Bubble curtain breaks in Cape Coral, algae invades water

According to the City of Cape Coral, a boat may have struck a bubble curtain set up to protect a canal from algae.

The bubble curtain is expected to be repaired within the next two weeks. Neighbors have spotted the clumps of algae accumulating over the past several weeks.

One viewer said the bubble curtain was damaged about two months ago.

John Meyer is a resident that lives near the damaged bubble curtain. Meyer said, “At the end of our canal, because of that Four Mile Cove, you have to stay more toward the left side where the deeper water is, because if you get over a bit on the right, there’s a couple of really bad shallow spots there that you’ll hit, even when the water is up a bit.”

The bubble curtain runs along the bottom of the canal. The city said this is the first time something like this has happened.

“If there’s benefits to be had, we should go ahead and have it running to make sure that we’re protecting the wildlife,” Mike Talmage said.

The city said that some of the nutrients fueling the algae come from fertilizers, grass clippings and even pet waste.

Authorities are urging people to be mindful of foreign materials in canals and making the algae worse.