Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Lake Okeechobee is at Dry Season Levels During the Height of Rainy Season
Lake Okeechobee levels are low with only six weeks left in the rainy season, a scenario that could put seagrasses, oysters and marine critters that rely on the Caloosahatchee estuary in trouble.
ECCL to Hold Public Forum on Water Quality & Environment
The Estero Council of Community Leaders is holding a town-hall style Public Forum on Greater Estero Water Quality and Environment Actions and Solutions at The Water School at FGCU at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13.
New Study Shows Red Tide Exposure can Cause Neurological Woes
A new study by Sarasota’s Roskamp Institute shows breathing red tide toxins can cause neurological problems. More than 250 volunteers from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties helped with the Roskamp study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Harmful Algae.
Local Algae Bloom Task Force Provides Latest Information for Area Waters
Waterkeeper Ranger Sue Dahod, facilitator of the Pine Island Algae Bloom Task Force, provided an update on the condition of the water in Matlacha. She and Waterkeeper John Cassani took a water sample and identified it primarily as Blue-Green Algae and was positive for low levels of Saxitoxin.
Public Comment Wanted for Lake Okeechobee Water Management Plan
The U.S. Army Corps of engineers needs your help on a proposal for Lake Okeechobee. They’re asking for people’s opinions on a plan that would send more water to the Everglades. The goal is to protect the water supply and reduce the need for harmful discharges in the northern estuaries.
Who can Close Southwest Florida Beaches when Water Quality is Poor?
If you want to swim in poop-, red tide- or cyanobacteria-contaminated waters, Florida’s health department isn’t going to stop you – in Lee County, at least. When enteric bacteria levels were high at Bonita Beach last month, people went right on splashing around in the warm Gulf.
Red Tide not Expected to Impact Southwest Florida this Year
More than four years have passed since a devastating and deadly red tide ravaged Southwest Florida, killing off millions of tons of marine life and shutting down the local tourism industry. And while late summer and early fall are when blooms typically initiate, red tide levels are at normal, background concentrations so far this year.
Words from the Waterkeeper – Episode 35
Updates on local water quality in the region from Lake Okeechobee through the Caloosahatchee to the coastal waters. Please consider supporting our ongoing air & water sampling.
DeSantis and Florida Legislators Have Largely Failed to Implement Blue-Green Algae Task Force Recommendations
Waterkeepers Florida has collaborated with other environmental organizations to publish a progress report on the implementation of recommendations made by Florida's Blue-Green Algae Task Force. In short, meaningful progress is difficult to find:In his first week in...
Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force Meets After Half-Year Hiatus
It was a day of sharp questions and soul-searching as Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force met Thursday for the first time since February. The broad topic of this meeting: Why, after three years of task force effort, is Florida’s water still so troubled?
Blue-Green Algae Bloom Season and Caloosahatchee Conditions
A blue-green algae bloom is festering again this summer on Lake Okeechobee, but lake levels are low, and experts say there is little to no reason to fear a major blue-green algae outbreak in Southwest Florida this year.
Calusa Waterkeepers Closely Monitoring ‘milky’ Waters Around Matlacha
The water is not just murky around Matlacha – it’s now appearing milky and the problem is being closely watched by Calusa Waterkeepers. “It’s quite concerning,” said Susan Dahod, a Calusa Waterkeeper volunteer and biologist who studies water.