Palm Beach County residents are fighting a nasty pea-green algae bloom in the C-51 canal.
Many believe the toxic algae may be coming from water releases from Lake Okeechobee to control the rising lake level.
Today’s Palm Beach County algae report. It’s getting real thick on the east and west sides of the C51 canal near Lake Clarke Shores. @WPTVMatt and @AlexHaganMMJ are covering the worsening algae problem. #florida #bluegreenalgae @WPTV pic.twitter.com/yxfbfNK8re
— Eric Pasquarelli (@PhotogEricP) May 17, 2021
However, the South Florida Water Management District insists there have been no water releases from Lake O into the C-51 canal or the Lake Worth Lagoon.
Further east, down at the spillway to the Intracoastal Waterway, there are signs posted warning of possible algae in the water.
Officials with the SFWMD tested samples of the water for toxicity, but the results are still not available yet.
There has been mounting political pressure to halt the freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River, which has impacted the Treasure Coast for years.
The Army Corps of Engineers is currently working on strengthening the Herbert Hoover Dike and there are plans for a reservoir south of the lake to limit water releases in the future.
Many residents are concerned about the green sludge buildup because it’s not even summer yet.