Nearshore pollution plaguing Pennekamp
By Robert Silk
Citizen Staff
KEY LARGO — John
Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park enjoys the distinction of being the most
visited of Florida's
parks each year. This spring, however, its main beach has been marked
with a more dubious distinction: It's been the most-polluted in all the
Florida Keys.
The Monroe County
Health Department has issued advisories against swimming at Cannon Beach
three times this year, as weekly tests have shown elevated levels of
fecal pollution.
Bill Brookman, who
supervises the county's Upper Keys Environmental Health office, said
there is no way to know the exact causes of Pennekamp's recent nearshore
water-quality problems.
"I honestly don't know
what the answer is," he said.
Possible causes
include feces from swimmers, wildlife and marine mammals, as well as
boaters who dispose of their sewage in the water. Low-quality septic
systems in the North Creek Village neighborhood north of Pennekamp Park
could be contributing to the problem, he said.
"There are a number of
undocumented systems that could be leaking bacteria into the water,"
Brookman said.
That has long been a
problem throughout the Keys.
Monroe
County's
slow conversion to central sewer systems hasn't been helped by projects
like the one on
Stock Island, a drawn-out affair whose delays make sewers a continuing
threat to the health of nearshore waters.
Health advisories are
nothing new to Pennekamp, and other
Florida Keys
beaches. Since the county began testing for fecal bacteria in 2000,
officials have issued 13 advisories — not including three in the wake of
last year's hurricanes, when weekly tests at the 17 beaches the county
monitors could not be done.
But before this year,
the spring months have produced only two advisories in six years. Spring
typically is a dry season with minimal problems from fecal bacteria,
which often finds its way into nearshore waters via stormwater runoff.
And this year has been particularly dry. Between March 1 and May 15 the
National Weather Service reported a total of 1.67 inches of rain at
Marathon Airport, nearly 4 inches below average.
In contrast to
Pennekamp, the health department has issued two advisories this year for
the other four Upper Keys beaches it monitors, at Harry Harris Park and
Anne's Beach. Islamorada Library and
Founders
Park beaches have
shown elevated levels, but not enough to issue advisories.
In the Middle Keys,
Coco Plum beach has been the most problematic this year, with three
advisories and one incident of slightly elevated levels.
Sombrero
and Curry Hammock beaches also have had slightly elevated levels. Bahia
Honda State Park and Veteran's Beach have proven to be the cleanest,
with no problems reported.
In the Lower Keys,
Smathers, Higgs and
Simonton Street
beaches have had advisories this year. South Beach also has had slightly
elevated levels. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park has been the cleanest.
Test results leading
to all three Pennekamp advisories indicated higher-than-acceptable
levels of enterococcus, a bacteria commonly found in mammalian fecal
matter. The county also tests for fecal coliform, another type of
intestinal bacteria that indicates fecal pollution. When readings fall
in the "poor" range, officials notify the city, county or state agencies
that manages the beaches and warning signs are posted.
Bod Bodner,
Pennekamp's assistant park manager, said officials do not close Cannon
Beach, but post signs to warn swimmers of the possible dangers. Elevated
levels of bacteria in the water can lead to minor infections of the
ears, nose and throat and, if swallowed, can cause stomach viruses,
Brookman said. The fecal pollution is not likely to cause more serious
illnesses.
Bodner said Cannon
Beach is particularly vulnerable to bouts of poor water quality because
it sits in a sheltered bay where circulation is sometimes stymied by an
easterly wind. The park's other beach, Far Beach, is less affected by
bacteria and other pollutants, he said.
"There is nothing
wrong with using the park during an advisory," Bodner said. "But I would
be hesitant about going in the water."
rsilk@keysnews.com |
