Advisories and Info: Algae turning blue stay away from the water!
June 26, 2016
A lot of people in many different groups have been working very hard day and night to have their voices be heard. We have held rallies, we have gone to SFWMD, we have gone to Tallahassee. We have written blogs. We have made videos. We have begged for this to be fixed. This year we knew this would happen. We knew last fall when it rained and it rained and it rained. All of us – we all knew. No one would listen.
MCSO: Algae is turning Blue
Virtually no lake water was sent south through the means we have thru SFWMD. They sent water from the EAA. (big sugar) The board of Governors is appointed by the Govenor and this board of govenors was given directions last year. They also got a new leader who was the in house council to Rick Scott. There would be no land buy. There would be no reservoir.
Despite the fact the projects that were being worked on will do nothing to stop these discharges we were ignored, vilified, made fun of. Instead of coming to the table and dealing with the issue there was immense propaganda put out against the real solution.
The army corp of engineers has been given billions of dollars to make sure the dike does not fail but they will never let the water get high because they are afraid. This past year there was virtually no water sent south through the means that we have. What they sent was not from the lake it was from the sugar lands. The sugar people keep their water at a certain height for the cane to grow- so when it rained and they knew it was going to rain it flooded the fields. Then they back pumped the water back into the lake and then big sugar blamed the back pumping on SfWMD – mincing words and not taking any responsibility and made it about the people that are living out there – who are essentially held hostage by the sugar corporations. No one wants anything to happen to the people that live at Lake O contrary to to the propaganda put out there.
Those fields were filled with nutrients, fertilizers and pesticides which fueled the algae bloom that came to us and now its everywhere. It’s coagulating and it stinks.
Our water is not being managed. The people who manage the was at SFWMD need to be replaced and the only way this get done is through the legislature. So call your State Reps, senators and board of county commission members and tell them to stand up and let us know what they are going to do now to fix this issue. We the citizens cannot do anything else. We tell the truth and big sugar launches propaganda campaigns against us. They have taken over the Martin County economic council. They run propaganda ads in our newspapers.
According to past Riverkeeper George Jones this stuff thrives on two things. Heat and nutrients. He said it sucks the o2 out of the water and kills everything underneath.
This stuff is harmful to us and to all the animals that live in the water.
It’s Blue green algae and its deadly.
A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms via production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means.
The have been observed to cause adverse effects to a wide variety of aquatic organisms, most notably marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds and finfish. The impacts of HAB toxins on these groups can include harmful changes to their developmental, immunological, neurological, or reproductive capacities.
Immune system responses have been affected by brevetoxin exposure in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.
Imagine being this manatee:
Manatee with green algae in his whiskers
photo: Rebecca Fatzinger
so when we get upset there is good reason.
Toxic Algae is also harmful to humans.
This is from the cdc.
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/hab/default.htm
This is a response to changes in levels of chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, in the water. Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight that other organisms need to live, and some can produce toxins that are harmful to the health of the environment, plants, animals, and people.
Please also see this blog post about pets and toxic algae. Keep your pets away from the water.
https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/03/preview-of-coming-attractions-toxic-algae-and-your-pets/
There is no antidote for the toxins produced by blue-green algae. Immediate veterinary care is imperative. If you suspect your dog was exposed to blue-green algae, contact Pet Poison Helpline immediately for guidance.
Very small exposures, such a few mouthfuls of algae-contaminated water, may result in fatal poisoning.
Common signs to watch for:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Blood in stool or black, tarry stool
- Pale mucous membranes
- Jaundice
- Seizures
- Disorientation
- Coma
- Shock
- Excessive secretions (e.g., salivation, lacrimation, etc.)
- Neurologic signs (including muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, paralysis, etc.)
- Blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes
- Difficulty breathing
- Death
- Microcystins is a class of toxins produced by certain freshwater cyanobacteria; Freshwater. So don’t let anyone tell you this is from septic tanks. pose a major threat to drinking and irrigation water supplies, as well as the environment.Microcystins are hepatotoxic (able to cause serious damage to the liver). Once ingested, microcystin travels to the liver, via the bile acid transport system, where most is stored; though some remains in the blood stream and may contaminate tissue. There appears to be inadequate information to assess the carcinogenic potential of microcystins by applying EPA Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment. A few studies suggest a relationship may exist between liver and colorectral cancers and the occurrence of cyanobacteria in drinking water in China.The rise of water temperatures, stagnant waters makes it worse through the process of eutrophication (oversupply of nutrients).An Ohio state task force found that Lake Erie received phosphorus and more recently reactive phosphorus from crop land, due to the farming practices, and evidence suggests that in particular dissolved reactive phosphorus (from fertilizer) promotes additional growth.
- BLUE-GREEN ALGAE ADVISORY
Martin County, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Martin County reminds residents to avoid contact with visible blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in any water body. Advisory signage is in place in public access points from Port Mayaca near Lake Okeechobee up through Sandsprit Park in Stuart. Additional signage will be put in place as necessary and as sampling results become available.
Test results today and in recent weeks from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have confirmed the presence of the toxin, microcystin. Exposure to water containing algae toxins may cause gastrointestinal effects if swallowed and rash if touched or inhaled.
If you spot blue-green algae, contact DEP at 407-897-4177. Additional information is available at: https://depnewsroom.wordpress.com/south-florida-algal-bloo…/
To report a fish kill, contact Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at 800-636-0511.
For health related questions, contact the Florida Department of Health in Martin County at 772-221-4090.
You can call your legislators and tell them you want action. You want to hear them on the news telling us what the plan is to stop the discharges immediately! Flood their offices with phone calls! If they do not her from their constituents then they will do nothing.
Senator Joe Negron
3500 Southwest Corporate Parkway
Suite 204
Palm City, FL 34990
(772) 219-1665
FAX (772) 219-1666
Toll Free (888) 759-0791Gayle Harrell
Suite 325
900 Southeast Federal Highway
Stuart, FL 34994-3724
Phone: (772) 221-4011Mary Lynn MagarDistrict Office
11700 Southeast Dixie Highway
Hobe Sound, FL 33455-5457
Phone: (772) 545-3481
Cyndi Lenz
