GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) – Gulfport’s marina and beaches are back open, but Clam Bayou remains closed.

The city has been forced to close the marina, beaches and Clam Bayou on numerous occasions since the summer. Many in the city blame an August sewage dump. Heavy rains forced St. Petersburg to dump 15 million gallons of untreated sewage into Clam Bayou.

St. Petersburg officials contend the sewage dump is not responsible for the continued closures. They cite tests prior to the dump which indicated higher than normal levels of bacteria in the area waterways following rain events.

The city also hired an independent environmental consultant that issued a report saying, “The effects of this discharge into the Central Pond were temporary and appear to have been of short duration and did not create a sustained source of impact.” It concludes by saying the “discharge moved through the pond and the bayou too quickly to have a long-term, residual impact.”

But some residents and business owners feel like they’re being hit with another round of fertilizer.  Kurt Zuelsdorf owns Kayak Nature Adventures. He’s upset and angered by the situation.

“It’s very hard for me to change my voice message to say I’m closed because our water is contaminated,” Zuelsdorf said. “We have people that come in from all over the world.”.

The repeated closures have taken a toll on his business. “Devastating is the word that I would use when describing the situation we’ve been dealing with for the past seven months. I’ve only been able to put kayaks in the water 10 days out of the past seven months,” Zuelsdorf added.

He, like many in the small community of Gulfport, are hoping repeated media coverage will spark action from the state. Zuelsdorf plans to be back open for business on Frida, but will launch his kayaks from the marina and direct customers to enjoy the beaches, while steering clear of the bayou.

“People in kayaks splash the water. They touch the water. Kids want to play in the water. They want to splash their parents. They wipe their face. They wipe their hair. They pick their ear,” Zuelsdorf said. “And you just cannot take that chance with any type of contaminant levels.”

READ MORE ABOUT THE CLOSURES: