Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Words from the Waterkeeper
Check in with Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani for the very first installment of the CWK vlog!
Lawsuit Launched to Stop Toxic Algae Bloom Releases From Lake Okeechobee
A lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida challenges the U.S. ACOE’s refusal to address the harms to human health and wildlife like sea turtles and Florida manatees from the lake’s toxic, nutrient-rich discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers and their estuaries.
Billy’s Creek Dredging Project may Relieve Flooding on the Troubled Tributary, but Fecal Pollution Remains a Worry
Even as dredges suck bottom muck while earthmovers level it out at an impromptu staging area at Fort Myers’ Shady Oaks Park, Calusa Waterkeeper’s samples of Billy’s Creek continue to show levels of fecal bacteria well beyond what would close a public beach.
Activists Spread Awareness for World Oceans Day
Community members gathered to celebrate World Oceans Day with music and beer at Millennial Brewing in Downtown Fort Myers. Groups like Calusa Waterkeeper wanted to bring awareness to not just the polluted oceans, but also the rivers and estuaries that need protection.
Lower Lake Okeechobee Discharges Could be Bad for Caloosahatchee if Rains don’t Arrive Soon
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managers cut flows from Lake Okeechobee to 450 cubic feet per second (CFS) as measured at the W.P. Franklin Lock, the water control structure that separates the freshwater portion of the river from the estuary.
Fort Myers asks Residents to Choose Between Green Space or Detention Ponds
Fort Myers could have a new green space for residents to enjoy or a new stormwater detention feature – options that 550 people will be asked to choose from in a survey to help the city decide the next incarnation of its former South Street landfill which spans four acres.
Florida Water Summit Planned by Calusa Waterkeeper
Protecting Paradise and your health are the focus of a new summit the Calusa Waterkeeper is planning. It looks at blue-green algae blooms and the impact on our health. It’s on Monday, June 24th at 5:30 p.m. at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Fort Myers.
Controversial Roundup Chemical, Glyphosate to be Banned as Herbicide on Fort Myers Beach
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, will soon be forbidden in Fort Myers Beach, making the town the first Lee County municipality to ban the controversial weed-killer. Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cereceda said. “This effort has all been about water quality.”
A Dry Spell in SWFL Leads to Lower Enterococci Bacteria Levels around Lee County
With the exception of Billy’s Creek, it’s good to see fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) decline to low levels. Some residents have contacted CWK recently to indicate improving water clarity as well. These sample results are from May 21, 2019 ahead of the Memorial Day Weekend.
Rooney Roundtable on Water Quality: A View from the Outside
A recap of the Rooney Roundtable with federal, state and local officials about the public health consequences of Harmful Algae Blooms: “What is most disappointing about the participation of CDC officials is that their silence about HABs contrasts with what appears on their website.”
Blue-Green Algae Still Being Found in Caloosahatchee River & Lake Okeechobee
The seeds are planted for another blue-green algae outbreak in the historic Everglades system. Algae has been found in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee for the past few weeks, although toxin levels are low to non-existent, according to FDEP records.
Environmental Protection Agency Sets New Water Quality Standards for Swimming
The EPA released new water quality standards setting guidelines for cyanotoxin levels in the water: 8 mg/l for microcystins and 15 mg/l for cylindrospermopsin. These recommendations are protective measures to warn people before swimming or doing any recreational water activity.