from surf rider Foundation:

"Governor Rick Scott, declared a State of Emergency in St. Lucie and Martin Counties on the Atlantic Coast of Florida today in response to massive blue-green algae blooms that are covering the St. Lucie River and contaminating area canals, estuaries and ocean beaches. A county-wide beach closure was imposed earlier this week in response to the blooms. While some beaches have since re-opened, fear and disgust at even breathing in the foul-smelling air near these blooms are keeping people away from the beach and coast, and local businesses are already suffering. Media coverage here.

Blue-green algae blooms are caused by microscopic organisms called Cyanobacteria that are usually present in fresh and marine water environments. Under favorable conditions of sunlight, temperature, and nutrient concentrations, they can form massive blooms that discolor the water and often result in a scums and floating mats on the water's surface. Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can cause health problems in humans and animals, including rashes and blisters, eye, nose and throat irritations, and inflammation of the respiratory tract. Swallowing water containing high levels of toxin can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Effects on the liver and nervous system of animals and people have also been documented in severe cases. Livestock and pet deaths have occurred after these animals consumed toxic algal scum. Basically, these blue-green algae blooms are bad news and people are smart to keep away. Learn more here.

The devastation along the coast are well documented in several visually disturbing images and video on the Indian River Lagoon Blog. Photo credits: Ed and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippish


Why did these recent blooms happen in Florida?

This recent outbreak of blue-green algae is directly related to managed discharges of contaminated freshwater from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River.

Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. Historically, whenever Lake Okeechobee overflowed its natural banks, a sheet of water flowed south into the Everglades. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Hervert Hoover Dike, a series of levees, culverts, and locks to encompass the lake, including 67 mi of dikes along the southern shore, after a large storm in 1928 caused widespread flooding. Today, in order to maintain water levels in the Lake, water is discharged, both in low- and high-volume releases, and sent destructively "to tide" through canals and estuaries to the east and west, which has a major ecological impact on the St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon, and Caloosahatchee Estuaries. In wetter years, more water is released, in drier years, less. These discharges can even effect the Loxahatchee River and beaches near where it discharges through the Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County to the south. Read more here: www.ecomagazine.com

Not all the blame can be blamed on the Army Corps though. The State of Florida has squandered away voter supported funding opportunities to restore overflow from the Lake to the south through the Everglades and eventually Tampa Bay where the aquatic ecosystems there desperately need the influx of freshwater. Additional sources of nutrients that help fuel the blue-green algae and other harmful algae blooms (HABss) are stormwater runoff in urban areas (lawn chemicals and animal waste), agriculture runoff and septic systems that leach nitrogen and phosphorous into ground and surface waters. Florida suffers more than most states from HABs, but their prevalence and persistence seems to be increasing in coastal areas up and down the coast. Learn more about the harmful impacts of HABs at www.cdc.gov.

The Surfrider Foundation Chapter in Palm Beach County has for many years been concerned about the harmful impacts algae blooms are having on their local water quality, public health, and beach-tourism based economies. They have actively supported efforts to stop dumping Florida's precious water into the coastal estuaries and out to sea via the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. They have supported legal action and other means to restore the historic Everglades flow to Florida Bay, including efforts by Earthjustice, David Guest and Richard Grosso.

The Chapter bemoans the fact that, Amendment 1, passed by Florida's voters years ago to buy conservation land for such things as water storage and natural filtration so overflow from Lake Okeechobee can be sent south through its historic flow through the Everglades has never been implemented. Florida's legislators and governor decided to use the money instead for other things than intended by state voters. Recently the legislature also voted to allow sugarcane farmers to police their own water quality.

Recent toxic algal blooms are unprecedented, but 16 years ago Florida's DEP declared that the C-51 canal in Palm Beach County was an "Impaired Waterway", subject to harmful algal blooms. Now things are much worse.

The West Palm Beach Chapter is trying to raise public outcry over recent events to call out the Big Sugar and Big Ag polluting industries and their politician friends. Until things change at the state and federal level, we can expect more destruction of Florida's most beautiful places. Tune into their Facebook page for updates and important local numbers and hotlines."


If you are a surfer and voted from this sob , than you deserve to surf in guacamole that smells like cow manure.


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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

I know for a fact that there are only two water quality sites in the kissimmee basin from Highway 98 north to upper Orlando.

Are there physical test grabs? Sure. But one would think water quality would be a thing of importance in a state that is financed by tourism.

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I was right.

Ammendment 1 ?

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Edited: 07/01/2016 at 06:15 AM by jdbman

I took this pic in '05, we were working in/on the IRL / St. Lucie "Estuary".

Fresh at the time from Lake O discharge, 

and we were digging through dead oyster shell bottom to set some piezometers.

The green swirl is a microcystis bloom, same stuff, a toxic blue green algae. 

Nothing to see here folks.  Move on.  

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

Florida voted for deregulation when they elected Scott and a legislature owned by AG interests. They've made water quality BMPs and other regulations voluntary when they put FDACS in charge. Definitely going in the wrong direction now.

Job creators....

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

"If you are a surfer and voted from this sob , than you deserve to surf in guacamole that smells like cow manure. "

Sounds like an EPA problem to me. If you are a surfer and voted for that dumb prick of a president, you deserve to be jobless and to surf in crap.

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I :heart; Q

Da Troof

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

Water regulation is delegated to the states. DEP and it's proxy water management districts own this one.

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Where's the EPA when it comes to managing nutrients in florida surface waters:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/gov-rick-scott-to-us-epa-well-take-care-of-our-own-water/1165432

 

 

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Opponents of the federal requirement say the state is better equipped to decide how best to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, which is intended to manage nitrogen and phosphorous pollution of lakes, rivers, streams and bays. They say the EPA standards will be costly to implement, don't address specific conditions of local waterways and provide little biological benefit.

Well, I guess that assumption is wrong.

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I was right.

This should be true. Should be.

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Yes, it is a great theory, but we have a Carpet Bagger of a governor who places all business, good and bad, over the environment.

I'd love to see wetland mitigation for the Kissimmee basin. I bet most of it is bought off in the Melaleuca wastelands of South Florida.


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I was right.

"Let's get to work!"........................and get this carpetbagger out of office.

"Well, I guess that assumption is wrong." COLE! NOOOOOOOOOO! There is nothing wrong with any of this. The cattle and sugar companies are happy, and this little bloom thingy only kills the weak! Nothing wrong with that.

A purely F'd up situation.

Once, when Bob Hope was visiting Hong Kong. He commented on the terrible smell. They told him that of course it was going to be smelly given the open sewers and such, , , ,. He said that he know that, , , , "but WHAT did they DO to it, , , ,".

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Dora Hates You