Lake Okeechobee and Blue-Green Algae

JOINING US. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR BLUE GREEN ALGAE BLOOMS TO BE PRESENT IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. BUT CURRENTLY THE LEVELS OF THE HARMFUL BACTERIA HAVE FORCED THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ISSUE HEALTH ALERTS, BLANKETS OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE HAVE BEEN SPOTTED COVERING HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES OF THE LAKE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WARNINGS SAY PEOPLE SHOULD AVOID SWIMMING OR USING PERSONAL WATERCRAFT WHEN THERE WAS A VISIBLE BLOOM, YOU ARE ALSO ADVISED TO AVOID COOKING OR CLEANING DISHES WITH WATER CONTAMINATED BY THE ALGAE BLOOMS. AND THAT'S BECAUSE BOILING THE WATER WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE TOXIN. >> TOM BAYLISS WGCU SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER. >> JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THE LAKE AND THE CURRENT ALGAE LEVELS. >> YES, FOR YEARS, RALPH, OUR WOOD HAS BEEN FLYING ABOVE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S WATERWAYS AS A VOLUNTEER PILOT FOR CALUSA WATERKEEPER AND WHAT HE SEES FROM THE AIR TELLS THE STORY. THE REST OF US CAN ONLY SEEN PIECES FROM THE GROUND. >> MORE THAN HALF STORY IS COVERED WITH A BLUE. >> IT'S SCATTERED ALL OVER THE THE THE DENSEST CONCENTRATION IS SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE AND TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE OVER. >> LAKE OKEECHOBEE ITSELF, FLORIDA'S LARGEST FRESHWATER LAKE. HE'S ONCE AGAIN SMOTHERED HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES OF BLUE. GREEN ALGAE NOW BLANKET THE SURFACE. LAKE OKEECHOBEE HAVING A BLUE GREEN ALGAE OUTBREAK IS NOT UNCOMMON DURING THE SUMMERTIME IN FLORIDA. HOWEVER, OUR WOOD WHO SPOTTED NUMEROUS OUTBREAKS. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST. >> THEY'VE BEEN THIS BAD BEFORE, BUT BUT TO IT'S IT'S A PRETTY BAD ONE. PRETTY CLOSE TO THE WORST. THE PATTERN IS FAMILIAR. >> WARM WATER, EXCESS NUTRIENTS FROM AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF AND URBAN STORMWATER STILL CONDITIONS. THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE BLUE GREEN ALGAE THRIVE. AND EVERY SUMMER, FLORIDA PAYS THE PRICE. >> THE REST OF THE LIKE THAT'S NOT GREEN IS NOT LOOKING PARTICULARLY HEALTHY, BUT IT'S AT LEAST IT'S NOT AGREE THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKELY IN ORDER TO JUST IT'S JUST KIND OF A DIRTY LOOK AND >> THE BLOOMS PRODUCE TOXINS THAT CAN SICKEN PEOPLE AND PETS. THEY CLOSE BEACHES AND BOAT RAMPS. THEY COLLAPSE FISHERIES. THEY TURNED SOME SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S MOST TREASURED WATERWAYS INTO ECOLOGICAL DISASTER ZONES IN 2018 BLUE GREEN ALGAE RELEASED FROM LAKE OKEECHOBEE FLOW DOWN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER. WHEN IT REACHED AGO NEAR SAN CARLOS PAYAN, CHARLOTTE HARBOR. IT COLLIDED WITH THE RED TIDE. THE TO BLOOM SMASHED TOGETHER TO CREATE A MASSIVE HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM THAT DEVASTATED THE REGION IN 2019 AND COST 10'S OF MILLIONS IN ECONOMIC LOSSES. BLUE GREEN ALGAE IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE IS AN ONGOING LONG-TIME PROBLEM. GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS HAS DEVOTED 10'S OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO TRY TO ADDRESS IT AS RECENTLY AS JANUARY 2024. 30 MILLION DOLLARS WAS EARMARKED FOR EFFORTS TO REDUCE BLUE GREEN ALGAE IN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN ITS WATERSHED. BUT NOT ALL OF IT HAS EVEN BEEN SPENT YET. NASA HAS EVEN DEDICATED A SATELLITE SPECIALLY RETROFITTED TO SEE BLUE GREEN ALGAE IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE TO ASSIST WITH THE PROBLEM. THE REASON FOR ALL THAT INVESTMENT IS CLEAR. A STUDY CONDUCTED BY GREEN ECONOMICS FOR CAPTAINS, FOR CLEAN WATER AND OTHER LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS FOUND THAT ANOTHER HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM EVENT LIKE THE ONE IN 2018 2019 WOULD COST SOUTHWEST FLORIDA 5.2 BILLION DOLLARS IN LOST ECONOMIC OUTPUT ALONE. AND TO THAT 43,000 JOBS LOST 17.8 BILLION IN DECLINING PROPERTY VALUES. AN 8.1 BILLION IN LOST OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL VALUE. ON VALENTINE'S DAY OF THIS YEAR OR ARE WOULD PHOTOGRAPHED THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER FROM THE FRANKLIN LOCK IN LEE COUNTY ALL THE WAY UP TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE. WHAT HE FOUND WAS ALARMING BLUE GREEN ALGAE LINING THE BANKS FOR MILES AND MILES COVERING ROUGHLY HALF THE RIVER BASIN AND THE GOAL OF A CONDO TENT THAT SIGNALS NOTHING GOOD THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUT SUBSIDENCE REGULARLY ALONG BLUE GREEN ALGAE OUTBREAKS IN CANALS AND RESERVOIRS OFF THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER, WHICH ISN'T EVERY WEEK OCCURRENCE. INEXPLICABLY THEY PUT UP NO SIGN AND ANYWHERE ALONG THE 30 MILES OF THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER. THAT WAS MIRED IN BLUE GREEN ALGAE. DESPITE IT BEING HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND ESPECIALLY DOGS WHILE THEY FAILED TO DO SO IS A COMPLETE MYSTERY. I HAVE FILED NUMEROUS PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH THE AGENCIES INVOLVED THAT HAVE GONE MONTHS WITHOUT BEING ANSWERING. WE'RE EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED. >> NOW, TOM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS THEY ARE ISSUING WEEKLY WARNINGS WITH REGARDS TO CONCERNS ABOUT THESE BLOOMS. BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN BACK IN FEBRUARY WHEN WE HAD A MASSIVE BLOOM IN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME IN ALERT WAS ISSUED. >> JENNIFER, JUST THIS WEEK, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN LEE COUNTY ISSUED A HEALTH ALERT FOR HARMFUL BLUE-GREEN ALGAE TOXINS AND CARE. SO LAKE AT SOUTH SHORE, THE ALERT FOLLOWS A WATER SAMPLE TAKEN JULY 8TH AND WARNS RESIDENTS TO USE CAUTION IN AND AROUND THE LAKE. BUT THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY CAN MONITOR AND WARN THE PUBLIC ABOUT LONG-LASTING HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS IN PLACES OTHER THAN CANALS AND RESERVOIRS OFF THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER. THAT THEY KEPT LAKE AVALON, THE POPULAR WATERSPORTS LAKE IN COLLIER COUNTY CLOSED FOR A YEAR DUE TO TESTING THAT FOUND HIGH LEVELS OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE. YET THEY PUT UP NO WARNING SIGNS ALONG THE 30 MILES OF THE UPPER CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER THAT WE'RE MIRED IN THE SAME TOXIN. DESPITE THAT STRETCH BEING ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. WHY THE DISCREPANCY? THE HOPE IS THAT THE ANSWER WILL COME WHEN THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AS WELL AS THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. >> FULFILLED WGCUS PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS. >> THANK YOU, TOM, FOR STAYING ON TOP OF THE STORY, YOU WILL.