Due to sewage spills caused by recent flooding, the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County is monitoring contamination levels in the recreational waterways near the impacted areas. The following areas in Okaloosa County are currently under a health advisory due to elevated levels of bacterial contamination:
•Santa Rosa Sound from the Okaloosa County line to the mouth of Choctawhatchee Bay, including areas east of Mary Esther Cutoff in Mary Esther through Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island.
•The waters of Choctawhatchee Bay, along the coast of Fort Walton Beach, from the mouth of Santa Rosa Sound to Garnier Bayou. Poquito Bayou is not included in this advisory.
•The waters of Choctawhatchee Bay in the area at the intersection of Indian Trial and Main Street in Destin.
•Tom’s Bayou in Valparaiso
These advisories are in addition to those issued for Garniers Park in Fort Walton Beach and Wayside Park in Okaloosa Island through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.
DOH-Okaloosa is advising residents to avoid water-related activities in these areas, including swimming, fishing, and boating, until the advisories have been lifted. While Liza Jackson Park and Marler Park in Fort Walton Beach are not under advisory using our Health Beaches Monitoring Program criteria, in an abundance of caution, DOH-Okaloosa has issued an advisory for these locations due to the large number of sewer spills in that area. Testing will be conducted until water samples indicate bacteria levels have returned to normal.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County health department: Avoid swimming, fishing, boating in contaminated areas