You likely haven’t heard much about blue-green algae on Lake Okeechobee this summer for one reason:

It remained on Lake Okeechobee.

The lake level dropped below 11 feet this summer (though it’s starting to rise now), meaning there was no danger of discharges to the northern estuaries (the Caloosahatchee, St. Lucie and Lake Worth Lagoon).

But that doesn’t mean the lake’s annual algal bloom isn’t there.

It’s ‘moderately’ bad

In fact, during the Sept. 10 meeting of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, district officials talked about a “moderate” bloom on the lake. Blooms have been persistent along the northwestern shore of the lake, with “hot spots” along the southern shore.

Recent testing shows a mix of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and other species; and while 10 samples tested positive for toxic, all (thankfully) remained below the EPA recommended threshold of 8 micrograms per liter.

So — all good, right? Well…

What it all proves

Pilot Ralph Arwood who regularly flies over the lake told WUSF News in July that this year’s algal bloom was “a pretty bad one, pretty close to the worst.” And there have been periodic warnings from counties around the lake about blue-green algae; the latest comes from the Department of Health in Palm Beach County.

But rather than turning this into a matter of “How bad is ‘bad?’” let’s just say the annual blooms are yet more proof that Lake Okeechobee continues to suffer from a nutrient problem.

As such, the blooms are a permanent yearly feature on the lake. And a permanent feature means a perennial threat: So long as we lack sufficient storage south of Lake Okeechobee, the next algae crisis is always right around the corner for the estuaries if the lake fills up from tropical weather – or a “Super” El Nino (see above).

Acquire the land and break the cycle — once and for all.

This update is part of an advocacy series:
Everglades Unfiltered: Straight talk about water, wildlife and wild places — and the forces that impact them.

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