MANATEE COUNTY – An algal bloom has been detected in some waters of the Manatee River by The Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Health officials say no toxins have been found in recent samples though they warn the public to stay out of the water.
Residents of River Pointe in Bradenton say the waters in the canals behind their homes may be clear now but that wasn’t the case just a few weeks ago.
“For eight years we’ve never seen it. This is the first year that we’ve ever encountered the blue-green algae,” said Greg Fox.
Fox’s home rests on of the canals along the Manatee River that connects to the Gulf of Mexico. He snapped some pictures of the river of when the algal bloom first showed up.
“I’ve seen it where the water is lime green and you can see little puffs of green slime floating down the canal,” said Fox.
Environmental Manager of the Department of Health in Manatee County, Thomas Larkin says no toxins have been found in the bloom but the canals does contain the algae.
“Certain species of blue-green algae produce toxins and those toxins can cause health concerns,” said Larkin. “So what we’re trying to do is collectively warn the residents to stay out of the water, stay away from the water, keep your pets out of the water.”
According to a report from the Department of Environmental Protection as of July 15th the test results report the Manatee River has returned to normal but the canals do contain the algae.
Testing is done routinely to determine if the bloom contains cyanotoxin. More information to see where the blooms are located can be found on the Department of Environmental Protection website.
