The MULLET RAPPER What’s Happening in the Everglades & 10,000 Islands TIDE TABLE & RESTAURANTS PAGE 11
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AUGUST 11, 2018 - AUGUST 24, 2018
25¢
Watch the meteor shower on Aug. 12 & 13. See page 6 for details!
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P O Box 134, Everglades City, FL, 34139
Local Historians’s Book About Fakahatchee a ‘Must Read’ Marya Repko Covers 100 Years of History in this, Fascinating, Easy-to-Read Book Marya Repko, area historian, author, and Everglades City resident, gives an indepth overview of Southwest Florida’s past, the drainage and development, and then delves in detail into the history of the Fakahatchee area. The book includes old photographs, a large list of references, a timeline, stories from local residents, and firsthand accounts of the formation of the Park from some of the people involved including; the strand with its rare plants and animals the islands and rivers, home to early settlers the logging of big cypress and life in a lumber camp the development of Golden Gate Estates & Remuda Ranch the long fight to save the unique ecology in a State Preserve This book makes a great gift for anyone interested in learning more about our area! You can obtain your copy (only $10) at WinCar Hardware or Right Choice Supermarket in Everglades City or by contacting Marya: telephone: (239) 6952905, email: ecitypublishing@earthlink.net online: www.ecity-publishing.com.
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Issue # 318
Red Tide & Green-Blue Algae Wreaking Havoc in SWFL But the Coast is Still Clear in Everglades City & Chokoloskee by Kathy Brock
There has been a tremendous amount of media coverage both locally, and nationally, about condition of the waters of Southwest Florida. In fact, there are even calls to boycott our state because of it! And, it is true that some parts of SWFL are experiencing the double whammy of Red Tide and Blue-green algae. What guides and businesses in Everglades City and Chokoloskee want everyone to know and understand, is that the waters off of our area are currently clear, healthy and very fishable! The Red Tide has been detected as far south as Naples. Blue-Green algae is mostly affecting Lee County from Ft. Myers and northward. Collectively, Charlotte, Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties are referred to as “Southwest” Florida. However, this is a very large land mass, and what is happing in Charlotte or Lee County is not necessarily happening in Collier County, and vice versa. The confusion this causes is obvious. Some businesses in Everglades City, including The Mullet Rapper, have been contacted by potential visitors to see “how bad” the outbreak is here. So far, so good! We are clean as a whistle, c’mon down! The good news is that it seems fishing activity has increased in our parts as some of the fish are moving south to avoid the issues further north. Unfortunately, in affected areas, the fish-kill is significant as evidenced by the images we have been seeing on local and national news reports. Hopefully, things will improve over time for our friends further north, and things can return to a normal, more healthy state.
estuaries, it can be exacerbated by nutrient –rich runoff. Blue-Green Algae (formally, cyanobacteria) on the other hand, is directly influenced by agricultural runoff and nutrient rich urban runoff. The nutrients in the runoff encourage the growth of cyanobacteria. In parts of Lake Okeechobee, there are pockets of heavy outbreaks of cyanobacteria. Some researchers suggest that over time, nutrient rich sediment settles on the bottom of the lake and severe storms, like Hurricane Irma, stir up the bottom and intensify the bloom of cyanobacteria. When the state periodically releases water from the lake to reduce water levels in Lake Okeechobee (to prevent a flood event), the water isn’t the only thing flushing through the locks. Blue-Green algae goes with the released water and eventually makes its way into the interior waterways causing the algae to fester in once pristine waterways - as we have seen on many news reports. All of this has been bad news for some Florida homeowners, and equally as bad for tourism as the reports generalize the area as SWFL, leading potential visitors to believe that the entire southwestern coast is inundated with both water issues. Some potential visitors think the entire state is under a state of emergency and stay away all together. If you are planning a trip to Florida, check with your target area before assuming “the algae is everywhere”. Many parts of Florida are currently unaffected...and we hope to stay that way (see clear area by arrow, that’s us).
What is the difference between Red Tide and Blue-Green algae?
RAPPER TABLE OF CONTENTS Events, etc.
p. 3
CEDR
p. 8
Dr. Martin
p. 4
Charles Sobczak
p.9
School/Park
p. 5
Capt. Raffield /
P. 9
Meteor Shower
p. 6
Sawfish News
p.10
My Slice
p. 7
Tide Table
p.11
Recipe & Puzzle
p. 7
HCN Grant
p.11
Poetry Street
p. 8
Classifieds
p.12
FEATURE: SUMMER FISHING, P. 9
Volume X
Well, aside from the color difference, they are two completely different phenomena that have no influence on each other. Red Tide, formally Karenia brevis, does not thrive in low salinity waters. It prefers the salty waters of the Gulf. Blooms of Red Tide occur in the Gulf, but it can eventually make its way into bays and estuaries. Agricultural runoff has no bearing on the naturally occurring blooms that take place offshore. However, if/when Red Tide makes its way closer to the shore or into bays and
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