Cape neighbors seeing canals turn dark from the buildup of algae

Published: Updated:
WINK News

Cape Coral neighbors have started to notice the water in the canals around their houses beginning to turn dark.

It’s all due to algae buildup, turning the water into a brown murky mess.

“I have friends who come and stay and comment how brown the water is,” said neighbor Jackie Braun.

“You see it go from beautiful blue pristine gulf water, to a murky brown. Just kind of disgusting,” added Chris McBride.

Some go as far as saying they have to leave Cape Coral to find clean water.

“I support the effort to make the water go somewhere else 100 percent. I have to go all the way to Naples to find clean water usually,” Braun said.

Two canals WINK News drove by off Cape Coral Parkway contained some type of green slime. It’s something neighbors in the area have spotted since the recent Lake Okeechobee water releases.

“I’ve seen the green algae. I got down to the yacht club and the green slimy stuff is there,” Braun said.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is keeping an eye on four areas along the Caloosahatchee River for algae growth. But so far, none have officially been reported in Cape Coral.

But neighbors have learned to expect the brown murky water as a yearly tradition.

“I wish they’d so something soon. They talk about it every year but it gets worse and worse,” Braun said.

“It doesn’t make a nice experience for people who live on the water or want to enjoy the water. And I’m sure it’s not good for tourism,” McBride added.

The state agency relies heavily on locals to help them collect information on anything that may look suspicious in the canals.

If you’d like to report algae buildup, you can visit the department’s website here.

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