May 8, 2023

ARCADIA – The Florida Department of Health in DeSoto County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in the Peace River Brownville Park.

This is in response to a water sample taken on May 1, 2023. The public should exercise caution in and around the Peace River Brownville Park.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
• Keep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
• Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

Updated water quality status can be found on the Florida DEP Algal Bloom Dashboard.