Army Corps of Engineers working to prevent toxic algae
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday they have selected a plan that will reduce freshwater discharges into the St. Lucie Estuary for at least the next 10 years.
and last updated 2021-07-19 17:22:01-04
PAHOKEE, Fla. â From the C-51 canal to the Pahokee Marina, Palm Beach County has seen a lot of toxic algae this summer.
But after being closed for months, the Pahokee Marina has reopened.
The barriers blocking the road leading to the Pahokee Marina have been removed. People are sitting at picnic tables, and others are walking the perimeter of the marina and fishing again in Lake Okeechobee.
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Terry Butler was beginning his eight-hour shift at the Pahokee Campground & Marina early Wednesday as government officials began gathering to address toxic algae that could be unleashed on the Treasure Coast if Lake Okeechobee discharges resume.
Butler spends his weekdays working at the marina, where he cleans boats, trims hedges and, for the past few weeks, has carefully weaved his way around the docks trying to avoid the putrid scent algae releases at his workplace. It s really hard for me to smell it every day. But I ve got to come to work, the 55-year-old Pahokee city employee said. I don t know about the risks. I m not aware of what it is . but every year, it comes in from somewhere else.
Blue-green algae spotted at Pahokee Marina
Waterkeepers concerned about algae bloom at Pahokee Marina Share Updated: 8:05 PM EDT Apr 26, 2021
Waterkeepers concerned about algae bloom at Pahokee Marina Share Updated: 8:05 PM EDT Apr 26, 2021
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Show Transcript ANGELA ROZIER SPEAK TO ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO ARE CONCERNED EPUSH VERY WITH THE RAINY SEE AHEAD. The Reporter: LAYERS OF THICK BLUE GREEN ALGAE CAN BE SEEN AROUND THE MARINA. ONE MAN TOLD US WHAT WE RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS IT NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS LIKE EARLIER. THIS IS WORSE THAN THIS. > ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE CONCERNED. BY THE LOOK OF IT TODAY, PAHOKIE, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE BLOOMS WE HAD TWO YEARS AGO IN THE ST. LUCIE. VERY, VERY FAR ALONG IN DEVELOPMENT. THE REPORTER: THE LAKE WORTH WATER KEEPERS THE PAHOKIE MARINA IS BEING A BIT OF A CANARY IN A COAL MINE. > HE WAS HERE FRIDAY AND TOOK THE AERIAL FOOTAGE TO ALERT THE COMMUNITY. THE BLOOM, THE DISCHA