farms and industry. The runoff of fertilizers and other chemicals from farms including sugar cane, and pollutants from other industries being pumped into the lake is what causes this problem with toxic algae blooms.
Lake Okeechobee, the largest lake in FL, is located just west of West Palm Beach. Polluted Water from the lake is released into the St Lucie river where if flows up the coast through neighborhoods. It's also released into the everglades where it affects wildlife and drinking water reservoirs.
Article says this water should be avoided. Not likely since it flows through hundreds of miles of heavily used swimming, fishing, boating areas. Thanks gop for your excellent environmental protection.
TOXIC ALGAE: 6 TIMES TOO TOXIC FOR HUMAN CONTACT
Image
Right now, tests for blue-green algae registered an alarming 53 parts per billion of microcystin at Canal Point, just north of the Pahokee Marina along Lake Okeechobee.
This is UNACCEPTABLE. These toxic blooms are more than an eyesore—they pose a serious threat to public health, our environment, and the local economy. Per EPA standards, at 8 parts per billion, the algae is at a hazardous level. The water in Lake Okeechobee now is more than 6 times too TOXIC for human contact. This is a threat to public health and the water should be avoided.