August 2018 – Sanibel Island, Florida – Well, we are down in Florida this August week. Certainly not the best time of year to visit. It’s hot and steamy but we had hoped to enjoy the beach as we have in past visits but unfortunately the beach is littered with dead fish and red tide, which makes one cough. Between the smell, the dangers of stepping on the sharp toxic spines of a dead catfish, being poolside at the condo is a better bet.
The toxic Blue Green Algae and Red Tide responsible for the death of millions of fish, including giant reef Grouper and mammals like sea turtles and manatees are caused by the folly of man trying to turn the swamps of Florida into farm land.
Rather than water naturally flowing through the middle of the lower half of Florida as a slow moving river of grass into the Everglades, it is dammed and diverted at Lake Okeechobee. Above the lake cattle farms leach nutrients into the lake. Below the lake massive sugar cane plantations pump nutrient laden water UP HILL into the lake as they fight mother nature to create farm land from what should naturally be a swamp.
Bridge over to Bowman Beach on Sanibel Island by Edward M. Fielding
The lake water heats up, even more these days with climate change and this creates massive toxic algae blooms, which occur more frequently. Then rainy season rains, made more heavy by global warming threaten to breach the dam maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers.
So they release this toxic waters down the canals and rivers, killing and fouling every harbor and river in its path.
The red tide that is currently killing fish on Sanibel, may or may not be connected to this flow of lake water but it is created by a toxic combination of excess nutrients in the water and warmer temperatures. Run off from over fertilizing lawns, farms and golf courses along with over development and more pavement creates more run off and more nutrient laded water to pollute the rivers and oceans. A recipe for disaster when combined with warmer ocean temperatures. The Southeast coast of Florida is currently experiencing a double whammy of environmental assault.