Nutrient rich freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee have become an annual tradition here in Southwest Florida, but not a good one. The releases are often followed by algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee River and the estuaries it flows into. Reports of algae blooms around the Alva Boat Ramp were reported over the weekend, and more are likely to follow as the water flows west. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry sat down with Dr. Bill Mitsch , and one of his graduate students named Lauren Griffiths, who is