A toxic green algae scum of historic proportions is spreading across Florida’s Lake Okeechobee and other waterways, invading marinas and consuming oxygen in the water.
The algae, which smells like moldy bread, can be toxic of consumed by humans. It can irritate human skin, so officials say you should wash it off it you come into contact with it. The algae also can be fatal for dogs that swim in it or drink it. People in the area reported seeing dead fish, birds, even manatees as a result of the algae spread.
An unusually large algae bloom has filled the lake with a pea soup mixture, a result of heavy rain, hot weather and heavy concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizer. The bloom has been fast growing. In a satellite image taken on June 12, only 1 percent of the lake was covered by algae; by July 2, 90 percent was covered.
The algae bloom was drifting on the surface toward Pahokee Marina (pictured above) and Port Mayaca Lock and Dam on the eastern shore of the lake. Lake Okeechobee is particularly important to cruising boat owners, who use it to transit across Florida without having to go all the way down to the Keys.
The algae also was flowing through the lake and into the Caloosahatchee River, which runs into Fort Myers and Cape Coral. At first, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporarily suspended releasing water into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers, which it usually does to alleviate pressure on the levee surrounding Lake Okeechobee. But then it had to release water to relieve pressure on the dike, and the algae spread farther. Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/us/algae-blooms-florida-nyt.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article214718205.html
