New York Citizen Lake Monitoring Program Data

Over 25 years of data from the Citizen Statewide Lake Monitoring Assessment Program (CSLAP), a volunteer-driven initiative managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Federation of Lake Associations. The dataset catalogs information on participating lakes, including physical characteristics and water quality classifications. It is published by data.ny.gov and was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the relationship between lake trophic state and watershed area using the 'Trophic State' and 'Watershed Area (hectares)' columns.
• Mapping lake locations and public access points for recreational planning using 'Latitude', 'Longitude', and 'Public Access Description'.
• Assessing long-term monitoring coverage by examining the 'Number of Years Sampled' and 'Last Year Sampled' fields for each lake.
• Classifying water bodies for regulatory or conservation purposes based on the 'Water Quality Classification' and 'Priority Waterbody List Number'.

Strengths

• Data collection spans more than 25 years, providing a long-term record for analysis of trends.
• Includes precise geospatial coordinates ('Latitude', 'Longitude') and multiple physical measurements like 'Mean Depth (meters)' and 'Elevation (meters)'.
• The program is a collaboration between a state agency (DEC) and a citizen group (NYSFOLA), suggesting structured data collection protocols.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific license are not provided on any platform.
• The 'Last updated' date of April 2026 appears to be a future date, indicating a potential metadata error or placeholder value.

Provenance

Source

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA).

Collection Method

Volunteer lake monitoring and assessment through the Citizen Statewide Lake Monitoring Assessment Program (CSLAP).

Time Range

Over 25 years (program duration).

Freshness

2026-04-04 23:05:10.202707

Geography

Lakes within New York State, USA.