Health department will post warning signs for blue-green algae spotted in Calossahatchee

Just in time for the height of tourist season, patchy slicks of blue-green algae are showing up in the Caloosahatchee, including at one of the river’s popular access points, the Davis Boat Ramp.

Yet on a sunny Wednesday, users untrailering boats and watercraft at the ramp saw no warning signs about the potential dangers of contact with the microorganisms, properly known as cyanobacteria.

After The News-Press questioned the the Florida Department of Health in Lee County about the lack of notice Wednesday, a spokeswoman said Thursday morning the department would install a sign there, "In an abundance of caution."

"DOH-Lee will post a 'Caution' sign advising Blue Green Algae may be in the waters and there may be toxins. We will communicate to the US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) to do the same at Franklin Locks,"  where samples also showed cyanobacteria, spokeswoman Tammy Yzaguirre wrote in an email.

The ongoing uncertainty about when and how warnings are made troubles Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani. He wants "a consistent statewide policy from (the health department) that avoids discretionary decisions" so the public can make informed choices about whether it's safe to use area waterways. 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has so far identified two species in recent river samples: Microcystis and Cylindrospermopsis. Both can produce dangerous toxins.

The state’s new water quality website posts information on the bloom, which is yellow-flagged with a warning that reads, "Blue-green algae may be in these waters. Not all blue-green algae blooms contain toxins. However, adults, children and pets should avoid swimming in or drinking water from these waters while blue-green algae blooms are present."

More:NOAA, local scientists tracking new, different algae bloom in Caloosahatchee River

Both varieties can cause diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Long-term exposure has been linked to fatal liver disease and kidney damage.

Cassani said blooms have been spotted as far east as Moore Haven, on Lake Okeechobee in Glades County, and he’s also heard reports of the algae on the south side of the lake.

More on blue-green algae:A year later, businesses react to water quality crisis and how it has affected them.

Such algae blooms often occur in the summer, when heavy rains flush nutrients from the land into the river. They’re less common in winter, but this year has brought unseasonable amounts of rain, which may explain the blooms, Cassani said.

Another factor might be water sent to the Gulf from the lake, which contains nutrient pollution and algae. That poses a dilemma, Cassani said, because the fresh water is needed to keep the estuary from becoming too salty.

What troubles Cassani is the chronic lack of dependable public notification. He wants a consistently enforced statewide warning policy.

“This has been our ongoing concern," he said. "We need transparency and quick turnaround," he said. "The public should not have to wonder when signs should be posted and public health risk is at play."