bloomWatch App featured in U.S. EPA Strategic Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms

Less than two years after the recognition of the importance of having an U.S. Environmental Protection agency-wide plan for responding to potentially toxic Cyanobacteria, the EPA Strategic Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms (FY 2023-2028) was released in January 2023. As a result of the frequent inclusion of bloomWatch in the plan, the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative is working closely with the U.S. EPA to integrate the bloomWatch app and the data into the agency’s data storage systems. This will allow any reports submitted through bloomWatch to be even better cataloged, stored, and made available to stakeholders through a wide range of water quality tools. The anticipated transition of the bloomWatch app and data to the U.S. EPA system is anticipated by the end of 2023.