Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Water Releases from Lake Okeechobee to Begin
Col. Andrew Kelly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said releases from the lake will resume and will head both east and west down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. The corps will likely release 4,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) to the west and 1,800 to the east.
When it Comes to our Water Quality: Challenge the Messenger
Florida has always had problems with water pollution during the modern era. This is not surprising considering the historic rate of population growth and landscape conversion to more intensive uses. But, perhaps more alarming is the accelerated rate of water quality impairment.
Researchers Take More Samples from Billy Creek in Fort Myers
People are concerned about what’s in Billy Creek, so once again, researchers went out to take samples of the water. “One of the pillars of our mission is to strive for swimmable water,” said John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper. The Calusa Waterkeeper and an environmental consultant for the city dove in.
Letter of Appreciation from City of Stuart
A partial ruling was recently reached by a federal judge on our lawsuit involving the Army Corps’ failure to assess Lake Okeechobee discharges’ impacts on downstream endangered species. In the wake of this recent decision, we received the following letter of appreciation from the Mayor of Stuart, Florida, Michael J. Meier.
Calusa Waterkeeper’s John Cassani Addresses Misleading Information in Billy’s Creek Workshop
During a Fort Myers city council workshop, many vital facts relevant to the concerns of Calusa Waterkeeper and the general public, were conspicuously missing from the City’s presentations. The following letter is Calusa Waterkeeper, John Cassani’s official public response to that meeting.
Estero Bay Film Premiere Part of Calusa Waterkeeper Benefit
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the designation of the Estero Bay tributaries as Outstanding Florida Waters. To commemorate the occasion, Calusa Waterkeeper will present “Saving Estero Bay,” an online benefit to restore Estero Bay’s tributaries.
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 19
John Cassani informs us that the ACOE recently announced they may have to start discharging Lake Okeechobee water into the Caloosahatchee. Plus, there has been a recent fish kill in Bonita Springs and other water quality issues arising in the Fort Myers and Cape Coral areas.
Calusa Waterkeeper Named Finalist in Cape Coral Community Foundation Awards
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Cape Coral Community Foundation will host the 4th annual ENPY Awards – Excellence in Nonprofit Performance Yearly awards ceremony. Calusa Waterkeeper has been named a finalist in the Nonprofit Organization of the Year category.
Lake O Releases to Caloosahatchee Expected soon due to Water Level
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is worried about how quickly the level of Lake Okeechobee is rising, and a way to fix that is to release the water down the river. Calusa waterkeeper John Cassani said too much freshwater can make the water look dark and divided.
Calusa Waterkeeper To Host “Saving Estero Bay” Online Benefit
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the designation of the Estero Bay tributaries as Outstanding Florida Waters. To commemorate the occasion, Calusa Waterkeeper will present “Saving Estero Bay,” an online benefit to restore Estero Bay’s tributaries.
Fort Myers Sees Caloosahatchee Pollution
Fort Myers officials are countering claims that bacteria is flowing from the Billy’s Creek watershed to the nearby Caloosahatchee. The city public works director led a team of outside consultants to demonstrate how the city filters the water through marshes at either end of Billy’s Creek to prevent contaminants from flowing into the river.
Expert Sends Cape Coral Water Sample to be Tested for Blue-Green Algae
Neighbors who live nearby the Shaughnessey canal in Cape Coral are concerned now that it might have fallen victim to a blue-green algae bloom. Water experts say storms will wash more nutrients into canals like the Shaughnessey. If it’s blue-green algae, it could get worse with all the rain.