by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 15, 2022 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on June 15, 2022 by Amy Bennett Williams A month into the summer rainy season, the signs have begun appearing at popular Southwest Florida waterways. Sporting red or yellow tops depending on threat level, they warn would-be...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 29, 2022 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on April 29, 2022 by Amy Bennett Williams When legislation that would have let developers destroy seagrass in exchange for mitigation credits died with Florida’s 2022 session last month, many environmental advocates were...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 13, 2022 | Press
Florida Lawmaker Wants to Stop Lake Okeechobee Water Releases Originally published by WINK News on April 13, 2022 A Southwest Florida lawmaker working to stop harmful discharges that cause blue-green algae in our canals. They want Lake Okeechobee to operate without...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 30, 2022 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee
Originally published by TC Palm on March 30, 2022 by Ed Killer Four South Florida environmental nonprofits sent Gov. Ron DeSantis a letter Wednesday urging him to veto a controversial Lake Okeechobee water supply bill. Opponents say SB 2508 contains an unnecessary...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 28, 2022 | Featured
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 33 John Cassani brings us up to speed on the latest water quality issues in our region including the monitoring of tapegrass renewal exclosures and the efforts of local organizations to restore this important marine vegetation in...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 27, 2022 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on March 27, 2027 by Chad Gillis Gulf of Mexico and Lake Okeechobee water temperatures are warm for this time of year, which would be expected during a La Niña winter-spring that’s brought little relief from the heat. And...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 17, 2022 | C43 Reservoir, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on March 17, 2022 by Chad Gillis A light breeze blew out of the northwest as two Florida Gulf Coast University research boats slowly plowed east along the Caloosahatchee River just after sunset. Clouds lined the sky and lightning...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 4, 2022 | C43 Reservoir, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on March 4, 2022 by Amy Bennett Williams Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani had hoped someone would admit their mistake. After all, someone, has repeatedly released plumes of turbid water – and turbidity is pollution – into a canal...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 21, 2022 | Press, Stormwater
Originally published by The News-Press on February 21, 2022 by Amy Bennett Williams There’s a mystery in the Caloosahatchee – one that agencies in charge of the river haven’t yet solved: Where did several muddy jolts of polluted water come from? And who’s...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 3, 2022 | Press, Stormwater
You can Report Trash along the Caloosahatchee that could Pose a Risk to Wildlife Originally published by WINK News on February 3, 2022 Styrofoam was scattered along the Caloosahatchee riverbank near Centennial Park on Thursday, and it’s apparently been there for...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 26, 2022 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee
After three long years, thousands of modeling runs and countless public input meetings, the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) is nearing completion. And just as we thought the Army Corps was reaching a more equitable plan for most (not all) stakeholder...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 5, 2022 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Press, Stormwater
Originally published by TC Palm on January 5, 2022. It’s a textbook Florida morning at a ranch just north of Lake Okeechobee. Cattle roam. Herons and egrets hunt for food. Clouds mosey across the sky. But beneath this idyllic scene, a silent byproduct lurks....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 29, 2021 | Featured
Words from the Waterkeeper Episode 31 For the last Words from the Waterkeeper for 2021, Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani invites friends Dr. Win Everham, an ecology professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, and board president of Calusa Waterkeeper Jim Watkins. They...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 15, 2021 | Featured, Press
What Lies Beneath? Study Aims to Learn What’s in Lake O’s Sediment Originally published by WINK News on December 15, 2021 A study is underway to find out what’s below the surface of Lake Okeechobee. Think of our water quality and the lake as a puzzle. There are many...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 15, 2021 | Press, Stormwater
Originally published by Florida Weekly on December 15, 2021 This hasn’t happened in years: Floridians are in agreement, a rarity anywhere these days, about any subject. Democrats and Republicans are in agreement, somewhat. People from the state’s east and west...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 7, 2021 | Press
Originally published by The News-Press on December 6, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams The bad news: Toxic blue-green algae are blooming in the Caloosahatchee near a popular boat ramp. The good news: We’ve been warned. On Monday, Lee County’s health department placed a...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 6, 2021 | Featured, Press
Health Alert Issued in Fort Myers Shores for Blue-Green Algae Outbreak in Caloosahatchee Originally published by WINK News on December 6, 2021 The Florida Department of Health has issued a health alert after finding harmful blue-green algae toxins in the...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 26, 2021 | Press
Originally published by The News-Press on November 26, 2021 by Chad Gillis Caloosahatchee River flows are looking good at a time when algae is absent from the entire system, and other health indicators seem promising as the region transitions into the brunt of the dry...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 24, 2021 | Press
Manatees Flock to Warmer Waters During Cool Spells Originally published by WINK News on November 24, 2021 As the temperature in Southwest Florida drops, visitors head to Lee County’s Manatee Park in hopes of running into sea cows. The mammals migrate toward warm...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 26, 2021 | Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on October 26, 2021 by Chad Gillis and Amy Bennett Williams Dozens of scientists, environmental groups, elected officials and agency heads met online Tuesday to talk about recent changes to a still controversial plan to govern...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 25, 2021 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press, Stormwater
Report Shines Spotlight on Southwest Florida’s Water Issues Originally published by WINK News on October 25, 2021 A state report shows trouble in Southwest Florida’s water. Scientists warn that areas of our water are polluted with nutrients and bacteria. While the...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 8, 2021 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by The News-Press by Chad Gillis and Amy Bennett Williams on October 7, 2021 A new plan to regulate Lake Okeechobee’s water levels and outflows is nearly complete. It’s also a complete mess, or a good plan, or simply flawed, depending...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 27, 2021 | Press
Originally published by WGCU News on September 27, 2021 Fort Myers is set to spend over $60 million to improve the water quality in the Caloosahatchee River. The city already accepted blame for repeatedly dumping untreated wastewater into waterways after the...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 20, 2021 | Featured
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 30 This week’s water updates include the persistent bloom on Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, and new technology to test airborne toxins related to harmful algal...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 13, 2021 | Featured, Press
Guest Opinion written by John Cassani and originally published by The News-Press on August 13, 2021. The recent traveling PR campaign by Colonel Kelly of the ACOE (Army Corps of Engineers) to field concerns about the LOSOM plan for regulating Lake Okeechobee was quite...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 3, 2021 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Planning, Policy
Calusa Waterkeeper has been following the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual process since it began in 2018/19. The organization and many of our members have submitted public comments throughout the process over the years. Calusa Waterkeeper has had concerns...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 20, 2021 | Featured, Press
Originally published by WGCU on July 20, 2021 Since the Herbert Hoover Dike was built around Lake Okeechobee more than 50 years ago water managers have worked to maintain safe water levels in the lake by sending water from the lake to the east and west coasts, and...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 13, 2021 | Press
Calusa Waterkeeper Testing New Device to Measure Air Toxins from Blue-Green Algae & Red Tide Originally published by WINK News on July 12, 2021 A nonprofit dedicated to the protection of our vital water bodies in the region and state is taking matters into its...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 30, 2021 | Featured
Guest Editorial originally published by The News-Press on June 30, 2021 and written by John Cassani If you are wondering what the next Lake Okeechobee water release schedule will bring, you are not alone. The Lake schedule, being revised by the U.S. Army Corps of...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 21, 2021 | Press
Peroxide-Based Algaecide Pilot Program Underway to Combat Blue-Green Algae Originally published by WINK News on June 21, 2021 More efforts are underway to keep our waterways in Southwest Florida clear of blue-green algae. The state teamed up with Israel-based company...
