WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR JULY 16, 2023
At least six times in seven weeks a story on my plate has been a necessary update of the blue-green algae outbreak expected for this summer.
One was a story on how the blooms can originate in Lake Okeechobee since the lakebed is polluted with agriculture runoff and septic tank overflows, and another an essay on why water tainted with the harmful algae bloom sometimes must be released into the Caloosahatchee River anyway.
A piece explaining the history of blue-green outbreaks in Southwest Florida, and then one on how Hurricane Ian, last year, started this year’s go-round with blue-green algae.
More words in a story highlighting that blue-green algae is being detected by water-quality testing, whether performed by the Florida Department of Health, the Lee County Environmental Lab, or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, farther west down the Caloosahatchee River as the weeks go by.
Different agencies with the same results -- abnormally high levels of the cyanobacteria that comprise blue-green algae in the river – warning of the same precautions: not just “don’t drink it,” but “don’t even let it touch you,” or your animals, because it could lead to skin rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, skin, eye or throat irritation, allergic reactions, and not just dogs or cats who drink it might die but so can livestock the size of cows.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sums it up for health professionals.
I'll break it down for everyone else.
CDC: “Cyanobacteria, also referred to as blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms that live primarily in freshwater, but can also be found in brackish or salt water.”
TB: You often can’t see blue-green algae, and it can be in any type of water outside.
CDC: “Cyanobacterial blooms are usually blue-green in color, but can be other colors, including red or brown.”
TB: When you can see blue-green algae, it might be orange (or any other earth tone).
CDC: “When a bloom occurs, scum might float on the water surface. As it decays, it can smell like rotting plants.”
TB: When a bloom occurs, scum will float on the water surface. As it decays, it will smell far worse than rotting plants.
CDC: “Cyanobacterial blooms more often occur during the summer or early fall but can occur anytime during the year.”
TB: Blooms can happen anytime.
CDC: “Cyanobacteria usually multiply and bloom when the water is warm, stagnant, and rich in nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) from sources such as fertilizer runoff or septic tank overflows.”
TB: Lake Okeechobee is America’s best example of a blue-green algae incubator. But I’ve explained this one already
Blue-green algae is usually harmless to most as long as you don’t languish in it. A decent exposure can lead to serious health concerns for some with weakened immune systems, the very young or very old.
So much so that the CDC made a cyanobacteria fact sheet and treatment chart for poison control professionals.
My seven or eight stories on blue-green algae this year probably totaled 3,500 words combined, whether written for my stories on the web or spoken for my stories broadcast over the air. The written words were accompanied by about ten photos and graphics to illustrate the particular focus of each piece. All totaled, tens of thousands of WGCU's readers and listeners with an interest in blue-green algae were exposed to it.
But it took only one glance at a video of blue-green algae to stop me cold.
One look is all it took for me to realize that harmful algae blooms are going to be around until we on the planet can’t live with them anymore. That, right now, we don’t have enough fear about it in our hearts to effect the type of change on a wholesale level that it would take to depollute Lake Okeechobee.
The video was attached to an email sent to me by Captains for Clean Water, an up-and-coming grassroots environmental group in Southwest Florida that is already making inroads with state and federal lawmakers on coastal issues important to us all.
It’s graphic, but not in the way where the children need to leave the room. In fact, they should stay. They need to see a particularly nasty environmental mess that we are leaving to their generation to fix.
This is what the water looks like, the water that flows into the Caloosahatchee River during a year like this one, and will for many more to come, when the blue-green bloom on the lake is strong, the water level is getting high, so the floodgates must be opened.
It’s not if the floodgates will be opened this year, it’s when.
Those who settled at the southern end of the lake 150 years ago not knowing it was a major flood zone can be excused.
Everyone involved in “planning” the Everglades since holds the blame for what’s in this video, including those who conceived of Miami and Naples and started building the metro regions, as well as those who continue to poke at South Florida’s planning agencies, wanting to encroach on the Florida Everglades even more.
RED TIDE
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that over the past week the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was nowhere to be found in levels that matter.
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife received zero birds requiring treatments for symptoms of red tide exposure.
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE
Sampling for components of blue-green algae by the Lee County Environmental Lab and others have discovered high concentrations and visible green-colored slicks in places throughout the Caloosahatchee River. Other testing in the southern Peace River tested positive, too..
Earlier this week, satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed moderate-to-high bloom potential many places around the lake.
What is red tide?
Red tide is one type of harmful algal bloom caused by high concentrations of the toxic dinoflagellate K. brevis, which is a type of microscopic algae found in the Gulf of Mexico. Red tide typically forms naturally offshore, commonly in late summer or early fall, and is carried into coastal waters by winds and currents. Once inshore, these opportunistic organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth. Blooms typically last into winter or spring, but in some cases, can endure for more than one year.
Is red tide harmful?
K. brevis produces potent neurotoxins (brevetoxins) that can be harmful to the health of both wildlife and people. Wind and wave action can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air. This is why you should monitor conditions and stay away from beaches where red tide is in bloom. People in coastal areas can experience varying degrees of eye, nose and throat irritation during a red tide bloom. Some individuals with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic lung disease might experience more severe symptoms. Red tide toxins can also affect the central nervous system of fish and other marine life, which can lead to fish kills.
What causes red tide?
A red tide bloom develops naturally, but recent studies have discovered mankind's infusion of other nutrients into the mix can make the red tide last longer or get stronger. But biology (the organisms), chemistry (natural or man-made nutrients for growth) and physics (concentrating and transport mechanisms) interact to produce the algal bloom. No one factor causes the development of a red tide bloom.
What is blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are a group of organisms that can live in freshwater, saltwater or brackish water. Large concentrations, called blooms, can change the water color to blue, green, brown, orange or red. Some cyanobacterial blooms can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of freshwater lakes and ponds. As algae in a cyanobacterial bloom die, the water may smell bad
Is blue-green algae harmful?
Different types of blue-green algal bloom species can look different and have different impacts. However, regardless of species, many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins that can make you or your pets sick if swallowed or possibly cause skin and eye irritation. The Florida department of Environmental Protection advises staying out of water where algae is visibly present as specks or mats or where water is discolored. Pets or livestock should not come into contact with algal bloom-impacted water or with algal bloom material or fish on the shoreline. If they do, wash the animals immediately.
What causes blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae blooms occur when the algae that are normally present grow in numbers more than normal. Within a few days, a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy. Winds tend to push some floating blooms to the shore where they become more noticeable. Cyanobacterial blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients. Blooms can occur at any time, but most often occur in late summer or early fall.
If any major type of water quality alert is issued, you can find the details here in WGCU’s Water Quality Report.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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