Willoughby Canal closed to swimmers and boaters due to algae toxins

Recent water quality tests detected dangerous levels of algae toxins throughout the local Willoughby Canal

Willoughby Canal Health officials are urging residents and anglers to avoid contact with water where blue-green algae blooms are visible in Willoughby Canal, east of Lake Conway.

By Angel Green

BELLE ISLE, Fla. — Residents are being urged to avoid swimming, fishing and boating in the Willoughby Canal after recent testing detected algae toxins in the water, according to an alert shared by the Belle Isle Police Department.

The advisory also asks residents not to use canal water for irrigation until further notice.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will closely monitor the canal and collect follow-up samples, possibly within one to three weeks. The department will determine when that testing takes place, according to the alert.

Updates on any toxin detections will be available through the department’s Algal Bloom Dashboard.

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