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Southwest Florida water experts breathe sigh of relief heading into dry season

Boating captains say the river looks as good as it can for this time of year.

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Southwest Florida water experts breathe sigh of relief heading into dry season

Boating captains say the river looks as good as it can for this time of year.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA – Water experts say we lucked out this past summer. However, local scientists previously predicted we could potentially have a rough summer and fall this year because of toxic algae blooms. Back in May, Lake Okeechobee was nearly 2/3 covered in a toxic algae bloom. Nasty mats of algae were sitting by the Franklin Lock and in oxbows around Alva and Fort Myers Shores. There were also medium and high concentrations of red tide from the Sanibel area south to Naples, which was a recipe for a water crisis in 2018. So far, the Caloosahatchee River has been clear of blooms. Boating captains say the river looks as good as it can for this time of year. James Evans is the Environmental Policy Director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. He said there are two main factors that helped us avoid a water disaster.  “We’re really happy to be in the spot we’re in today. That was in large part to Mother Nature, and how the Army Corps of Engineers managed lake levels,” Evans said. Evans said the Corps managed the lake better this summer. Instead of releasing extra water our way, they held it in the lake. The Franklin Locks haven’t released lake water for a few months. All the runoff from the watershed around the river is what’s coming down the river.  This doesn’t mean we are totally in the clear yet. We still have more than a month left of the rainy season. Evans said a hurricane could change our situation.  “We’re in a good spot right now, but we don’t want to see lake levels go any higher than what they are today,” Evans said. He said the area will need to avoid a major rain event to make it to the dry season without a major bloom. A lot of rain over South Florida could force the Corps to release lake water west. That could also send extra nutrients into the water that would fuel a potential bloom.  But for now, experts are hopeful the current water conditions will remain steady for the next several months.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA – Water experts say we lucked out this past summer. However, local scientists previously predicted we could potentially have a rough summer and fall this year because of toxic algae blooms.

Back in May, Lake Okeechobee was nearly 2/3 covered in a toxic algae bloom. Nasty mats of algae were sitting by the Franklin Lock and in oxbows around Alva and Fort Myers Shores. There were also medium and high concentrations of red tide from the Sanibel area south to Naples, which was a recipe for a water crisis in 2018.

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So far, the Caloosahatchee River has been clear of blooms. Boating captains say the river looks as good as it can for this time of year.

James Evans is the Environmental Policy Director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. He said there are two main factors that helped us avoid a water disaster. 

“We’re really happy to be in the spot we’re in today. That was in large part to Mother Nature, and how the Army Corps of Engineers managed lake levels,” Evans said.

Evans said the Corps managed the lake better this summer. Instead of releasing extra water our way, they held it in the lake. The Franklin Locks haven’t released lake water for a few months. All the runoff from the watershed around the river is what’s coming down the river. 

This doesn’t mean we are totally in the clear yet. We still have more than a month left of the rainy season.

Evans said a hurricane could change our situation. 

“We’re in a good spot right now, but we don’t want to see lake levels go any higher than what they are today,” Evans said.

He said the area will need to avoid a major rain event to make it to the dry season without a major bloom.

A lot of rain over South Florida could force the Corps to release lake water west. That could also send extra nutrients into the water that would fuel a potential bloom. 

But for now, experts are hopeful the current water conditions will remain steady for the next several months.