there are several ways to get involved:

🦠 HABs Harrier – Monitor an assigned shoreline zone at least once per week and report suspected blooms. The season runs June 1–October 31 (though reports are always welcome outside that window!).
🚙 HABs Carrier – Help transport samples from Aurora/Romulus to our lab in Ithaca on an as-needed basis. We especially need support on the east side of the lake.
💦 Both! – Some volunteers choose to monitor and assist with transport.

Why do we continue to monitor when we know HABs can appear here, there and everywhere on the lake?

HABs can change quickly and aren’t always easy to spot. By continuing to monitor, we can:
🧪Protect public health by identifying toxin risks with strategic sample collection efforts and certified lab analysis
⌚️Provide timely updates so people know when waters are safe
📊Build long-term data to better understand trends
🤝Support informed decisions that protect Cayuga Lake now and into the future

Monitoring ensures our community isn’t guessing when it comes to water safety—it’s grounded in science.

👉 Interested? Volunteer sign-up links will be shared in the comments!

05/02/2026

We’re excited to thank Inn at Taughannock Falls for becoming a 2025–2026 Lake Leaders Business Member!

🌿💦🥂 Set within the breathtaking scenery of Taughannock Falls State Park, this serene estate offers a memorable lakeside retreat in the heart of the Finger Lakes wine region. Enjoy a luxurious stay surrounded by waterfalls, lake views, and the natural beauty that defines this special place.

Their support helps make community science, environmental education, and long-term watershed protection possible across the Finger Lakes.

We also appreciate them setting a strong example for the regional tourism and hospitality industry—showing how businesses that rely on clean, healthy waterways can actively invest in protecting them through partnerships like this.

Thank you, Inn at Taughannock Falls, for helping support healthier waters and a stronger local environment.

04/30/2026

This past week, our Synoptic Stream and Lake Monitoring volunteers were out in force, collecting samples from across the Cayuga Lake watershed. Teams visited Taughannock Creek, Trumansburg Creek, Minnegar Brook, Salmon Creek, and the southeastern shoreline of Cayuga Lake, helping capture a snapshot of current water quality conditions.

Volunteers pictured are Victoria and Sue, who were collecting samples along Salmon Creek on 4/29/26. Victoria is a brand new CSI volunteer who teamed up with Sue, who is a seasoned synoptic and HABs monitoring volunteer!

After collection, samples are delivered to CSI’s state-certified lab for analysis, where they become part of a larger dataset that helps us understand the health of our waters over time. These efforts do more than generate data—they directly support informed water resource management decisions by local governments, while also engaging and empowering community members to take an active role in caring for the places they live.

💦🧪🥾👫Fieldwork, science, and community—all flowing together!

04/27/2026

🚨 First Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) of the Season Confirmed on Cayuga Lake (4/23/26)

Last week, a volunteer with our HABs monitoring program reported a suspicious bloom at the northern end of the lake, just south of Harris Park in the Village of Cayuga. While the photos appeared consistent with a HAB, we wanted to be certain. Although the official monitoring season has not yet begun, we asked the volunteer to collect a sample so we could take a closer look.

Microscopic analysis confirmed the presence of a harmful algal bloom, with abundant Microcystis sp. observed.

We will not be conducting toxin analysis on this sample, but this does mark the first confirmed HAB of the 2026 season on Cayuga Lake—and the earliest on record. While early-season blooms are not unprecedented, they are a reminder that conditions can shift quickly.

👉If you see something that looks like a bloom, avoid contact and report it—your observations make a difference.

💧 Our volunteer HAB monitoring program officially begins June 1, and we are still recruiting volunteers to help survey the lake until 10/31/26.

🔗Directions to report a HAB and a link to sign up to become a volunteer are available in the comments.