AquaDiary: Water Mysteries, Science & News

In 1804, a newspaper claimed two fishermen shot and killed a 100-foot serpent in Cayuga Lake. Over 200 years later, the city of Ithaca has an official resolution protecting it. In this episode, I team up with Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator at the Center for Inquiry, to dig through the old newspaper trail, measure the monster, and talk to the people keeping the legend alive.

Along the way, we talk to Sylvie, creator of the Old Greeny Fringe Fest; Pat Sewell, the alder behind the resolution; and Ben Sandburg, executive director of the History Center in Tompkins County. Plus, there’s a pattern in the sighting dates that says Old Greeny is “due to return,” and I explain why that math should make you suspicious.

I’m Ally, an environmental scientist who manages lakes for a living, and this is AquaDiary: lake science, legends, and mysteries.

GUESTS

• Kenny Biddle, Center for Inquiry: https://skepticalinquirer.org/category/a-closer-look/
• Sylvie, Old Greeny Fringe Fest: https://oldgreenyfringefest.com/
• Pat Sewell, Ithaca Common Council, Third Ward
• Ben Sandburg, Tompkins County History Center: https://www.thehistorycenter.net/

SUPPORT THE LAKE MONSTERS“Save Our Lake Monsters” shirts are available at aquadiary.org

There's a river in the sky carrying up to 15x the flow of the Mississippi River. You've heard the term atmospheric river in the news — this episode is the explanation nobody gave you.

In this episode, environmental scientist Ally breaks down what atmospheric rivers actually are, how scientists measure and rate them on a scale from beneficial to catastrophic, why the West Coast depends on them for its water supply while also being devastated by them, what El Nino might change about that in 2026, and why the East Coast, the South, and the Midwest are not off the hook.

Topics covered: what an atmospheric river is, integrated vapor transport, orographic lift, the AR1-AR5 rating scale, the ARkStorm scenario, Oroville Dam, forecast informed reservoir operations, El Niño and what a very strong event means for this winter, and what climate change is doing to these systems.

The full source list is available for free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast//About AquaDiary:AquaDiary is a science communication project focused on water, environmental science, and the systems that shape our world. You can reach Ally for collaborations at www.aquadiary.org or at [email protected]

How does a mountain collapse cause a flood when there is almost no rain?In August 2026, a rock-and-ice avalanche collapsed from the northern face of Langtang Lirung in Nepal, sending an enormous volume of material down the Himalayan valley and generating a seismic signal equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. In this episode, we examine the glaciology, geology, hydrology, and remote-sensing evidence behind the event, including how hanging glaciers and fractured bedrock fail.

Sources:

• 34 sources are available for free on ⁠Patreon ⁠
• Official website: www.aquadiary.org

Support verified relief efforts:

• https://www.nrnusa.org/
• https://allhandsandhearts.org/our-work/programs/nepal-flood-relief

NOTE: This video is for educational purposes. Where the evidence is still developing, we distinguish between established observations, scientific hypotheses, professional opinions, and open questions researchers are still investigating.

About AquaDiary:AquaDiary is a science communication project focused on water, environmental science, and the systems that shape our world.

You can reach Ally for collaborations at [email protected]

What happens when algae show up in the water that eventually becomes your drinking water?In this episode of AquaDiary, we go behind the scenes again with Rochester, NY to find out how the city monitors for algae, where and how they collect samples, what they're looking for in those samples, and how they ensure algae toxins never become a drinking water concern.

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Fluoride is under a federal microscope right now. RFK Jr. told the CDC to drop its fluoridation recommendation, Utah already banned it, and the EPA fast-tracked a new toxicity review. So, is your tap water lowering your IQ?

I spent a while reading the actual primary sources both sides cite so you don't have to.

Short version: the studies finding an IQ effect are real and well-designed. So are the studies finding none. They're mostly answering different questions. Dose and timing turn out to matter more than "fluoride: yes or no." I walk through where the evidence actually lines up, and where the genuine open question still is.//

• Full citations and in-text citations on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheAquaDiaryPodcast
• Free newsletter for updates and resources: substack.com/@aquadiarypodcast
• Learn more at aquadiary.org

Radioactive material has been found in the yards of over 120 homes in the Town of Niagara, NY, and four families have been relocated. But is this just a soil problem, or could it reach the water too?In this episode, I break down what's actually been found, why officials reportedly knew about radioactive hotspots in this area for nearly 40 years, and what the peer-reviewed science says about whether thorium contamination can migrate into groundwater.

Questions this episode answers:

• What is happening in Niagara County, NY right now
• How does soil radiation impact water supplies?
• What is "slag" and why is it radioactive?

• Is Niagara County linked to the Manhattan Project?
• Why did officials know about this for 40 years?
• What are agencies doing about Niagara County's radiation?

Sources & further reading:

This episode cites 22 sources.

• Full source list free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcastFull script with in-text citations available to $3/mo members

Get involved:

• Local advocacy: Save Our Backyards Niagara
• Sign up for updates: https://substack.com/@aquadiarypodcast
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Work with me:

Municipality, lake association, or organization needing help communicating a science or environmental issue clearly? Want me to speak at your next event?

• Email [email protected]

📍 Town of Niagara, NY | Niagara County, NY

There's a beach on one of the cleanest lakes in America with foam sitting on the shoreline, and it just tested over 70x higher for PFAS than the lake water two feet away.

In this episode I sit down with Rick Smith of Global Aquatic Research to unpack what's actually happening across the Finger Lakes right now: the PFAS-in-foam research out of Canandaigua Lake and what it means as the project expands, why harmful algal blooms are starting earlier and lasting longer, and what we know about lake foam. This one got more unsettling than I expected, in the best way.

🔬 Guest: Rick Smith, Founder, Global Aquatic Research📍 Filmed in Auburn, NY - thank you to ARMA for the equipment and assistance.

NOTE: This episode's interview segment was shot on a greenscreen. The background used behind Rick and me was purchased (and made custom) from an online marketplace and found to be AI-generated. I didn't know at the time of editing. I'll be vetting background sources more carefully going forward. All audio and footage of us is raw from the interview and unaltered.// Links:

• Follow Rick's Research: globalaquaticresearch.com
• Get Involved! - Introducing the Finger Lakes Foam Reporting Tool: https://www.globalaquaticresearch.com/finger-lakes.html
• NYSDEC HABs map & reporting: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms/notifications
• Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast
• Substack (free water quality guides): https://substack.com/@aquadiarypodcast
• Inquiries: [email protected]
• www.aquadiary.org

Rochester, New York has been voted the best-tasting water in New York State twice. In this episode, I go inside the Hemlock Filtration Plant with the Rochester Water Bureau, for a complete walkthrough of how drinking water treatment actually works.

This is the most in-depth water treatment plant tour I've filmed on this show. We walk through the entire process step by step, including pH Adjustment, coagulation, filtration, disinfection, corrosion control, and fluoridation.

Beyond the treatment steps themselves, we see what it actually takes to run a plant like this day to day: how backwash filtering works to keep the filters clean and operating efficiently, how chemical storage and chemical feed systems are managed and maintained, and how the Water Bureau is approaching aging infrastructure, including an old tugboat generator still in use, for which replacement control parts can only be found on eBay.

We also get into how tap water testing compares to bottled water regulation, and why your annual water quality report is one of the most underused resources for understanding what's actually in your water.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Bottled Water Scam: https://youtu.be/8t2hWfc-GfI?si=4L4Y5h6kXMPjlUfX
• Rochester Water Bureau on Lead Pipes: https://youtu.be/1ScftnN7g8s?si=QTJINwVLeM4vmDJr

About AquaDiary:

AquaDiary is an independent media project covering water quality, lake science, and the infrastructure most people never think about until something goes wrong. New episodes weekly.

Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast

Substack (free water quality guides): https://substack.com/@aquadiarypodcast

Thanks to David Rowley and the Rochester Water Bureau for the access and the time.

In 2023, Canada's wildfires turned the sky over New York the color of a traffic cone. In July 2026, it's happening again.

Everyone covers the smoke in our lungs. Almost nobody covers what that same smoke does to our drinking water and lakes. This episode traces the whole chain: the light-blocking, algae-fertilizing double effect of ash on a lake surface, the "lake that turns to tea" carbon browning problem, the neurotoxin that works its way up the food chain into the fish on your plate, and what all of it means for the water coming out of your tap.

I also talked to a silvicultural forester with the U.S. Forest Service (speaking personally, not for the agency) about the century of fire suppression policy sitting underneath all of this, and about a genuinely strange soil chemistry mechanism that turns a burned hillside into a mudslide waiting to happen.

And yes, we go there on the oil and gas question: how much of this traces back to Alberta's oil sands, what the actual peer-reviewed attribution science says, and where that research runs out.If 2023 felt like a freak year, 2026 is making a strong case that this is just what North American summers look like now. For us, and for our lakes.//

AquaDiary is an independent water science and investigative podcast that aims to teach people about water resources

• 🎙️ All sources cited on Patreon, full scripts for $3/mo - patreon.com/c/TheAquaDiaryPodcast
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Rochester, NY has thousands of lead water service lines and a plan to replace all of them by 2030, years ahead of the federal deadline, at virtually cost to residents.How did they do it? And is the water in Rochester, NY safe to drink?In this episode, I go inside the Rochester Water Bureau's in-house lab to see exactly how lead testing works, down to the part-per-billion level. Then I sit down with the Director of the Water Bureau and the Manager of Water Production to talk about how Rochester's replacement program actually got built and what puzzle pieces are still moving. This is Part 1 of a Rochester, NY series where we will dig into where your water comes from, and how exactly it is managed.Thank you to the Rochester Water Bureau for the access and time that made this episode possible and for all the work you do for your customers.If you live in Rochester and would like your water sampled for lead, please email [email protected] or call 585 866-9258.//🎙️ AquaDiary is water science for people who want to understand what's actually in their water.📌 SUBSCRIBE to support the channel🧪 PATREON: / theaquadiarypodcast 📩 FREE NEWSLETTER: https://substack.com/@aquadiarypodcast🌊 Inquiries: Send me a photo of your bloom, ask about your water, or invite me to speak at your next event: [email protected].