Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
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!
Researchers Studying How Blue-Green Algae Toxins Travel
We know that toxins from blue-green algae can make people sick. And, the smell and sight of blue-green algae is something none of us want to deal with again. But now, researchers are trying to figure out how these toxins travel through the air and get into our bodies.
Florida Should Warn Swimmers when there’s Poop in the Water
Currently, the state health department monitors and posts advisories at some coastal beaches and “public swimming areas” under the Healthy Beaches Program, but as the law currently stands, there is no requirement that any state, county or municipal agency warn people before they swim or launch their kayak.
‘Look at the Water for Evidence’: Data Proves Florida Pollution Prevention not Working
Available water sampling data proves – for the first time – that Florida’s flagship program to reduce water pollution isn’t working. And that pollution is contaminating waterways and sparking toxic algal blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.
Words from the Waterkeeper Episode 31
For the last Words from the Waterkeeper for 2021, Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani invites friends Dr. Win Everham, an ecology professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, and board president of Calusa Waterkeeper Jim Watkins. They cover water quality in the area,...
What Lies Beneath? Study Aims to Learn What’s in Lake O’s Sediment
A study is underway to find out what’s below the surface of Lake Okeechobee. Think of our water quality and the lake as a puzzle. There are many different pieces that contribute to the big picture. Understanding all those pieces gets us closer to cleaner water.
Fixing the Flow
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ new plan to manage and distribute vast quantities of water coming into and going out of Lake Okeechobee — reducing flows both east and west unless the lake grows too full, and sending more water south — is a significant improvement over the old plan.
Health Department Warns About Cyanobacteria in the Caloosahatchee
Lee County’s health department placed a sign just steps from the water and sent out a press release after samples collected by the FDEP showed algal toxins in the water: “The public should exercise caution in and around Caloosahatchee River – Davis Boat Ramp,” the release read.
Health Alert Issued in Fort Myers Shores for Blue-Green Algae Outbreak in Caloosahatchee
The Florida Department of Health has issued a health alert after finding harmful blue-green algae toxins in the Caloosahatchee River at the Davis Boat Ramp in Fort Myers Shores. The health alert results from a Dec. 1 sample taken from the water in that area.