SeaYoda Returns - (Well, if all things go as planned)

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I hope we don't see any of those brown cigar shaped fish :wink:

No swimming: High levels of fecal bacteria found in East Pass

May 17, 2012 7:46 PM
JUSTIN HEINZE/ Daily News
DESTIN — State health officials have issued an advisory to stay out of East Passbecause of unacceptable bacteria counts.
The latest water samples taken from the pass have shown unusually highlevels of fecal coliform bacteria, found in human and animal waste. That hasprompted the Florida Department of Health to issue a warning not to swim there.
Officials use fecal coliform as an indicator bacteria, meaning that itspresence is used to predict the likelihood of other dangerous bacteria.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website, such bacteriacan include typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis A, and cholera.
“There’s a good shot (the high levels) were from storm water runoff,” saidJulie Terrell, director of the Choctawatchee Basin Alliance. “But you can’t besure with just one test. You’d have to wait for more testing to go on.”
During heavy rains such as the area has received recently, waste on theground can be washed into the water. Less frequently, sewers and septic tankscan overflow.
The Okaloosa County Health Department conducts weekly tests at 12 saltwaterbeaches. The tests conducted May 14 revealed that East Passhad 500 “colonies” of fecal coliform bacteria per 100-milliliter sample. Thewater is deemed “poor” if the colony count exceeds 399.
A poor rating for fecal coliform in East Passlast occurred in October. Only four advisories were released for that reason inall of 2011.
Such advisories are not unusual in OkaloosaCounty, but usually are issued forwaters farther inland from the Gulf of Mexico.For example, beaches at Liza Jackson Park in Fort Walton Beach, Lincoln Park in Valparaiso and RockyBayou State Park near Niceville frequently have bacteria levels comparableto what was recorded at East Pass on Monday.
East Pass also tested “poor” forenterococci, both in the latest sampling and a sampling average of the pastfive weeks. Enterococci specifically indicate the likelihood of bacteriacausing gastrointestinal illness.
The consistently high presence over the past five weeks could indicate acause other than runoff, but that cannot be known without additional testing.
That is unlikely because of the lack of a certified water quality lab inthe immediate area and the lack of funds to start one, Terrell said. Okaloosa County does tests for public safetypurposes, but routing out the deeper cause requires a more exhaustive analysis.
Those who brave East Pass with fecal coliformat its present levels face gastrointestinal illness, skin or respiratoryinfections, eye irritations and rashes.


Destin East Pass Under Health Advisory;Most Beach-Goers Unaware
Destin-Every single person we talked to Friday was unaware of the poor waterconditions in the East Pass. They were shockedand disgusted when they found out what they were swimming in.
Posted: 9:10 PM May 18, 2012
Reporter:
Meagan O'Halloran
Some local swimmers received a shock Friday when they found outthey were swimming in contaminated water. The Health Department has issued anadvisory for East Pass in Destin due tohigh levels of fecal bacteria but many didn't know until she showed up with ourcameras.
Every single person we talked to Friday was unaware of the poorwater conditions in the East Pass. They were shockedand disgusted when they found out what they were swimming in.
"We have small children out here, and they're more susceptibleto diseases than we are as adults, I mean it's ridiculous" said Navarreresident Lee Perry. Perry and his family packed up and left as soon as weshowed him the warning sign he missed on his way in.
The high bacteria count can cause gastro-intestinal illnesses,skin and respiratory infections, eye irritations, and rashes. Health officialssay children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems may be moreat risk.
The Health Department monitors the area beaches and waterways on aweekly basis and updates the public on its website. The East Passis under a health advisory until further notice.
You can check regular status updates in Okaloosa Countyat this website:
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdokaloosa/Services/Environmental_Health.html#Beach

Okaloosa County
EAST PASS


SamplingResults History

Top of Form



Sample Period Start

Enterococcus

Enterococcus Geometric Mean

Fecal Coliform

Advisory / Warning Issued

5/14/2012​

Poor

Good

Poor

Yes

5/7/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No

4/30/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No

4/23/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No

4/16/2012​

Moderate

Good

Good

No

4/9/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No

4/2/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No

3/27/2012​

Good

Poor

Good

Yes

3/19/2012​

Good

Poor

Good

Yes

3/12/2012​

Poor

Poor

Good

Yes

3/5/2012​

Moderate

Good

Good

No

2/27/2012​

Poor

Good

Good

Yes

2/20/2012​

Good

Good

Good

No
 
Yay! I was looking at your profile the other day. It's been too long. I'll be down between July 14-20 in P'cola/Lost Key.
 
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Great to see the Yoda back on the board and in the water. I have missed your posts they make me laugh (I remember a post about the jetty walk in a neoprene death suit.) I will be down for a couple weeks in July and would love to get together with ya again.
 
... I have missed your posts they make me laugh (I remember a post about the jetty walk in a neoprene death suit.)...

There will probably be some kind of neoprene incident on this dive too since I have not worn the stuff in so long :D .
 
Looks like Mike will have to take medical leave for our dive tomorrow. I still plan on being at the water between 10 and 10:30 am. Y'all come!
 
Bill I tried to PM you but your Inbox must be full.

I checked and it looked like there was space. I cleared it out just in case. It was probably rusted from lack of use :D .

I'll PM you my # in case you don't have it. I'll be leaving the house by 08:00 because I have some errands to run. I'll have my phone with me if you need to call.


EDIT...

I just got a message that your box is full. I see SB hasn't changed since I was gone :D . My phone is still the same #. I'll try to message you on FaceBook in case you don't have it. I'm up already so call any time.
 
I have been checking the water quality reports since reading this post and surprisingly the East Pass is no longer being monitored as of June 4, 2012. This is really odd considering the amount of swimmers in this area and the recent closing of the beach to swimming. Do you think they were continuing to get bad reports and decided not to test the water to keep from having to close it down?
 
Nope, they reported on our local news that they ran out of state funds to do the test regularly. They are only testing certain areas on a "semi-regular" basis.

I have been checking the water quality reports since reading this post and surprisingly the East Pass is no longer being monitored as of June 4, 2012. This is really odd considering the amount of swimmers in this area and the recent closing of the beach to swimming. Do you think they were continuing to get bad reports and decided not to test the water to keep from having to close it down?
 
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