Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Putting Our Local Water Quality Into Perspective
Based on what I am currently seeing across our region and compared to the water quality I have observed here over my lifetime, we are witnessing a steady and at times, shocking, decline.
What does potential changes to several Florida State Parks mean for SWFL?
This past week the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) announced its 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative. It’s caused an outcry from residents from across the state.
Fecal bacteria continues to be found in extremely high levels in Lee County waters
Every month the Calusa Waterkeeper tests our water for fecal indicator bacteria. And just this past month alone, 26 of 31 samples came back as poor to extremely poor. Similar results have been found each consecutive month for more than a year.
What’s the state of our water? Answers come from stakeholders at chamber event
Once a taken-for-granted bankable asset, Southwest Florida’s degraded water quality is now a critical, contentious topic. A recent Chamber of Southwest Florida event was a case in point. Five stakeholders from very different sectors gathered Wednesday to offer insights on challenges and solutions to a crowd of more than 100. Perspectives differed.
State gives Cape permission to begin dismantling Chiquita Lock
The state gave the City of Cape Coral the go-ahead to remove the controversial Chiquita Lock. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, issued a permit this week for the removal, and the city is expected to next go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for final approval.
Expert: Matlacha fish kills show what pollution, low oxygen levels can do to marine life
“Southwest Florida has chronic water quality problems that stem from decades of sprawling growth, weakened regulations and underinvestment in green infrastructure,” Douglass wrote.
New images show shocking water quality conditions in Matlacha Pass
Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce is documenting our water conditions in the wake of Tropical Storm Debby. He shared drone footage he took in Matlacha Pass this week. The images show harmful algal blooms and fish kills are clogging up the estuary.
Hurricane Debby left poor water quality and fish kills along SWFL coast
“Anything that has been deposited, spilled, leaked under the soil unfortunately will find their way into our local water bodies, which most of those do drain into our estuary here,” said Calusa Waterkeeper Codty Pierce.
Tropical Storm Debby ecological impacts mount
Pierce is worried about all the legacy sediments and nutrients that have built up onto the landscape. A lot of that pollution was suspended and flushed toward the coast.
What’s that Smell? Hundreds of dead fish on Matlacha after Debby
As we are starting to experience higher air and water temperatures, and then we talk about a major rain event like Hurricane Debby that happened last week, there was an immense amount of nutrients in stormwater runoff that ends up inside of the estuary.
Calusa Waterkeeper now accepting students for fall ranger academy
Participants who complete the academy will graduate as Rangers, equipped to conduct water and air quality testing as certified citizen scientists. They will also serve as ambassadors of Calusa Waterkeeper, advocating for the clean water movement in our community.
Health Dept. cautions against making contact with local waterway
State health officials Thursday sent out a blue-green algae caution for several locations along the Caloosahatchee River, and there’s potential for a large-scale bloom on Lake Okeechobee.