Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on April 28, 2020 It’s the marine equivalent of a Florida panther encounter: something so extraordinarily rare that even some biologists who study the smalltooth sawfish have never seen one in the wild....
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on April 22, 2020 A Southwest Florida city has turned to a reservoir in Charlotte County for irrigation water as drought conditions continue to plague the region. The city of Cape Coral is expected to start pumping...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 11 On this Words From the Waterkeeper, John updates us on cyanobacteria in the Caloosahatchee and the impacts the Caloosahatchee & estuaries are experiencing due to below minimum flow level needed from Lake...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on April 20, 2020 Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the city of Fort Myers a month after a massive spill sent more than 180,000 gallons of raw sewage down a neighborhood...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on April 16, 2020 Lawyers are still battling over a suit filed by environmental groups over the management of Lake Okeechobee, but a decision could come as soon as this summer. Several environmental groups filed a...
Lake O Water Levels Down Following Driest March in Several Decades Originally published by WINK News on April 15, 2020 Lake Okeechobee’s water levels are down following the driest March in the past several decades. So what does that mean for our water supply? “We get...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on April 9, 2020 Lake Okeechobee levels are falling, the Caloosahatchee River is running salty and there is a looming drought that may stay in place for another six weeks. The surface of Lake Okeechobee has...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 10 Words From the Waterkeeper is back! John reports on algal bloom activity in the area, SFWMD governing board meeting, reduced minimum flow threshold for the Caloosahatchee estuary, local sewage spills, and recent federal...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on March 25, 2020 More than a week after a broken lift station sent 183,000 gallons of raw sewage down Manuels Branch toward the Caloosahatchee, it’s not yet clear whether Fort Myers will face a fine for...
183,000 Gallons of Raw Sewage Spilled and now Winding Through the Caloosahatchee Originally published by WINK News on March 19, 2020 A whopping 183,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into your water and now it’s winding its way through the Caloosahatchee. Crews are...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on March 19, 2020 With its historic homes and royal palm-lined streets, the McGregor Boulevard neighborhood through which Manuels Branch meanders typifies old Fort Myers graciousness. That is, until you...
Originally published in The News-Press by Bill Smith on March 12, 2020 The state Department of Environmental Protection has given final denial to an application from the city of Cape Coral for a permit to tear down the Chiquita Lock near Cape Harbour in the southwest...
‘Clean Waterways Act’ Passes Florida Senate; What Does it Mean for the State? Originally published by WINK News on March 10, 2020 Lawmakers are trying to make sure another water crisis doesn’t happen to our state again. A new bill aims to make our waterways cleaner...
Originally published in The Caloosa Belle by Danika J. Hooper on March 01, 2020 A plethora of festival-goers boarded the M/V River Queen for some exciting Caloosahatchee River Excursions that were again featured at this year’s Swamp Cabbage Festival thanks to the...
Originally published in The Pine Island Eagle by Paulette LeBlanc on February 12, 2020 The Greater Pine Island Civic Association held its monthly meeting Feb. 4 at the Elks Club, and the group covered a number of topics from board candidates, to the Calusa...
As seen in a News-Press Op-Ed submitted by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper Ineffective water quality legislation is the source of the age-old adage “the solution to pollution is dilution.” Apparently the dilution part it isn’t out of vogue with the Florida...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on February 07, 2020 The federal government set aside $200 million for Everglades restoration for 2020, but some South Florida environmental groups say it’s not enough to fix the ailing World Heritage Site....
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on January 28, 2020 The dry season is finally starting to live up to its name. After an early end to the 2019 rainy season and a soggy December, January has turned out to be all dry, and meteorologists are calling...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on January 17, 2020 Lawmakers are pushing several bills this session that have regulatory implications as the state tries to rid its waters of blue-green algae and similar pollution. The recommendations came from...
As seen in a Naples Daily News Op-Ed submitted by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper For the first time in over 20 years of monitoring, FDEP has declared Estero Bay impaired for nutrient pollution in 2019. The shock effect of hearing that water quality is in crisis does...
Blue-Green Algae Returns to Fort Myers Shores Originally published by WINK News on January 8, 2020 John Cassani, the Calusa Waterkeeper, said to see algae in the middle of the dry season is unusual. ”When it’s calm and the wind starts blowing, those tend to stick...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett-Williams on January 8, 2020 Just in time for the height of tourist season, patchy slicks of blue-green algae are showing up in the Caloosahatchee, including at one of the river’s popular access points, the Davis...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett-Williams on January 3, 2020 As news of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Southwest Florida solidifies, Sanibel’s Best Homemade Ice Cream is set to debut an all-new flavor colored in Bright Azure, developed my...
Originally published in The News-Press by Bill Smith on December 16, 2019 A state administrative law judge has recommended that the state environmental agency reverse its decision and deny Cape Coral a permit needed to remove the Chiquita Lock. The lock, at Cape...
State Judge Recommends Chiquita Lock Remain in Cape Coral Originally published by WINK News on December 13, 2019 The City of Cape Coral wants the Chiquita Lock gone, but environmentalists say it will cause problems and want it to stay. A state judge agrees the lock...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on December 6, 2019 A different variety of algae is blooming in parts of the Caloosahatchee River, but unlike other blooms the region has experienced in the past two years, this algae is not toxic to humans....
Originally published in Naples Daily News by AKarl Schneider on November 20, 2019 The largest number of sea turtle strandings in a single month were reported in Collier County in October. Maura Kraus, the sea turtle expert for Collier County, said that she has...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett-Williams on November 09, 2019 Fast-growing cyanobacteria blooms fouling the massive lake. Global media descending to document dead wildlife and economic devastation. Dire warnings about blue-green algae toxins’...
Originally published by WINK News on October 20, 2019 Beachgoers felt the effects of water quality issues along some Southwest Florida beaches this weekend. John Cassani, ecologist and founder of Calusa Waterkeeper, says red tide continues to cause fish kills along...
As seen in a News-Press OpEd submitted by John Cassani & Howard Simon, Calusa Waterkeeper, October 18, 2019 After the last prolonged outbreak of red tide and blue-green algae, it seemed every politician vowed to “do something.” The spin from the last session was...
