We all remember the great Water Crisis of 2014 (or, as we called it, Aquageddon). For three days, the City of Toledo was cut off from it's water supply in Lake Erie due to a bloom of toxin-producing algae near the city's water intake point. We were unable to drink city-supplied water for the weekend and, at times, were warned not to shower or wash clothes due to the potentially dangerous levels of microcystins found in the water supply. We still use a "Water Quality Dashboard" because of the crisis, which received international attention.
Mayor Billy Hewes of Gulfport, Mississippi was on The Scott Sands Show today (click here to listen on our free iHeartRadio app) to tell us about Mississippi's current fight against a toxic algal bloom.
A large bloom of toxic algae, caused by weeks of heavy rain, are producing dangerous levels of cyanobacteria in Coastal waters. As a result, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality shut down the state's mainland beaches. Agriculture from Midwest farming are partly to blame, for both the Gulf Coast and Lake Erie battles against toxic algae.
But, don't let that scare you away from considering a vacation getaway to the Gulf Coast. You won't be disappointed! (Gulf Coast Tourism Video)