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As our members and friends know, we have been working with our conservation partners to fight the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that causes algae to clog Florida’s rivers. Well, we were just informed about a massive, unprecedented bloom of thick green slime on the Santa Fe River near Gainesville. Just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Massive Algae Bloom on the Santa Fe River, May 2012
Here is a quote from a press release that the Florida Water Coalition released yesterday:
Boaters, anglers and swimmers heading to the spring-fed Santa Fe River near Gainesville for the Memorial Day weekend are in for a rude surprise – pollution from sewage, manure and fertilizer has sparked an outbreak of nasty green slime. Local health authorities are recommending that no one swim, fish, or drink water near the outbreak.
Locals say they’ve never seen algae as bad as this sliming the river. Last weekend, boaters witnessed water that looked like thick, fluorescent green pea soup near Poe Springs, a county park. The Santa Fe is normally a tannic river, with world-class springs and a river bottom filled with limestone and sand. It is a wildlife haven, with fish, turtles, manatees, and a wide array of birds.
Go here for the  full press release.
It is time for Florida to stop these slime crimes! Regretfully, the state has been moving in the wrong direction by limiting local ordinances on fertilizer, proposing inadequate limits on the pollutants and proposing to allow even more withdrwals from spring-fed rivers, like the Santa Fe. Florida deserves better.
Click here to take action to Keep FL Springs Clean.
Matt is GRN's Science and Water Policy Director
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