by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 7, 2026 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in Gulfshore Business by Evan Williams on January 7, 2026 Elevated fecal indicator bacteria is a longstanding issue in Fort Myers and in urban waterways across Florida. Manuel’s Branch and Billy’s Creek, another urban tributary, have been...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 6, 2026 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox 4 by Austin Schargorodski on January 6, 2026 Manuel’s Branch had been an issue since at least 2021, when the Department of Environmental Protection found that the city failed to address long-term elevated levels of bacteria. City council...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 29, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in the News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on December 29, 2025 For years, Manuel’s Branch has failed Florida’s most basic test for public waterways: that they be safe for people to touch. There’s too much human poop in the creek, which flows...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 2, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox 4 by Miyoshi Price on December 2, 2025 Calusa Waterkeeper is calling on the city of Fort Myers to take immediate action after their independent testing revealed persistent human fecal contamination in Manuel’s Branch, a popular...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 21, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox 4 by Andrew Shipley on November 21, 2025 A two-year investigation by local environmental group Calusa Waterkeeper has found evidence of human-source fecal contamination in Manuel’s Branch, a small urban creek located just south of Lee...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 19, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Events, Featured, Policy, Water Testing
Calusa Waterkeeper volunteers and staff have collected evidence of persistent human sources of fecal contamination to Manuel’s Branch. The full report is available at CalusaWaterkeeper.org and the group will be presenting to the City of Fort Myers Environmental...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 30, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press
Originally published in the News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on September 30, 2025 Florida determines beach water quality based on Enterococcus levels. A measurement of 70.5 or more cells per milliliter of water is classified as “poor” and may trigger a...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 19, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press
Originally published in the News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on September 19, 2025 Florida determines beach water quality based on Enterococcus levels. A measurement of 70.5 or more cells per milliliter of water is classified as “poor” and may trigger a...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 1, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in the News-Press by Charlie Whitehead on August 1, 2025 It took an audit conducted in May to discover that the trigger had been missed. When it revealed the oversight, city utilities asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 16, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Planning, Policy, Press
Originally published on WINK News by Claire Galt on June 12, 2025 Lee County is experiencing rapid growth, which raises concerns about infrastructure and environmental impacts. Commissioners recently approved Neal Communities’ plan to build nearly 1,100 homes on...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 4, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Planning, Policy, Press
Originally published on WINK News by Claire Galt on June 2, 2025 In 2021, the state ordered Fort Myers to eliminate discharges and improve infrastructure by 2028. The city has now negotiated a new deadline of 2032. John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper emeritus, expressed...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 28, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured
Calusa Waterkeeper has spent years advocating about high bacteria levels in local waters Manuel’s Branch and Billy’s Creek. Florida Department of Environmental Protection has bent over backwards for the City of Fort Myers, and recently extended their 2021...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 23, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox 4 by Andrew Shipley on April 23, 2025 Have you ever wondered what is in our waterways? And I am not talking about plants or animals, but instead bacteria. Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley joined Calusa Waterkeeper who has been testing our...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 23, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox 4 by Anvar Ruziev on November 23, 2024 A recent report from the Calusa Waterkeeper highlights alarming levels of fecal bacteria in many Lee County waterways. Among the locations tested, Manuel Branch, a canal that runs near Cleveland Avenue...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 18, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press
Originally published by Bob Moro in the Nautical Mile on November 18, 2024 I know I speak for everyone at The Nautical Mile when I express my heartfelt sympathy for all in our community who have been battered by a succession of storms unprecedented in our history. I...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 31, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in the News-Press by Chad Gillis on October 31, 2024 It’s a water quality double whammy. Southwest Florida waters are stained and potentially toxic as a red tide bloom rages offshore while freshwater bacteria levels are well above what the...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 7, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in the News-Press by Chad Gillis on October 7, 2024 Chuck Avery grabbed a small glass jar and lid, attached it to the end of a pole and walked down the boat ramp at Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero. He scoops up water, three times, and dumps...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 11, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on WGCU by Tom Bayles on September 11, 2024 “We test water bodies throughout our jurisdiction and that has been one area that routinely comes back extremely high,” said Connie Ramos-Williams, the director of Calusa Waterkeeper. “When we see things...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 10, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Events, Featured, Policy, Water Testing
In an effort to keep children and families informed of troubled waters in Manuel’s Branch and other local waterbodies, Calusa Waterkeeper is hosting a Water Quality & Human Health Public Meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The event will...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 22, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox4 by Andrew Shipley on August 22, 2024 Water is so important to us in Southwest Florida. Water not only feeds our economy, but it also gives us recreation. But what is in our water? Every month the Calusa Waterkeeper tests our water for...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 22, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on August 22, 2024 Once a taken-for-granted bankable asset, Southwest Florida’s degraded water quality is now a critical, contentious topic.. Water issues here have people scrambling for...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 26, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press, Water Testing
‘Levels this high usually indicate sewage.’ Estero neighborhood grabbles with water problem Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 25, 2024 The Estero River is a designated Outstanding Florida Waterway with the highest...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 21, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Ordered by Florida to clean up its act, Fort Myers works to fix its water pollution problem Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on July 21, 2024 With swelling demand straining its antique wastewater infrastructure, it’s no wonder...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 8, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing
Creek runs along Fort Myers landmarks where children, families gather and play Op-Ed originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Codty Pierce on July 7, 2024 As the Calusa Waterkeeper, it is my duty and that of our organization to protect and restore our...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 3, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Policy, Water Testing
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....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 26, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Policy, Water Testing
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 6, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Policy
We’re excited to share that the Safe Waterways Act has been added to the Florida Senate’s Special Order Calendar for tomorrow, March 7, 2024! Background: Persistence in Tallahassee In 2021, Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani started working with Florida...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 29, 2023 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on September 29, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams Don’t go in the water warns Lee County’s health department: There’s too much fecal bacteria and it might make you sick. According to routine tests Thursday, Bowditch...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 7, 2023 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press
Originally published by Pine Island Eagle on June 7, 2023 This month out of the 30 sites throughout the watershed tested by the Calusa Waterkeeper, 23% passed and 77% failed. One of the newest sites continues to unveil high FIB numbers — North Fort Myers Riverbend...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 3, 2023 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on February 3, 2023 by Chad Gillis Some tributaries flowing into the Caloosahatchee River and Estero Bay are polluted with fecal coliform bacteria, with counts going well above criteria used to determine whether or not a beach is...
