MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Amy Smith was out walking her dogs at the Manatee Pocket Tuesday morning when she was stopped in her tracks.
“We just saw all that green, slick material,” she said.
The Salt Tribe Charter owner recorded what looks to be blue-green algae along the shoreline.
On Wednesday, it was gone, but Smith is now concerned.
“Just already here it goes, so it begins.”
The thunderous sound of billions of gallons of water coursing through the St. Lucie Lock and Dam, started over the weekend and continues this week.
With the current lake level over 16 feet, the Army Corps is trying to lower that by at least a few feet before the wet season. So, it goes without saying that anyone who lives, works, or plays on the water is paying attention to what’s happening at the lock. That includes how much water is being released daily.
Initially, the Army Corps of Engineers said 1800 cubic feet per second, or about 1.1 billion gallons per day. However, on the Corps’ own website, it has been above that mark.
WPTV reached out for clarification on the discharge levels, but have not heard back from the Corps.
Out at the Manatee Pocket, Captain Bill Rostock of Treasure Coast River Cruises said he saw plenty of dolphins and manatees Wednesday morning, but has already altered his sightseeing route.
“On the South Fork, it looks like chocolate milk, so I’ve diverted my trips to go up the North Fork, which seems to stay a little cleaner,” Rostock said.
And back at the locks, frustrated fishermen like Sean Murphy wonder if there will ever be a solution.
“I understand we have a wet season on the way and we need to make room for the water on the way," Murphy said. "We just need to find a better system and move the water south.”
