Diabetes and Neuropathy Treatment in Palma Sola, FL

BRADENTON – Horses are not the only source of bacteria and seagrass damage in Palma Sola Bay, an expert told the Bradenton City Council.

In a July 26 water quality presentation, Dr. Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), stopped short of naming horses as a primary cause of elevated bacteria levels and loss of seagrass, instead saying that there are likely multiple causes.

Horseback riding on the north side of the bay has long been debated by the council, the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Committee and water quality organizations.

“People damage the bay by enjoying the bay, we’re not against that at all,” Tomasko said. “SBEP is for access and recreating on the bay but that does cause damage to the bay.”

In his slide presentation to the council, he raised the question, “Do horses pose a risk to the health of Palma Sola Bay? Is this something that might be bothering some people, or is it something that puts the system at risk?”

Two businesses provide horseback riding in the water on the north side of the bay.

Tomasko discussed four metrics related to water quality and health of the bay, and talked about each of their possible sources: Nutrient enrichment, pathogens, physical damage and nitrogen.

“We generate nutrients through our fecal material, through passing urine. We generate nutrients by fertilizing our lawns, not picking up after our dogs,” he said. “We’re going to look at whether or not there is a nutrient-related problem in Palma Sola Bay and if there is, how important might horses be for that.”

Pathogens can be quantified, Tomasko said.

“Pathogens are things that can make you sick. We test for bacteria. We have three types of fecal indicator bacteria – e. coli, enterococci and fecal coliform, and none of those are just specific to humans, to mammals or to animals,” he said. “I can get you millions of fecal coliform bacteria from decomposing grass in a bucket of water. Our indicators are not specific to a source. So, if you find elevated levels of bacteria, it doesn’t mean you know why they’re there. “

Two different locations, one on the north side where horses are ridden and one on the south side where they are not are both sampled by laboratories, he said.

The Florida Department of Health collected more than 50 samples of south-side data and 84% of them were good, Tomasko said.

“On the north side, the values are poor more than any other category. Elevated levels are found more on the north side than the south side,” he said. “The south side doesn’t show elevated levels (of bacteria) except on occasion.”

“Enterococci bacteria is not necessarily from humans or pets or horses. It could be, but it could also be coming from decomposing seagrass meadows,” Tomasko said, noting that seagrass is absent from the south side of the bay.

Tomasko suggested that there is a good way to find out where the bacteria is coming from and that is through quantitative testing.

“My suggestion would be to try find what the bacteria is coming from to know what you should act upon, if anything,” he said. “If I have 3,000 bacteria and one is due to a human, that’s a lot different than if I have 3,000 bacteria and 1,500 is due to a human. There’s a quantitative way to do this.”

Evidence of physical damage to seagrass is apparent, Tomasko said, but could be caused by multiple sources.

“If we walk through seagrass meadows, or run through with a boat propeller, you’re going to scar the grass a little bit,” he said. “Horses are 1,500-2,000 pounds, they’re kind of heavy, but they also have buoyancy. A submerged horse will have some of its weight offset by buoyancy in the water.”

“It’s important to keep in mind we’ve been doing a lot of things to physically damage these habitats. And horses are causing a trail, true, but there’s a lot of boat propeller scars there too.”

With regard to nitrogen levels he said, “If you want your lawn to grow fast or your trees to look green, add nitrogen. So, we’re trying to keep the amount of nitrogen under control in the water.”

Five or six times a year, volunteers go out to measure microalgae in the bay.

“This was a healthier bay 10-15 years ago. We had a 28% increase in seagrass, we had lower nitrogen, we had lower algae and lower phytoplankton,” Tomasko said. “Palma Sola Bay continues to be healthy, looking at the seagrass status, the phytoplankton, the water clarity, it continues to be classified as a healthy system.”

“Would removing these horses reduce some of these issues?” he asked. “Yes, probably in a local sense, but the bay remains healthy and it doesn’t appear that the bay is in some kind of tipping point or close to it.”

BRADENTON, Fla. - As temperatures outside have heated up, so have waters in the Tampa Bay area. Scientists said that warmer waters mixed with higher salinity can cause oxygen levels to drop, which can lead to fish kills.

Researchers said it's happening along the Palma Sola Causeway and Little Sarasota Bay, and it could continue if the higher temperatures persist.

READ: Manatee County votes on wetlands protections, residents concerned over potential changes

Along the shoreline of the Palma Sola Causeway in Manatee County, Dr. David Tomasko, the director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, has spotted dead fish and crabs washing ashore.

Red tide isn’t present right now. In fact, the latest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) maps show red tide is not present anywhere in the state.

Dr. Tomasko said that marine life is dying due to very low oxygen levels in the water.

READ: Poachers removing hundreds of animals from waters on Anna Maria Island, boat captains say

"If the highest you can be is four, and you have enough life to drop the oxygen down like two or three milligrams per liter, then you will have a fish kill, and it looks like that’s what we have," he said. "The last reading that we’ve had for oxygen in this system during that last fish kill was less than one milligram per liter and that’s certainly low enough to cause a fish kill."

Dr. Tomasko said the historically high temperatures are part of the problem. Along the causeway, the water temperature remains in the low 90s.

"Warm water can’t hold very much oxygen and salty water can’t hold very much oxygen," he said. "What we have is very warm and very salty water and the combination of those two means about the highest level of oxygen we can have is about four milligrams per liter."

Dr. Tomasko said it’s up to the community to protect our waterways and try to come up with a solution.

"Our water has been getting warmer for 50 years in Sarasota Bay, Gulf of Mexico for about the same amount of time. If we aren’t going to address the issues of why the water is warmer, then we will have to address the thing we can do is nutrients," said Dr. Tomasko.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they have received multiple reports of the fish kill in Palma Sola Bay.

The FWC said the dissolved oxygen was measured at 0.78 mg/L. The suspected cause of this fish kill was Low Dissolved Oxygen, and the reported affected species were Lined Seahorse, Burr fish, Lizardfish, Blue Crab, Toadfish, Sole, Flounder and some unidentified species.

The FWC encourages the public to participate as citizen scientists and assist with fish health research by reporting fish kills to FWC's Fish Kill Hotline at 1-800-636-0511.

After years of debate over whether horseback riding along the Palma Sola Causeway is making water quality worse, a local scientist said it’s difficult to tell without more research.

The Bradenton City Council heard a detailed presentation from Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Wednesday morning. Constant water samples show that Palma Sola Bay remains healthy he said, but further investigation will be needed to determine if it’s being impacted by horse activity.

For more than 10 years, residents and local politicians have gone back and forth over whether horses should be banned from the causeway. Critics say the horses trample seagrass and leave behind manure that negatively impacts water quality, but horseback tour operators say they take special precautions to clean up behind themselves and protect the bay.

Years of water quality analysis show that Palma Sola remains one of the healthiest bodies of water along Sarasota Bay, according to Tomasko.

“It might surprise people, but it is the No. 1 dolphin nursery in all of Sarasota Bay,” said Tomasko. “It continues to be a healthy system from all our metrics.”

However, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program’s routine data collection does show that there are higher levels of bacteria on the north side of Palma Sola where companies offer horseback riding tours.

Tomasko noted that the higher levels of bacteria are not proof that horses are responsible. While horse manure could be a source of enterococci bacteria, human waste, grass clippings and decomposing seagrass can also produce higher bacteria levels.

When enterococci bacteria rise above a certain level, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County issues temporary no-swim advisories warning residents about the hazard of entering the water. The most recent alert was issued on the south side of Palma Sola on July 20.

A detailed study will be necessary to determine whether horses are to blame for the “poor” bacteria values on the north side.

“Overall, the key thing is we’re trying to be focused on the forest. Is there a localized impact? Probably, but the overall health of the bay is healthy,” Tomasko said.

Before the city bans horseback riding operators from Palma Sola Causeway, Mayor Gene Brown urged the council to consider the entire picture. He said he didn’t want to “pick on” one source of pollution.

“We’ve got to look at the overall situation, and not just one,” said Brown.

Councilwoman Jayne Kocher also cautioned against a ban on horseback riding along Palma Sola Bay. She argued that Bradenton should avoid joining the “growing trend” of restricting access to local beaches.

“I want to make sure we keep a place for everybody. This is the only place the dogs have to go. This is the only place the horses have to go,” Kocher said. “I want to keep the bay safe, but I think we have to keep the public’s interest in on this, as well.”

Horseback tour operators also shared their thoughts on the subject during Wednesday’s public meeting. They said they make sure to clean up after their horses and collect any trash left behind by their clients and other beachgoers.

Carmen Hanson, the owner of C Ponies Horseback Rides, accused critics of spreading false information about how horses impact the water.

“This is the only horse area we have to ride, and we all cherish the opportunity to be able to horseback ride and take the horses into the bay,” Hanson said.

The owner of another horseback riding company, Carousel Sea Horses, urged city leaders to protect their access to the beach.

“That’s a big thing for us,” said Mercedes Pages, who founded the company last year.

In response, council members said they may consider conducting a water quality study in the future to determine the exact source of the bacteria in Palma Sola Bay. Board members did not vote to approve a study during Wednesday’s meeting, but Tomasko said he would expect it to cost less than $10,000.

“The most important part is the data. If we can get the data, we can know what can be done to make it even healthier,” Brown said.

Where: State Route 64 west (a.k.a. Manatee Avenue West) in Manatee County, passing through Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach.

Length: 4.5 miles.

How to get around: Drive, or use the bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly sidewalk that runs along the entire north side of the highway.

Best time to visit: November, to witness the sand sculpture competition known as America Recycles Day at SandBlast that takes place on Manatee Public Beach.

Fun fact: Secluded Egmont Key is home to gopher tortoises and seabirds, but there are no stores on the island—making it for refuge-seeking visitors. Just remember to bring your own drinking water.

For more info: Go to manateebeautiful.com.

From pristine preserves to quaint beachfront communities, Manatee County attracts nature lovers.

- Bill Serne for VISIT FLORIDA

- Bill Serne for VISIT FLORIDA

Manatee County is no stranger to HGTV—and with good reason.

“Manatee County is blessed by having so many untouched waterways,” says Ingrid McClellan, co-chairman of the Palma Sola Scenic Highway Committee. From pristine preserves to quaint beachfront communities, McClellan says the area attracts nature lovers who “want to enjoy Old Florida the way the postcards attracted tourists to Florida in the early days.”

Who wouldn’t want to live here, or at least visit?

A few days, or even hours, among the blue herons, sabal palms and colorful wildflowers is an ideal way to recharge your batteries.

Palma Sola

- Bill Serne for VISIT FLORIDA

- Bill Serne for VISIT FLORIDA

Rent a kayak or paddleboard and glide across the calm waters of Robinson Preserve. Go for a swim with man’s best friend in Palma Sola Causeway Park, one of the area’s only dog-friendly beaches. Or try horse surfing.

No horse? No problem.

Book-end your day with visits to Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe, a favorite for all-you-can-eat pancakes in the morning and live music in the evening. After a full day of exploring, it’s time to savor the Gulf of Mexico sunset.

Says McClellan of the highway, “There’s a lot to do on that 4 ½-mile stretch.”

BRADENTON, Fla. — After a Department of Education analysis found Palma Sola Elementary no longer meets building code and must be replaced, it’s now up to the Manatee County School Board to figure out how to move forward.

What You Need To Know

The district is holding a school board workshop on Friday morning to discuss the possible changes.

Many of the buildings on the Palma Sola campus are 61 years old, while a few are 32 years old. The DOE’s recommendation for the campus is to demolish the existing buildings because renovations would not be financially feasible.

After hearing that the school’s fate was up in the air, a group of Palma Sola parents launched a petition aimed at keeping the school going.

To date, the Change.org petition titled "Save Palma Sola Elementary" has nearly 4,500 signatures.

Hollie Wollard attended Palma Sola Elementary herself and now has a third grade son at the school. She says after years of her son’s eduction being interrupted by the pandemic, now is not the time for any more changes.

“Palma Sola is a community school. We’re close knit, we’re not a transient town. My 5th grade teacher is my son's kindergarten teacher,” she said.

Kristina Snyderman says her third grader has been through a lot the last few years with a mix of virtual schooling and mandates and that Palma Sola is a place of comfort and community.

“It caused a lot of trauma for our kids, especially given the point he was in schooling,” she said. “Now is not the time. Our kids have been through enough over the last few years. To uproot them and tell them to go to a completely different school after what they’ve been through would be absolutely heartbreaking.”

Palma Sola Elementary has also had dwindling enrollment. Redistricting reduced the amount of students zoned to the school and the pandemic caused class sizes to shrink even more.

“Smaller class sizes is probably what we need for a generation that wasn’t able to go to school for a few years,” Wollard said.

The Manatee County School Board is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks regarding the plan for the school.