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A Study Into Toxic Algae’s Resilience In Brackish Estuaries

By By Amy Green

Published August 14, 2018 at 7:19 AM EDT

The sun sets behind the lock and dam on Lake Okeechobee and St. Lucie Canal.

There’s a new study into the resilience of Lake Okeechobee’s toxic algae as it flows from the fresh water lake into the brackish estuaries.

The findings could help water managers make better decisions about how much water to release from the lake.

The study by the U.S. Geological Survey examined how much salinity is too much for the fresh water algae. The answer is about 18 grams of salt per 1,000 grams of water.

Barry Rosen of the U.S. Geological Survey says the findings could help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers make more informed decisions about how much water flows from Lake Okeechobee and when.

“They could say, ‘Oh look. Salt water is coming all the way up here during high tide, and during low tide it’s way out over there.”

Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency this summer in seven counties in response to the toxic algae in the state’s largest lake and the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.