WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR SEPT. 9, 2024
The only reason for the public outrage that derailed plans to turn nine state parks into golfing destinations is a Florida man named James Gaddis.
For the past two years, Gaddis was a cartographer with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection whose focus was Florida’s state parks.
You would need Gaddis on board If you had plans for the 18-hole courses, 350-room luxury hotels, and lots of pickleball courts on what are now untouched wetlands, unspoiled streams, and pristine forests. Especially if you were trying to do it quietly.
Gaddis was not on board with those plans, which were being floated by the FDEP itself. And he certainly didn’t stay quiet.
In fact, he became the whistleblower and leaked the plans to key environmental nonprofits, the media, or both.
The reaction was swift, angry, and national in scope.
“Public lands, purchased for conservation or nature-based passive recreation, should not be turned into amusement centers with golf courses, resorts, and the like,” Joe Murphy, a Florida-based environmentalist, wrote in the National Wildlife Federation's blog. “Florida already has golf courses. But these special landscapes are unique and irreplaceable—and they should remain that way.
"This FDEP proposal is a bad idea that cuts to the core of why we set aside these wild places for people and wildlife in the first place."
Gaddis told the Tampa Bay Times his decision to put his job on the line and spread the news about the golf course initiatives first arose when he saw the secrecy with which the plan was being shielded from the public as it was being shepherded through the process.
He pressed to know more and discovered the depth and breadth of the environmental damage that would result from nine multi-use developments; no less concerning would be the loss of the solitary, quiet peace inherent in Florida’s state parks.
Gaddis said the was nothing political about it.
But there was about the retribution.
Gaddis was fired in short order from his state government job at a state agency by a state employee — by a letter delivered to him at home on a Saturday afternoon.
The dismissal letter listed the justification as he "intentionally released unauthorized and inaccurate information to the public" among other charges, and was signed by Mara Gambineri, who is the deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Land and Recreation Department.
It's worth noting that while Gambineri signed the letter, the decision to terminate Gaddis likely involved higher-level officials given the sensitive nature of the leaked information and the subsequent controversy. So it’s unclear who actually called for Gaddis to be fired.
DeSantis in a news conference implied dishonesty was in play when Gaddis claimed his motivations centered on the environmental implications of the golf courses, not the political: "It was intentionally leaked out to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.”
But DeSantis also said he knew nothing about the plans he just discussed: “It was not approved by me, I never saw that." If not signed off on by the governor, who with that level of authority did remains unclear.
Gaddis maintains he is a whistleblower, which is not a crime. The FDEP said he committed "sabotage,” which is a crime. Confusing.
While his former supervisor, Florida’s governor, and the FDEP as an agency were vilifying Gaddis, he started a fundraising account for himself and his daughter with a goal of $10,000.
In just a few days, more than 5,000 people had contributed more than $250,000 to help Gaddis restart his life.
Whose actions speak louder?
We now join WGCU’s Water Quality Report in its entirety so at least one issue of the day is made completely clear.
RED TIDE
Red tides, should they appear, tend to do so in the late summer and fall. Keep your eyes – and nose and throat and lungs – attuned for the signs of the harmful algae blooms, which include dead fish along the shoreline, a runny nose, and a scratchy throat.
If red tide is present and any of those things bother you, there is nothing to do other than pick a different beach some distance away to enjoy.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sampled statewide for the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, and it was not found in bloom quantities anywhere.
No reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide were received over the past week, nor was there any respiratory Irritation reported in Florida over the past week related to the harmful algae bloom..
Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island had no animals brought in due to symptoms of exposure to red tide, which is the first time in months.
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE
The Lee County Environmental Lab took water samples to test for blue-green algae and found none throughout the area.
The agency reminds residents that winds and tides tend to push the components of blue-green algae around, so people in that region should be watchful for the potentially toxic bloom.
Satellite imagery from Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom covering 30 square miles, or 6% of the lake. The most recent satellite imagery for Lake Okeechobee shows widely scattered bloom potential on visible portions of the lake with the northern portion of the lake showing the lowest bloom potential.
The FDEP says it is important to remember the blue-green algae potential is subject to change due to rapidly changing environmental conditions or satellite inconsistencies.
What is red tide?
Red tide is one type of harmful algal bloom caused by high concentrations of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia. 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 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 like something with a naturally unpleasant odor has now started to rot, too.
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 FDEP 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 right away.
What causes blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae blooms occur when the algae that are typically present grow in numbers more than normal. Within a few days, a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy.
Winds tend to push the 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.
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