Open letter to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners
To the editor:
Tropical Point Beach is a small public beach and park in St. James City on Matlacha Pass. It is owned by Lee County. It is very popular because it is one of the few places on Pine Island where the public can freely access the water. It is used by residents and visitors to swim, wade, launch kayaks and fish. It is even used by the Lee School System to bring kids on environmental education field trips — one such trip occurred last week and a bus load of elementary school kids were wading there with the water up over their waists.
But there is a problem with Tropical Point, possibly a deadly problem. Our government is not testing the water there to determine if it is safe to swim in. Because Tropical Point is neither a “designated swimming area” nor part of the Healthy Beaches Program, Florida Department of Health will not routinely test the water there. Lee County has the authority and ability to test the water but does not monitor the water on a regular basis.
On Sept. 30, 2019, rangers with the Calusa Waterkeeper tested the water at Tropical Point. The results were startling. The water tested out at 627 MPN/100 ml. This is a test for enterococci bacteria and it indicates the likely presence of toxic bacteria and viruses. FDOH will close a beach when MPN test results exceed 70. The Tropical Point water exceeded that threshold by a factor of almost nine. Anyone who accidentally ingested that water or exposed an abrasion to it faced a possibility of infection.
We understand Lee County has the ability and authority to test the water at Tropical Point. We are asking you, our County Commissioners, to test the waters there at least every two weeks and post public health warnings when the water is unsafe. The people of Lee County deserve to know when they, or their kids, are swimming in unhealthful waters.
Scott Wilkinson
President Greater Pine Island
Civic Association