MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. -- Blue-green algae has been coating Treasure Coast waterways for weeks.
Now, it’s not only the sight that is making stomachs turn, but the smell now emitting from algae.
It's growing thicker, and turning green, blue, brown and black.
While some Martin County residents have seen the sight of lime green algae over the years, the smell is unprecedented.
It’s forcing some people not only out of the water, but out of their own backyards and into their homes to get away from the stench.
Mark Grove lives along the river in Rio. It’s unusual for him to take a walk down his dock these days, even to enjoy the most stunning views.
“I haven’t been outside. I actually tried to go out earlier today to get in the pool and I just went back inside,” Grove said.
“It’s almost like a dead fish odor. It just kind of blows you over. A sulfur-ish, dead fish odor is what it smells like.”
The smell lofts into his home, so the windows stay closed.
But, it’s not only homes along the water that are dealing with the stench.
Shane Ireland lives more than 100 yards from the water. “Even when I walk the dog down the end of the street, I’m getting a whiff down there,” Ireland said.
“In the censored version, it smells close to when you step in a big cow patty,” Ireland said.
They also worry about the toxins that could be in the air, putting their health at risk.
“Do I go to a hotel for a week or two? Okay, that’s kind of expensive, that’s silly. What do you do?” Grove said.
The two men are among the thousands of Treasure Coast residents that are sickened seeing the dire condition of the beloved waterways.
They’re pressuring lawmakers and politicians to do more to make a change to reverse the current conditions, and keep them from happening again.
“I mean, unfortunately, you can kick the can down the road so far and this is the end result. They don’t do anything. Everybody has been talking about getting things done for the past 30 years,” Ireland said.
“It seems the most logical thing is what we voted for in 2014. We voted to have money put toward buy the land back south,” Grove said, frustrated that more Amendment 1 money isn’t going toward local needs.
“What did we just get voted? Like, downtown Stuart just got voted happiest town. I don’t know, I’d put that one to the test right now,” Ireland said.
