New clean-up tactic aims to keep algae from flowing into canals

Residents in Cape Coral are still dealing with the blue-green algae that is plaguing canals.

“The smell of the blue green algae would just take your breath away,” said Denise Clements, who lives on one of the canals affected by the toxic algae.

Clements neighborhood is now one of the two test sites for a new method the city is trying out to rid the canals of algae.

On Thursday, crews loaded up in boats with supplies and put up 2 floating barriers, referred to as booms, at the entrances of Palaco Grande and Nassau Canal near the mid-point.

City officials say the booms will help keep the algae in the Caloosahatchee from floating into the dead end canals.

Residents where another test involving bacteria is going on still have the toxic algae in their canal, although it is getting better.

“I’m not sneezing as much or coughing as much as what I used too,” said Gibby Freed, a Cape Coral resident.

But some living on those canals have doubts about money going into another new test.

“They could try it on but not on a bunch of them,” said Freed.

“It seems like a very shot term fix,” said Denise Clement.

But Clements does say she is thankful for the help by the city.

“I give the city of Cape Coral a lot of credit, trying to put in some measures trying to help us in the community here.”