There's new information on the algal blooms floating around the St. Johns River. We flew our news helicopter over Doctors Lake on Monday, so you can see the view of where the blooms were reported last week. Much of the algae had disappeared.
Marine biologists recommend you stay away from any water that looks unusually green or blue. Even if you don’t physically touch the algae, St. Johns Riverkeeper Executive Director Jimmy Orth said you can still become ill from the toxins being released in the air.
“If you get it on your skin, for instance, you can get rashes or it can cause your eyes to water or be itchy. It can also cause a scratchy throat,” Orth said.
In still water, these blooms grow rapidly. Orth told us from day to day, the blooms can change depending on the wind, heat and movement of the water. Biologist tested some of those blooms and the results show very low levels of toxins. The results are below the safety guidelines of the World Health Organization, but if these results were found in California, officials would have issued a health advisory.
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“We probably need some better guidelines in what are the recreational limits that people should be concerned about,” Orth said.
Local boaters said when they see algae, they immediately leave the area.
“If I’ve seen it here in Doctors Lake or Julington (Creek), the last thing I would do is stick around there, I’d go to the other parts of the St. Johns River,” Bill Lane said.
Orth said everyone can do their part to help minimize the environmental impact on the St. Johns River.
“Reduce the amount of fertilizer you use because many people over-fertilize or they put the wrong type of fertilizer on their property,” Orth said.
Fertilizer with the highest percentage of slow-release is supposed to slow down the growth of algae.
St. Johns Riverkeeper is developing a new training program so locals can collect samples of blooms and drop them off at a certified laboratories for testing. Action News Jax will alert you when they make this program available in July.