Originally published by The News-Press and written by Chad Gillis on April 5, 2024
“Along the entire river, flows have reduced dramatically and so what we’re looking for is providing beneficial flows to reduce the potential for algae blooms,” Bell said. “(And) there’s been minimal rain to the (Caloosahatchee) basin.”
Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce said conditions in the river are bad and getting worse and that coming warmer weather will only worsen the situation.
Blue-green algae health advisories
“I don’t know where this puts us,” Pierce said of the releases. “It’s going to flush out some additional blue-green algae and (the Florida Department of Health) has issued health advisories for Telegraph Creek and others. And it’s warmer earlier than normal this year.”Pierce and others on this coast say the Army Corps should also make releases to the St. Lucie system when lake water is flowing toward the Fort Myers-Sanibel area.
“We’re not going to be in the harmful range, but this doesn’t sit good with the public,” Pierce said. “The East Coast continually gets zero releases, and they say they don’t want to put estuary against estuary. But this looks bad.”
Continue Reading