Health alert: Blue-green algae found in Franklin Lock

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published:
Franklin lock park
Credit: WINK News.

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of blue-green algae in the Franklin Lock.

The alert is due to a water sample taken on Monday.

The public is asked to exercise caution in and around Franklin Lock C43 Canal – S79 (Upstream).

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

  • Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where
    there is a visible bloom.
  • Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or
    discolored or smelly water.
  • Keep pets away from the area. Waters, where there are algae blooms, are not safe for
    animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms
    are present.
  • Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water
    will not eliminate the toxins.
  • Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
  • Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

 

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