Sugar lawsuit causes concern among environmental groups who fear EAA reservoir project delays Originally published by The News-Press on September 4, 2021 by Chad Gillis “I’ve heard the South Florida Water Management District say that the addition of the...
Originally published by Florida Weekly on August 25, 2021 One recent August day, a wandering ecologist named John Cassani found himself bumping up onto Mound Key Archaeological State Park in the middle of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. There, the Calusa Indians once...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on August 23, 2021 New images from the Calusa Waterkeeper taken from an airplane show large plumes of discolored water coming from Estero Bay at Big Carlos Pass. They said the images show runoff from recent rains and are indicative...
Red Tide Leading to Fish Kills off Coast of Southwest Florida Originally published by FOX4 News on August 23, 2021 Calusa Waterkeeper posted pictureS on Facebook showing a line of dead fish from red tide. The pictures taken by Ralph Arwood show the white lines of dead...
Red Tide Sticking Around Longer Could Cause More Damage Originally published by WINK News on August 22, 2021 A Facebook post from the Calusa Waterkeeper shows that areas from Sarasota to Sanibel are being impacted by red tide toxins. The photos were taken between Boca...
Red Tide Bloom Apparent off of Placida in Charlotte County Originally published by WINK News on August 19, 2021 A red tide bloom is affecting Placida in Charlotte County. The area has lots of dead fish and the water is dark and murky. “We’re seeing an increase of...
Originally published by The News-Press on August 15, 2021 by Chad GIllis Are our wetlands in danger? A former high-ranking Florida Department of Environmental Protection official says more wetlands are being targeted for development now than just nine months ago, when...
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...
Originally published in The Island Sun Publication on August 6, 2021 People visit Sanibel because of the warm weather, beautiful, crystal clear waters and beaches strewn with collectible shells. At least that is how Sanibel and the surrounding regions look some part...
Originally published by The News-Press on July 29, 2021 by Chad GIllis Federal water managers Thursday celebrated Everglades restoration work done north of Lake Okeechobee that will help curb harmful releases to the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary. Restoring...
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...
SWFL Clean Water Advocates Hear Federal Proposal for Lake Okeechobee Operations Originally published by WINK News on July 19, 2021 A new plan is up for discussion to help fishing on Lake Okeechobee while also alleviating algal blooms in the state. One of the ultimate...
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...
Calusa Waterkeeper Concerned About Impact of Large Storm Plume Seen in Naples Bay Originally published by FOX4 News on July 9, 2021 Tropical Storm Elsa may be well clear of Southwest Florida by now, but a few after effects are still being felt. A large plume of storm...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on July 7, 2021 New pictures taken over Lake Okeechobee show huge swaths of blue-green algae. The photos are a grim reminder that BGA is still present in Lake O and Tropical Storm Elsa could make things worse. “Our pilot flew the...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 29 This week’s updates from John include water quality in Matlacha Pass, info on a CDC study, and an event this Saturday, July 3rd at 2 pm, at Unitarian Universalist Church to support Right to Clean Water. SIGN UP FOR THE FREE...
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...
Originally published by The News-Press on June 28, 2021 by Chad Gillis Scientists are trying to better understand what forms of nutrients fuel cyanobacteria blooms, and at least one test points to urea. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Nova Southeastern...
Originally published by The News-Press on June 25, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams As dead fish float atop mats of putrefying algae in Pine Island-area canals, some residents with a common set of symptoms have fled to the mainland. Others have sold out and left for good....
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...
Matlacha Residents Want Action Taken After Finding Thick Algae and Dead Fish Originally published by WINK News on June 14, 2021 Decaying algae is coming to the surface in the backyards of some Southwest Florida residents; now it’s leading to small dead fish, and...
Worries About Algae Treatment After Dead Fish and Crabs Found near Franklin Lock Originally published by WINK News on June 7, 2021 Some viewers have reported seeing dead fish and crabs in and around the water at Franklin Lock. WINK News sent a crew to Franklin Lock to...
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....
Originally published by The News-Press on May 24, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams As Lee County commissioners plead with the feds to protect the Caloosahatchee and its estuary from excessive Lake Okeechobee releases, health officials are cautioning people to stay away...
Exclusive photo gallery published by The News-Press on May 19, 2021 by photographer Andrew West John Cassani, the Calusa Waterkeeper takes a sample of algae from the east side of the Franklin Lock and Dam on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. The samples will be tested to...
Demand for Action on Blue-Green Algae & Cyanotoxins Increases Originally published by WINK News on May 19, 2021 As blue-green algae builds up against the Franklin Lock on the Caloosahatchee River, everybody knows there’s an issue with the algae. More than a dozen...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on May 18, 2021 Blue-green algae is sitting on parts of Lake Okeechobee right now. We’ve also seen the algae streaks in the Caloosahatchee River near Avla and Fort Myers Shores. The lake is about a foot higher than the Army Corps...
Blue-Green Algae Concerns Mount on Caloosahatchee Amid Rainy Season Originally published by WINK News on May 18, 2021 Blue-green algae has become a problem recently on the Caloosahatchee River, and it’s taking over some areas of it such as at W.P. Franklin Lock and...
FGCU & Lee County Study on Algae Clean-up to Yield Results by Summer 2022 Originally published by WINK News on May 18, 2021 The Calusa Waterkeeper says we are ahead of schedule this year when it comes to the amount of algae in our waters. Lee County is now...
