The Cayuga County Health Department has confirmed that harmful algal blooms have been discovered on Cayuga and Owasco lakes.

In a Tuesday press release, the department said both Camp Y Owasco and the Owasco Yacht Club beaches have been closed due to the blooms, and they won't be opened until the blooms are no longer visible and the water is analyzed to be safe.

The department added that it won't issue a press release each time blooms are found in the water along beaches.

"We do encourage the public who are heading out to a public bathing beach to contact the beach operator prior to arriving to determine if it is open for swimming," the release read.

Harmful algal blooms, the department said, "can appear on water as shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown, or red, paint-like or floating mats or scum." People are encouraged to avoid all contact with them due to the possible health effects.

If you see a bloom in water, you're encouraged to report it to the New York State Department of Conservation's algal bloom notification website.