Blue-Green Algae Concerns Mount on Caloosahatchee Amid Rainy Season

Blue-green algae has become a problem recently on the Caloosahatchee River, and it’s taking over some areas of it such as at W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam in Olga.

Green and slimy blue-green algae is something many in Southwest Florida have seen in abundance in the past, and what is being seen now might not clear up soon because rainy season is underway. A lot of rain could mean bad news for water quality.

We are at a crossroads in May: On one hand, we desperately need the rain, but on the other, rain means more runoff and potentially more Lake Okeechobee discharges, which could pollute our waterways.

Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani has also seen the algae blooming in the Caloosahatchee.

“We hadn’t planned to sample for toxins this early in the season, but so the blooms have accelerated,” Cassani said. “They’re here in abundance now, and so we thought it was a good time to start doing some toxin analysis.”

Cassani told us, while we’re dealing with dry weather now, rain down the road could bring a big flush.