Originally published by Chad Gillis in the News-Press on April 23, 2025 An Everglades restoration project that’s been in planning stages for decades will finally be completed this year, likely within a few weeks, Gov. Ron DeSantis said April 22 in Naples. The...
Originally published on Fox4 by Andrew Shipley on August 23, 2024 “If it starts to go into one place, even if this is on the opposite end of the coast from us, we have to really start thinking about the big picture,” said Codty Pierce, Calusa Waterkeeper...
Originally published in the Invading Sea by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper Emeritus on July 1, 2024 Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the Safe Waterways Act, which was passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature Florida public health policy took a blow recently when Gov....
The Safe Waterways Act Needs Your 9th Inning Support! After years of advocating for improvements to public health notifications in the state of Florida, HB 165 finally passed the FL House and Senate earlier this year. But now Calusa Waterkeeper has learned this...
For the last several weeks, red tide has brought intense respiratory irritation to beachgoers, hundreds of thousands of dead fish, and several dead sea turtles and dolphin to our beaches. At this moment, we can be thankful that the red tide concentrations appear to be...
Waterkeepers Florida has collaborated with other environmental organizations to publish a progress report on the implementation of recommendations made by Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force. In short, meaningful progress is difficult to find: In his first...
Thank you – your voice made a difference! Your efforts over the past weeks and months in contacting the Governor’s office have paid off. Wednesday morning Governor Ron DeSantis announced his decision to veto Senate Bill 2508 and held multiple press...
Originally published by FOX4 News on June 8, 2022 Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $1.2 billion budget approval for Everglades restoration and protection of water resources from Fort Myers Beach Wednesday. The governor made the announcement inside Doc Ford’s Rum...
Originally published by TC Palm on April 20, 2022 by Max Chesnes Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force gave lawmakers a C average on adopting the scientists’ solutions to curb and clean up water pollution that ignites toxic blooms. The five experts Gov....
Written in committee as a special bill, SB 2508 bypassed the typical committee and analysis processes, only allowing for one public hearing. This bill proposes many changes to the implementation and funding process of projects by the Department of Environmental...
Originally published by TC Palm on January 20, 2022 and written by Sydney Czyzon and Max Chesnes. Treasure Coast lawmakers admit Florida’s flagship program to reduce water pollution isn’t working. But none are taking action during this legislative session to change...
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....
Originally published by The News-Press on June 16, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams After a governor’s visit, the hoisting of the Israeli flag and multiple treatments with six tons of algaecide, the water at the W.P. Franklin Lock is still not safe. Cyanobacteria toxins...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on June 7, 2021 Governor Ron DeSantis visited the WP Franklin Lock and Dam on the Caloosahatchee River Thursday. The governor’s office confirmed he received a briefing on an innovative technology treatment being used to combat blue...
Originally published by The News-Press on June 4, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams As an Israeli flag fluttered under Old Glory, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stood on a Caloosahatcte River shoreline far less foul than it was the week before. He’d traveled to the W.P....
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 28 Water quality updated from Barron Park in LaBelle. Calusa Waterkeeper, along with several environmental groups asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a State of Emergency for communities impacted by a growing blue-green algae...
Originally published in The News-Press on May 12, 2021 by Adam Regan Facing a significant threat growing toxic blue-green algae outbreak in the Lake Okeechobee system and a red tide in the Gulf of Mexico, Gov. Ron DeSantis stopped in Fort Myers. Here, he met with...
Water Groups Plea for Algae Action from Gov. DeSantis as More Blooms Appear in SWFL Waterways Originally published by FOX4 News on May 10, 2021 Water experts from across the state met in a virtual summit to discuss concerns about the current state of Southwest...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on May 10, 2021 As the algae situation on Lake Okeechobee continues to worsen, numerous conservationists sent a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis urging him to stop the release of water from the lake to the Caloosahatchee River. The...
Originally published in The News-Press on May 10, 2021 by Chad Gillis Several environmental groups have asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency for communities impacted by what appears to be a growing toxic blue-green algae outbreak in the Lake...
With the 2021 Legislative Session now closed, bills that passed through the House and Senate are on their way to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis. Calusa Waterkeeper is urging our supporters and followers to contact the Governor to veto the following bills that have...
Originally published by Fort Myers Beach Talk on April 23, 2021 Progress on the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project was announced on Thursday, Earth Day, by Gov. Ron DeSantis. South Florida Water Management District Governing Board member Chauncey...
Pictured above: Cyanobacteria blooms on Lake Okeechobee were verified as producing microcystin toxins by FDEP. April 7, 2021 The current bill language has lost or is missing several key recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force. It’s imperative that the...
Officials Announce a Second Breach Concern in Florida Phosphate Reservoir Originally published by WINK News on April 5, 2021 A wastewater reservoir in Manatee County is on the verge of collapse. If the Piney Point reservoir collapses, a 20-foot wall of water is...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on February 9, 2021 Septic tank leakage is one of the top causes of damaging nutrients flowing to Florida’s ailing waterways, but the state is looking to cut down on that pollution through a $100 million...
Originally published in The Gainesville Sun by Guest Columnist, Jim Carroll on December 7, 2020 Florida’s waterways have been choked by blue-green algae and red tide for years, and are now on life support. On July 2, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Clean Waterways Act”...
SB 712: A Watered-Down Bill that Will Not Fix our Water Quality Issues Governor DeSantis just signed into law SB 712 – the self-proclaimed “Clean Waterways Act” – an ambitious misnomer for a bill that claims to be the solution to our mounting water quality...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on August 30, 2019 When Florida’s blue-green algae task force meets next, public health will be first on the agenda. Hurricane Dorian postponed the scientists’ Friday’s meeting in Gainesville,...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis, Amy Bennett Williams and Karl Schneider on August 21, 2019 Hundreds of politicians, business leaders, agency heads and environmental advocates met Wednesday in Bonita Springs to try to find solutions to Southwest...
Originally published by WGCU Media by Mike Kiniry & Julie Glenn on May 15, 2019 Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced the formation of a Blue-Green Algae Task Force that’s charged with reducing adverse impacts of the toxic algae blooms over the next five...
