Army Corps of Engineers working on new Lake Okeechobee management plan winknews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from winknews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Blue-green algae in Caloosahatchee brings back bad memories for businesses
Published: May 20, 2021 7:11 PM EDT
Updated: May 20, 2021 11:02 PM EDT
Recommended
A growing algae crisis is bringing back bad memories for businesses.
Our crews checked on W.P. Franklin Lock on the Caloosahatchee River in Olga Thursday, where blue-green algae was present and taking over the plant life there.
It was a familiar scene for those who were in the region in 2018, as business owners were forced to fight through a water crisis. It’s a time that is impossible for Sea Tow Captain Tom Carter to forget.
“Was really bad,” Carter said. “I mean, we had the entire canal here. It literally looked like an anti-fatigue mat. It was nasty, blue, green, thick. I mean, thick enough where, at one point, I actually saw a duck walking across it.”
Health alert issued for Franklin Lock along the Caloosahatchee River winknews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from winknews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Blue-green algae concerns mount on Caloosahatchee amid rainy season
Published: May 18, 2021 3:58 PM EDT
Updated: May 18, 2021 5:24 PM EDT
Recommended
Blue-green algae has become a problem recently on the Caloosahatchee River, and it’s taking over some areas of it such as at W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam in Olga.
Green and slimy blue-green algae is something many in Southwest Florida have seen in abundance in the past, and what is being seen now might not clear up soon because rainy season is underway. A lot of rain could mean bad news for water quality.
We are at a crossroads in May: On one hand, we desperately need the rain, but on the other, rain means more runoff and potentially more Lake Okeechobee discharges, which could pollute our waterways.
If you’re heading out on the water, you’ll want to watch out for areas with algae blooms this weekend.
On Friday, the Florida Department of Health issued a health advisory for Davis Boat Ramp, which is on Davis Boulevard in Fort Myers Shores. The alert for Franklin Locks is still active for now.
WINK News reporter Gail Levy went to Davis Boat Ramp and didn’t see any algae. But, experts say, that we should still be cautious.
The green you see in Lake Okeechobee right now is a bloom of Cyanobacteria.
“It’s a little early to have such a massive bloom, or what it appears to be,” said Barry Rosen, Ph.D., a professor at The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University.