‘Vile’ Smelling Algae as Thick as ‘Pea Soup’ Clogs Up Florida’s Waterways

The smelly muck comes just in time for the holiday weekend.

Demonstrators flooded Stuart Beach, forming the words “Buy the Land” on the sand. The algae have given south Florida residents rashes and coughs and are consuming all the oxygen in the water, threatening the bio-diverse area.

Close-up of algae emitting pungent odor that has residents up in arms [Image via Shutterstock] Martin County is suffering the most as massive discharges of algae-laden water from Lake Okeechobee through the St. Lucie River closes beaches and waterways.

The bloom is affecting Palm Beach, Lee, Martin and Saint Lucie counties.

After seeing the algae firsthand and getting numerous complaints from residents, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Thursday it would start reducing the amount of freshwater flowing from Lake Okeechobee. “Florida’s waterways, wildlife and families have been severely impacted by the inaction and negligence of the federal government not making the needed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike and Florida can no longer afford to wait”, he said in a press release.

There are only a few types of blue-green algae known to produce toxins, and there’s no way to determine visually if a bloom is harmful, experts said.

Environmentalists are blaming the lack of water regulation that allows algae to grow.

The contamination is also rapidly becoming a health concern, as one tourist reportedly had breathing issues triggered by the algae.

While lake discharges and agricultural runoff have contributed to the algae blooms across South Florida, LaPointe has also argued that pollution from urban development, septic tanks and sewage systems have exacerbated the problem.

Starting Friday, the target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary will be 3,000 cubic feet/second averaged over a seven-day period. This year, he said, “our water managers have dealt with such large quantities of rain and runoff entering the lake that it would cover the entire state of DE”. Nearly 9 out of 10 of Martin County’s businesses have fewer than 10 employees, says the Business Development Board’s executive director Tim Dougher.

A gooey, green mess is gumming up both coasts of Florida.

Shoring up the dike will take years.

“At one point, I could say to my customers, ‘Come down, it’s not at all the beaches, ‘ because it wasn’t toxic”.

Sarah Chaney, a receptionist at Central Marine, said boaters and fisherman are cancelling reservations after seeing reports of the algae, which she called “horrible and disgusting”. “Now we’re talking about health issues”, Gomes said.

After touring the St. Lucie River as it passes through downtown Stuart, Nelson said the problems can be traced to Florida’s history of diverting water to the ocean.