Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Current Administration may be Planning for Offshore Drilling After the Election
Multiple sources say the president’s interior staff is planning to allow offshore drilling on the east side of the gulf again. John Cassani with the Calusa Waterkeeper says Southwest Florida wildlife is still suffering and says the potential plan would be like that a step backward.
“The chemicals used to disperse the oil are affecting wildlife,” he said.
Start of Summer Challenges Area Waterways
This first flush, as Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani calls it, carries all the crud that’s built up during the dry season. Accumulated lawn chemicals, vacant lot litter, roadway oil and pet poop all wash off the landscape, sometimes in fish-killing or flow-blocking volume, as several recent examples in both counties, illustrate.
Calusa Waterkeeper Tests for Source of Billy’s Creek Contamination
Fecal bacteria contamination in Billy’s Creek has been a concern for years, and a local group, Calusa Waterkeeper, is working to fix the problem. They hope new testing will help determine where the bacteria is coming from. Billy’s Creek winds from Fort Myers to the Caloosahatchee, but fecal bacteria has been plaguing this waterway for at least two decades.
‘Staggering’ Amount of Fecal Bacteria Found in Billy’s Creek in Fort Myers
John Cassani with Calusa Waterkeeper said the amount of fecal bacteria located in the creek is staggering. “The contamination is extraordinarily high, it’s terrible. It’s been this way for almost two decades.” Records of the fecal bacteria have been kept by Lee County since 2001.
Calusa Waterkeeper to Conduct Source Tracing of Fecal Bacteria in Billy’s Creek
Calusa Waterkeeper will conduct the first phase of a study to determine the source of the fecal bacteria contamination of Billy’s Creek. The testing determines if the nitrogen is from raw domestic sewage, wildlife, septic tanks, treated wastewater or agricultural sources and will be compared to a concurrent study in the Caloosahatchee River.
Welcoming New Board and Team Members
In lieu of holding a general membership meeting in April 2020 and doing our part to avoid large group gatherings, the Calusa Waterkeeper board proceeded with filling open board positions at our directors meeting in May. We'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to...
Calusa Waterkeeper Turns 25
Springing from humble origins, spawned by a handful of grassroots working men and women stepping up to adopt an orphaned river, Caloosahatchee River Citizens Association – the predecessor to today’s Calusa Waterkeeper – was founded 25 years ago in the Spring of 1995, and has not looked back.
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 13
In this episode, John updates us on cyanobacteria blooms that have been detected in Lake O and in the Caloosahatchee. The area is seeing macro algae becoming more abundant. Elevated levels of fecal bacteria are responsible for shellfish closures.
Runoff from Construction Sites Enter Caloosahatchee River
Construction runoff has been getting into the Caloosahatchee River recently and residents and professionals alike have noticed murky patches. John Cassani, with the Calusa Waterkeeper, says, “Well, this is a very significant construction site sediment runoff.”
Calusa Waterkeeper Protects Region’s Vital Marine Resources
Water. From the grand rivers, coastal sounds and bays throughout the region, to the creeks and canals that meander through our neighborhoods, to the glistening Gulf of Mexico, water is in so many ways a crucial lifeblood for Southwest Florida.
States, Groups Challenge Feds over Reducing Wetlands Protection
More than a dozen states and several environmental groups are hoping a California judge will soon stop a move to open half the nation’s wetlands and streams to potential development and pollution. The changes, called the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, are due to go into effect on June 22.
How to Save a River at Risk? Calusa Waterkeeper Looks back at 25 Years of Working for the Watershed
On any given day, Calusa Waterkeeper members might be flying over the Caloosahatchee scanning for algae, sampling its urban tributary creeks for fecal bacteria, crunching water quality numbers or screening a documentary about the river’s health.