Algae Bloom in Old Tampa Bay (St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor: house, to buy, organic)

[TampaKaren]

An extensive and unprecedented algae bloom is occurring in Old Tampa Bay from Safety Harbor to Weedon Island. Full article in link following:

Scientists: Tampa Bay has extensive, unprecedented algae bloom - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

[glastron_79]

May also be contributing to the blue hues in the water at night.

[glastron_79]

Here's more:
Algae bloom one of largest in Tampa Bay history - St. Petersburg Times


A little about the "dead zone" in the gulf: Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' could become one of largest recorded - St. Petersburg Times

I do not wish to be a downer, but people need to take the water conditions very seriously. I feel for those who are unaware and go jaunting off to the beaches only to end up with serious respiratory illnesses.

[firsttimeowner]

I was just in Safety Harbor last week to visit my ex bf and look for a house to buy. I thought maybe he could be the cause of the algee but that I remembered that he is definately not a FUNGUY.

[jetlag]

Interesting that they're blaming fertilizers and yard waste on the tail end of some of the strictest water restrictions Tampa has ever had.

The algae bloom was most likely fueled by pollutants — fertilizers, yard waste and animal feces — that were washed into the bay from the rains that hit the region over the past two months, according to Pinellas County officials.

[TampaKaren]

Well of course they wouldn't suspect the Pollution Control Facility. It's located on Old Tampa Bay at Gulf to Bay and the Bayside Bridge. You can see it from the Bayside Bridge and on aerial maps the shoreline looks unlike the rest.

[TB Fla]

That explains why the bay looked so brown when I last drove of the Howard Franklin. It normally is clear and beautifully blue.

[dlp263]

I know that I am referring to a totally different area of the bay but it still relates.... The "professionals" are very quick to blame runoff and fertilizers but like one person said, this has been the worse year for water restrictions and so why now, when no one has been allowed to water? I lived on the Hillsborough River below the dam and saw an increase in algae and even had the EPC test it and verify it but then, when they realized that I was against the dumping of millions of gallons of our fresh drinking water over the dam, they stopped responding to my concerns. Yes, you heard me right, while the city and county were imposing the most stringent watering restrictions on us, they were and still are releasing at least seven million gallons a day, of our lifesource water and all in the belief that it will improve the lower river and Tampa Bay, but I beg to differ. I lived there a year before they started their release and never even once saw an algal bloom but now it occurs on a regular basis. For thirty years the river survived and evolved, due to little or no water release and established it's own ecosystem, of which is now being destroyed and the decission was all based on a model, when they could have easily tested it in the field by releasing the suggested amount of water for a year before they made it a regulation. I would say it was pushed through because the special interest parties involved were afraid that if they had actual field tests, it might not go their way. I see it as one more interference by man to correct something that was done by man but of which, can never happen as long as the dam remains and the city depends on the Hillsborough River for the majority of their water because they will never be able to release enough water to accomplish their objective and still have enough for the evergrowing population as we experience greater and greater droughts and now look at the problem with the resivoire.

[Angler]

The reason could likely be traced to the large rain events in May- we had close to 10"- far above normal. When a 'first flush' situation like that happens you get a huge surge of organic matter dumped into a water body and invariably a spike in nitrogen and phsophorus.

Now, that area of Old Tampa Bay gets this bloom on a regular basis. But fueled by a build up of organic material on the land, coupled with a huge surge of water in a short period of time- perfect conditions for an algae bloom.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by TampaKaren

Well of course they wouldn't suspect the Pollution Control Facility. It's located on Old Tampa Bay at Gulf to Bay and the Bayside Bridge. You can see it from the Bayside Bridge and on aerial maps the shoreline looks unlike the rest.

I do work at this facility on a regular basis, and I know you probably won't believe me, but there's no way this algae bloom is from there. The EPA inspects it regularly and the employees are VERY conscientious about anything getting into the bay. One reason the shoreline looks different is because of the seawall by the facility while the rest is more natural beach.