Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Proposed Law Would Warn of Poop-polluted Waters Where People Boat, Wade and Fish
A new bill championed by the nonprofit Calusa Waterkeeper introduced this week in the Florida Senate would close that gap in the nearly million acres of estuaries and 9,000 miles of streams and rivers the state has verified are polluted with fecal indicator bacteria.
Critics ‘Not Totally Sold’ on Army Corps’ New Plan for Lake Okeechobee Releases
Dozens of scientists, environmental groups, elected officials and agency heads met to talk about recent changes to a still-controversial plan to govern Lake Okeechobee releases. Paul Gray, Audubon Florida’s director of science, offered a cautionary tale about becoming strictly wedded to policies that don’t necessarily make ecological sense.
Florida Legislators Introduce Safe Waterways Act
State Senator Lori Berman and State Representative Yvonne Hayes Hinson recently filed SB 604 and HB 393, termed the “Safe Waterways Act.” The legislation will require county health departments to post and maintain warning signs at additional public bathing places that have been verified impaired for enterococci bacteria by the Florida Department of Health.
Report Shines Spotlight on Southwest Florida’s Water Issues
A state report shows trouble in Southwest Florida’s water. Scientists warn that areas of our water are polluted with nutrients and bacteria. While the findings are no surprise to those who sample and study our waterways, the unwanted attention could be a much-needed wake-up call.
Pollution Verified in Most of Southwest Florida Area’s Prized Water Bodies
What’s been long suspected now is official: Southwest Florida’s most cherished waters are in trouble. From Charlotte Harbor south to San Carlos Bay, a draft state report shows widespread pollution from the fertilizer nitrogen and the algae byproduct, chlorophyll. Many of them also contain unhealthy levels of fecal bacteria.
New Lake O Plan Still Drawing Concerns Over Water Quality in Historic Everglades System
A proposed Lake Okeechobee management plan is still drawing concerns from state water managers and the public as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to finalize what’s called the Lake Okeechobee System Operation Manual, or LOSOM.
Army Corps to Release Modeling Data for New Lake Okeechobee Plan Later this Month
The public will soon get a chance to see models the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been using to formulate a controversial Lake Okeechobee management plan that will be in place for more than a decade. The plan governs water releases and lake levels.
Florida Coasts Battle Over Water Releases as Controversial Lake O Plan Nears Completion
A new plan to regulate Lake Okeechobee’s water levels and outflows is nearly complete. It’s also a complete mess, or a good plan, or simply flawed, depending on who you talk to. As Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani sees it, none of the stakeholders feel duly accommodated.
Meet Calusa Waterkeeper’s New Executive Director Trisha Botty
Calusa Waterkeeper has a new Executive Director. Trisha Botty most recently served as Head of Social Impact and Connectivity at Collaboratory in Fort Myers. Her background includes positions in government, philanthropy, organized labor, and nonprofits in the D.C. metro area, Upstate New York, and Southwest Florida.
Fort Myers Takes out Debt to Make up for Neglected Water Quality
Fort Myers is set to spend over $60 million to improve the water quality in the Caloosahatchee. The city already accepted blame for repeatedly dumping untreated wastewater into waterways after the FDEP filed a consent order that detailed numerous violations of clean water regulations.
Calusa Waterkeeper Welcomes Trisha Botty as its New Executive Director
Calusa Waterkeeper is pleased to announce the appointment of Trisha Botty to the position of Executive Director. Botty brings a wealth of advocacy, government, and nonprofit experience to the organization, which is dedicated to the protection of clean water in the Caloosahatchee River & Estuary, Lake Okeechobee, Charlotte Harbor, Estero Bay, and other portions of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte Counties’ watersheds.
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 30
This week’s water updates include the persistent bloom on Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, and new technology to test airborne toxins related to harmful algal blooms.