Is water quality impacted by heavy rain? An expert weighs in

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WINK News reporter Camila Pereira met with the Calusa Waterkeeper Cody Pierce to discuss how the recent rainfall could affect the water quality in Southwest Florida.

Pierce said that while the rain is much needed from the drought we were in, the amount of rainfall we see can also cause harm, specifically in our canal waters and the Caloosahtachee River.

Pierce said that coming out of a months-long period of drought, the ground is extremely dry.

When we get heavy rain, like we might see this week, it doesn’t soak in, which is how we get stormwater runoff.

Pierce showed WINK News how boat ramps can be an example of this, and how it can affect our water quality.

“And this is a concern for us because any type of pollutants or nitrogens that had been on the ground in the last three to four months are therefore transported into one of our waterways, usually through parking lots, are runoff into the canals or ditches,” said Pierce.

What is everyone’s main concern behind that? Algae blooms.

Pierce said it’s the start of the peak of the growing season, so this could affect the blooms we might see this year.

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