Bright, neon-green algae hugged the banks of the St. Lucie River for miles on Monday, a freshwater bloom that state officials said is the latest example of poor water quality in the estuary. Meanwhile, water managers on Monday warned that they might initiate constant, heavy freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee within the next few days.
Activists said those releases, which will average 2,500 cubic feet — or 18,701 gallons — per second of lake water, will further degrade the already sensitive estuary, where algae bloomed for the first time in years.
Officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection said they had no plans to take samples of the bloom Monday, because blue-green algae naturally blooms when there is the right combination of nutrients, sunlight and warm, calm water.
"It's the result of the inches and inches of rain, and contributing to that is the flow in from the various canals," said Mary Murphy, director of the DEP's Port St. Lucie office. "With that, there usually is a higher nutrient load."
Persistent algae blooms can prevent sunlight from reaching sea grass beds. When the bloom diminishes during cloudy times, the decaying matter consumes dissolved oxygen in the water — a process that can kill fish.
Kevin Henderson, executive director of the St. Lucie River Initiative, said he hadn't seen such a bad bloom since 1998, the year the estuary experienced a massive outbreak of fish lesions.
The bloom, visible from at least Lighthouse Point in Palm City to Leighton Park at the western end of the Palm City Bridge, added to the water quality concerns of residents.
"I've never seen it like this in the 37 years we've lived here," said Palm City resident Nancy Sailer, who noticed the bloom while working in her yard early Monday. "Usually our beach is just beautiful."
Cloudy strains of bright green algae were clearly visible about 10 yards off shore, while speckles of the algae were visible even at the end of Sailer's dock. White foam washed ashore, where dried green lines marked the high-tide level.
Increased discharges from Lake Okeechobee could add to the river's woes, which include dying oysters, sick fish and brown, opaque water.
On Monday, the lake stood at 15.62 feet above sea level — about a half-inch below the level at which water managers initiate constant releases to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.
Until it reaches that point, the lake will be drained using high-level, "pulse-style" releases, which are designed to mimic rainfall, water managers said.
Want to learn more?
• Lake Okeechobee update
WHERE: Martin County Commission Chambers, 2401 S.E. Monterey Road
WHEN: 9:30 a.m., today
WHAT: State and federal water managers update the commission on Lake Okeechobee discharges
• Rivers Coalition meeting
WHERE: Martin County Board of Realtors conference room, 43 S.W. Monterey Road, next to Gold's Gym
WHEN: 11 a.m., Friday
WHAT: Monthly meeting of St. Lucie River advocates
