http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/business/whos-to-blame-for-algae-mess-experts-say-urban-gro/nrqXZ/Pollution from population growth and urban development — not water releases from Lake Okeechobee — is the primary cause of the foul-smelling slime turning many waterways in Martin County a bright blue-green, an expert in algae blooms said Thursday.
Still, in response to mounting outcry over massive water releases from Lake Okeechobee, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday said it planned to reduce the amount of lake water it sends to the St. Lucie Estuary and Caloosahatchee River.
Beginning today, the Corps said it would cut releases into the St. Lucie Estuary to 756 million gallons per day — a 35 percent drop from Thursday’s level when the discharges totaled roughly 1.1 billion gallons per day. Water releases into the Caloosahatchee River on the west coast of the state also will be reduced, the Corps said.
Gov. Rick Scott also took action late Thursday, extending a previously declared state of emergency for the algae bloom for Martin and St. Lucie counties to include Palm Beach and Lee counties. That's in addition to a Wednesday local state of emergency declaration made by Martin County officials.
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