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Weekly water quality testing shows health advisory for Grady Brown Park

Walton County – The Florida Department of Health in Walton County (DOH-Walton) conducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at sites through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from March through the end of September. The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacteria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from...

Health advisory for Morrison Springs has been lifted

Effective June 1, 2023, the Florida Department of Health in Walton County is rescinding the May 23, 2023, health advisory for the Morrison Springs bathing place. DOH Walton feels that water quality in this area has improved considerably due to the reduction in bacteria levels. We will continue to monitor the water quality in this area monthly and routinely advise the public of our results. For more information, contact the DOH Walton at 850-892-8021. The Florida Department of Health in...

Health advisory issued for Morrison Springs

A Health Advisory has been issued on May 23, 2023, for Morrison Springs.  The Advisory is issued based on the criteria for fecal indicator bacteria. This should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public and swimming is not recommended.  Samples taken are above the public health threshold for fecal indicator bacteria. Water quality exceedances are based upon the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended standard of no more than 61 Enterococci CFU/100mL, or 235 E. coli CFU/100mL...

Yellow flies are back!

It’s that time of year again, and those nasty yellow flies are biting… here are some tips for armoring yourself In Florida, the name “yellow fly” is used to describe about a dozen different species of yellow-bodied biting flies. “Yellow flies” readily attack humans and are usually abundant in Florida with peak annoyance occurring in May and June. “Yellow flies” are in the family known as Tabanidae. All tabanids go through an egg, larva, pupa and adult stage, referred to...

Mattie M. Kelly Environmental Institute Family Festival in Niceville April 15

Mattie M. Kelly Environmental Institute 16th Annual Family Festival is coming Saturday, April 15, 2023, to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Amphitheater on the Niceville Campus of Northwest Florida State College. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., local organizations will provide fun activities, hands-on displays and environmental awareness. In this family and community event for all ages, you can learn about the local environment in our region and the people living and working there. The event is FREE and open...

Tips to safely co-exist with alligators 

Signs of spring – balmy weather, blooming flowers and nesting birds – are occurring throughout Florida. Warmer temperatures also mean alligators are more active and visible. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recommends taking precautions when in and around the water. FWC also provides its safety materials to include a video and infographic in Spanish. While serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, the FWC offers the following tips about how to safely co-exist with them:...

The seaweed along the shoreline is teeming with life

Beach wrack full of curiosities When walking the beach this summer, pause and ponder the virtues of stranded seaweed. Those scattered clumps along the high-tide line actually have a name – beach wrack – and are a pivotal part of the beach ecosystem. “Many might think sand makes a beach, but it’s the wrack that truly brings a beach to life,” said Blair Witherington, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist who studies beach life. “It sponsors some...