Calusa Waterkeeper
In the News
Dredging Billy’s Creek may Ease Flooding Concerns but won’t Help Water Quality
The City of Fort Myers will soon move forward with a dredging project in Billy’s Creek that’s expected to ease flooding but may not improve water quality in the ailing Caloosahatchee tributary. Funding for the project is possible thanks to an FDEP grant of $775,000.
Governor Ron DeSantis Unveils Major Environmental Reforms
A day after his inauguration, Ron DeSantis began a three-stop tour in Southwest Florida, still reeling from months of crisis-level toxic algae and red tide, to unveil a multifaceted executive order on water policy vastly different from his predecessor’s.
Calusa Waterkeeper Joins Environmental Groups in Law Suit Against Federal Agencies
The 2018 independent review of progress on Everglades restoration by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine indicated that at current funding levels, it could take 65 years to complete the presently authorized restoration projects.
Challenging the Caloosahatchee Minimum Flow Level (MFL)
For Truth Media released a video on the Caloosahatchee MFL and the harm it has caused the Caloosahatchee estuary the last 2 decades. Several local groups and municipalities are challenging SFWMD to have the MFL increased from 400 to between 700 & 1000 cfs.
Removing Chiquita Lock Without a New Barrier a Mistake
So much is at stake if we simply destroy this facility and large earthen barrier. Engaging in the fight for clean water this summer, we’ve seen evidence our state agencies have not always had the best interests of our ecosystems and health in mind.
Federal Report Shows Salt Causes Release of More Blue-Green Algae Toxins into Local Waters
A federal report suggests that the presence of salt causes blue-green algae cells to burst and release all toxins into the water. Saltwater causes the toxin-carrying membranes to rupture, releasing toxins that were stored inside the cells.
Where did Toxic Algae Vacuumed from Lee County Canals Go?
Southwest Florida’s recent toxic algae blooms were unprecedented in scope, persistence and sheer nastiness. Also unprecedented was how Lee County disposed of some of the crud, shown by science to be potentially carcinogenic to humans.
Research Shows Algae Toxins are Airborne and Reach Deep into Human Lungs
Anyone breathing near the dense blue-green algae blooms that plagued the region last summer likely inhaled some toxins deep into their lungs, FGCU research shows. What’s not yet clear is what impact that exposure could have to human health.
A Case for Barriers in Cape Coral’s Spreader Waterways
Calusa Waterkeeper volunteer Jason Pim created this video for us showing the silting that resulted in Matlacha Pass once the Ceitus Barrier was removed from Cape Coral’s North Spreader waterway.
Cape Coral Leaders, Residents & Environmental Watchdogs at Odds over Chiquita Lock Removal
Concerned Cape Coral residents and environmental watchdogs are at odds with the City of Cape Coral and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection over the potential removal of the Chiquita Lock located on the Southwest Spreader system.
Algae Streaks Caloosahatchee’s Upper Reaches Again
Cyanobacteria appear to still be clinging to the river’s upper shoreline. Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani flew over eastern Lee and Hendry counties and photographed algae near the Alva bridge, Fort Denaud and in upriver oxbows.
We Must Work Together to Solve Water Crisis
Not a single state or federal agency responsible for regulating water quality or public health attended Sen. Bill Nelson’s visit to Fort Myers in response to the historic algae bloom on the Caloosahatchee, yet the purpose of the gathering was to share and communicate ideas on solving the problem on various fronts.