Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Pollution Mystery: Where has the Chocolatey Runoff Been Coming From?
Earlier this month, pilot Ralph Arwood, who volunteers for the nonprofit Calusa Waterkeeper, photographed brown billows flowing into the Caloosahatchee from the Townsend Canal in Hendry County, near Lee’s border. Its milk chocolatey color contrasted with the river’s dark blue.
Climate Change Experts to Talk About Ocean Warming & Sea Level Rise at Naples Event
Harold Wanless gave his first talk on climate change in Naples in 1981, and the University of Miami professor, now 80, will return Tuesday to speak on the same subject as part of a Collier County Waterkeeper presentation.
Make Your Voice Heard: Oppose SB 2508
Florida Senate bill 2508 surfaced out of nowhere on Friday, February 4th. The bill was fast-tracked skipping the usual committee stops and following another unexpected announcement by the South Florida Water Management District, requesting control of an additional 1.5 feet of Lake Okeechobee above the Water Shortage Band as part of LOSOM.
Who We Are & What We Do
Calusa Waterkeeper and its supporters LOVE our waters and are fighting to protect human health, aquatic life, our local economy, and our piece of paradise in Southwest Florida. We do all of this through science-based research, public education, advocacy, social innovation, water and air monitoring, the hard work of countless volunteers and listening to our community.
You can Report Trash along the Caloosahatchee that could Pose a Risk to Wildlife
Styrofoam was scattered along the Caloosahatchee riverbank near Centennial Park, and it’s apparently been there for weeks. If you see something, say something, and the city has a way to do just that. If this trash gets into the river or the Gulf of Mexico it’s not going to be good for wildlife.
Flush with Power
The Safe Waterways Act would seem a no-brainer to many, but it’s not turning out that way, so far. The bill proposes to use one-tenth of 1% of the state’s roughly $4.5 billion environmental budget to warn people with simple signs wherever public waters used for recreation exceed safe counts for fecal bacteria.
Fecal Bacteria may be in the Water where you’re Swimming – a Proposed Act Aims to Require Posting Advisories
The Florida Department of Health posts advisories at some coastal beaches and “public swimming areas” when fecal bacteria is detected in the water. But, there is no requirement to warn people about waters that have not been designated as public swimming areas.
Stop a Last-Minute Bait and Switch with Lake Okeechobee Management
It has taken us three long years and countless meetings and calls to action to get closer to an attempted balanced approach to managing Lake Okeechobee water levels and discharges, and it is by most accounts, an equitable plan for most interests.
Construction of Reclaimed Water Pipeline from Fort Myers to Cape Coral to Begin Soon
There’s a plan to keep the water flowing not down a river, but across a river. Progress is happening on an idea to move reclaimed water from Fort Myers to Cape Coral. Caloosahatchee Connect construction will soon start on that pipeline to move water across the Caloosahatchee to be used for irrigation and fire protection.
Guest Opinion: The Data Shell Game and Environmental Regulation
Why does water quality continue declining in so many areas of the state while the legislature consistently brags about historic spending to fix the problem? This perplexing question seems to surface every year going back more than a decade.
Lawmakers admit BMAP isn’t working, but they’re not fixing it
Treasure Coast lawmakers admit Florida’s flagship program to reduce water pollution isn’t working. But none are taking action during this legislative session to change it. The BMAP has legally enforceable strategies for landowners to reduce pollution, but Florida isn’t enforcing them beyond warning letters.
Act Now: Support the Safe Waterways Act
The Safe Waterways Act (SB 604) has yet to be heard in the Florida State Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Without this committee’s support, we may lose this legislation on fecal pollution. Please call or email today!