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...
Fecal bacteria contamination in Florida waters is widespread. In coastal estuaries 1,171,692 acres are determined impaired by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and 9,262 miles of Florida’s streams and rivers are impaired for fecal...
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...
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...
Cousins Ava Spencer and Aydin Khan-Bridgers love the outdoors and spending time on the water in Southwest Florida. They’ve created the Paddle Project to raise awareness of degrading water quality in Pine Island Sound. The pair will be making multiple day trips,...
Originally published by The News-Press on July 10, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams It’s not a good idea to swim in water tainted with toxic blue-green algae, but is it dangerous to live and breathe along an algae-choked water body? Are fishing guides at risk? A...
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 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...
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 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....
As New Algae Bloom Spreads Across Lake Okeechobee, Environmental Groups Urge the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Set Standards for Harmful Toxins Originally released by the The Center for Biological Diversity on May 19, 2021 on behalf of the Center...
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 13, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams Promising incentives and clinical results, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is again seeking volunteers for a study on the health effects of cyanobacteria. The federal agency...
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...
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 in The News-Press on April 21, 2021 by Chad Gillis State health officials released a public advisory Wednesday for the upper portion of the Caloosahatchee River estuary, saying the public should not swim there or touch the water. The Florida...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 27 This week, John meets with Bonita Springs resident Cope Smoak, an expert on mayan cichlids and one of our wonderful dedicated volunteers keeping a vigilant eye on our local...
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...
Hazardous Water Leaking from Retention Pond in Manatee County Might Impact Southwest Florida Originally published by WINK News on April 4, 2021 At the end of last week, hazardous water began leaking from a retention pond at a former phosphate processing plant in...
Originally published in Pine Island Eagle on March 31, 2021 by Paulette LeBlanc First Officer Peter Karas of the St. James City Boat Club wants everyone to be aware of the second annual Clean Water Week, which kicked off Saturday, March 20. According to Karas, about...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 26 This week’s report talks about water levels of Lake Okeechobee, ongoing red tide blooms and cyanobacteria in the Caloosahatchee. Calusa Waterkeeper, John Cassani, also updates us on the manatee mortality rate, mentioned in...
Originally published in The News-Press on March 23, 2021 by Chad Gillis Coastal urbanization is the top factor driving pollution from the Tampa Bay area south to Collier County, and the water quality in many of those counties declined over a recent three-year period....
An Op-Ed written by John Cassani and originally published in The News-Press on March 10, 2021 For generations, Floridians have worshiped Florida’s iconic waters. They are likely the reason many people came to Florida, to swim, fish, paddle, ski, dive and enjoy all...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 25 This week, John Cassani brings on local advocate, Cat Chase, to talk about phosphate mining and radioactive phosphogypsum toxic waste. Calusa Waterkeeper, among many other groups locally and across the nation, legally petitioned...
Originally published by The News-Press on February 13, 2021 by Amy Bennett Williams. For decades, the city of Fort Myers has polluted its surrounding waters, often with raw sewage. Now, a reckoning is at hand. After months of investigation and negotiation with the...
Fort Myers City Leaders Seek Answers in DEP Fine Originally published by FOX4 News on February 11, 2021 “I’m tired of kicking this can down the road,” Fort Myers City Councilman Johnny Streets tells FOX 4. The “can” he’s referring to is getting...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on February 10, 2021 The City Of Fort Myers is allegedly facing a fine of more than $500,000 for the “repeated discharge of wastewater” into Billy’s Creek and Caloosahatchee River. Fort Myers Mayor, Kevin Anderson, said that the City...
