Toxic blue-green algae found in Cape Coral’s Makai canal, source unknown

Reporter: Breana Ross Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published:
Makai Canal in Cape Coral. (Credit: WINK News.)

It’s back: A new health alert confirms there is toxic blue-green algae in a Cape Coral canal Monday.

Test results show a micro-cystin toxin is in Cape Coral’s Makai canal. Water experts say a buildup in nutrients in the water can cause it.

Neighbors who live near the canal blame fertilizer runoff from a nearby golf course and say the algae has caused more issues than unsightliness.

“We feel like the smell has caused digestive problems and breathing problems, and our throats are sore from sitting out back,” neighbor Mike Eads said. “I feel like it needs to be fixed. The sooner the better.”

The City of Cape Coral says it posted warning signs near the canal by Trafalgar and Skyline Boulevard. The city says local agencies are working to counteract the algal bloom, but it doesn’t know the source yet.

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