Riverkeeper warns of algae in Doctors Lake

Green algae could last all summer, spread as far as downtown

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – There's a major algae bloom in Doctors Lake in Clay County. The St. Johns Riverkeeper said it's highly toxic, but the Florida Department of Health said the results of its first four water samples found no toxins.

Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman told News4Jax on Tuesday that the algae bloom is from nutrient rich pollution.

"Green algae is just a symptom of too much nutrient pollution in our river, and that comes from fertilizers off our yard and comes from pet waste. It comes from agriculture. It comes from industry," Rinaman said. 

A viewer, who lives off Doctors Lake Drive in Orange Park, first alerted News4Jax of the issue. 

Sky 4 drone video shows how far the green, blurry algae stretches. Rinaman couldn't give an exact distance, but said they've gotten calls in recent months about algae in areas near Doctors Lake, the Shands Bridge, Julington Creek and even near St. Vincent's Medical Center in the Riverside area of Jacksonville. 

WATCH: Sky 4 drone video surveys algae in Doctors Lake

Rinaman said a local Boy Scout group recently had the state come test algae from the area, and the results found it's highly toxic. That means people should not swim, fish or do any water activities where the algae is present.

"A good rule of thumb is if you see green algae in the river, or a tributary, or a lake, to report it and stay away from it because it could be as toxic as snake venom," Rinaman said. 

What the Riverkeeper calls "green slime," isn't just toxic to humans, but wildlife as well. 

"It also deprives them of oxygen. They need oxygen, dissolved oxygen, from our fisheries, as well as manatees come into contact with this because it's right along the banks where they feed," Rinaman said. 

News4Jax asked how long could something like this last.

"It can last all summer," Rinaman said. "What happens is you have the nutrients in the water and then as it heats up, it starts turning green just like our yards do."

Unfortunately, Rinaman said, it's possible that the algae could spread as far as downtown Jacksonville. She added that the heat from the sun is bringing out the algae even more.

"We've been in a drought, so we want to see rainfall. But it's everything a balance. The river needs nutrients, but needs the appropriate amount. And with the amount of growth we have in our watershed, the more people putting fertilizers in their yard, the more septic tanks, the more waster water going into it, it's over loaded," Rinaman said. "It's sick with nutrient pollution."

But the Riverkeeper said there are things people can do to help prevent this type of pollution.

"Picking up after pets. If your pet does their business on the curb, it goes down into the curb and gutter," Rineman said. "A lot of times, all of those nutrients come right down to our waterways."

It's also recommended that people do not kayak or fish in waterways with algae. The Riverkeeper said that fish carry the toxic algae and if you touch the fish, the algae can get on you. 

If you do get algae on you, rinse it off immediately because it can cause respiratory issues, nausea and skin rashes and irritation. 

Rineman recommended avoiding any water activities where green algae can be seen, and head into deeper, clearer water before considering water activities. 

Doctors Lake Marina told News4Jax on Wednesday that it is not currently experiencing algae issues. 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection released the following statement, which reads in part:

"We take all algal blooms seriously and will continue to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible to both observed and reported algal blooms to ensure the health and safety of Floridians, visitors and our natural resources.

"We encourage residents to report algal blooms so that we can respond quickly and effectively. To make it easy for residents to report a bloom, last year the Department launched a toll-free hotline (855-305-3903) and created an online report form (www.reportalgalbloom.com)."

On Friday, the state said water samples collected earlier in the week did contain several species of algae, non of them would cause health problems. Additional samples were still being processed.