by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 17, 2024 | Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published on Fox4 by Andrew Shipley on April 17, 2024 Sea grass is such an important part of our environment here in Southwest Florida. It provides habitat for our fish and food for our manatees. But unfortunately, that sea grass is going away and is being...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 17, 2024 | CWK Rangers, Events, Press
Originally published in Pine Island Eagle by Paulette LeBlanc on April 17, 2024 On Monday, April 8, the Calusa Waterkeeper sponsored an event at the Saint James City Civic Center, wherein they gave a presentation on the science of oysters and how to build a Vertical...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 5, 2024 | Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by The News-Press and written by Chad Gillis on April 5, 2024 “Along the entire river, flows have reduced dramatically and so what we’re looking for is providing beneficial flows to reduce the potential for algae blooms,” Bell...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 2, 2024 | Press
Originally published on the Sanibel Captiva Island Reporter, Islander & Current on April 2, 2024 Lee County voters who signed a petition to qualify a proposed “Right to Clean and Healthy Waters” Constitutional Amendment for the 2024 ballot will soon receive a 2026...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 27, 2024 | Featured, Press
An Op-Ed originally published on the Invading Sea and syndicated by the Orlando Sentinel on March 27, 2024 by John Cassani Another Florida legislative session has ended and, predictably, appropriations have been made to further study causes of water quality...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 24, 2024 | Featured, Press, Water Testing
Originally published by Fort Myers News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on March 24, 2024 Codty Pierce pulls on one black glove (waste not, want not) then dips a lightbulb changing pole-turned-water sampler into the mangrove-lined canal. Once the small glass jar in its...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 22, 2024 | Press
Originally published by Beach Talk Radio on March 22, 2024 Southwest Florida Environmental nonprofit Calusa Waterkeeper has hired Connie Ramos-Williams as its new Executive Director. Ramos-Williams will work with Waterkeeper Codty Pierce to safeguard the region’s...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 19, 2024 | Featured, Press
(Fort Myers, FL– March 19, 2024) – Calusa Waterkeeper, a leading environmental nonprofit organization committed to preserving and restoring the waterways in Southwest Florida, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Connie Ramos-Williams as its new Executive...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 5, 2024 | Press
Originally published by WGCU and written by Tom Bayles on March 5, 2024 Back in 2018, Connie Ramos-Williams was driving over the old Sanibel Bridge when she saw the depth and breadth of that year’s blue-green algae outbreak. The nasty green goo was everywhere,...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 4, 2024 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by The News-Press and written by Chad Gillis on March 4, 2024 Lake Okeechobee waters continue to blast out of the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam, and coastal Southwest Florida waters are starting to look like chocolate milk. Aerial images from...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 4, 2024 | Lake Okeechobee, Press
Originally published by WINK News and written by Annalise Iraola on March 4, 2024 A week ago, the Calusa Waterkeeper took a picture off the coast of Sanibel. Dark brown, it’s a harsh contrast between the beautiful blue gulf waters. On February 17, the Army Corps of...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 16, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press and written by Chad Gillis on February 16, 2024 A district court judge ruled Friday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acted illegally when it gave Clean Water Act permitting over to the state of Florida. “After...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 14, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press and written by Chad Gillis on February 14, 2024 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Saturday will begin large-scale Lake Okeechobee releases to the Caloosahatchee River due to high lake levels and continued El Nino conditions....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 24, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally published by Florida Weekly and written by Roger Williams on January 24, 2024 People who look out for Florida’s single most essential treasure — not the sunshine, but our water — didn’t traditionally have to be masters of the good simile or navigators of...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 17, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally published by Pine Island Eagle on January 17, 2024 Calusa Waterkeeper Emeritus John Cassani was invited to give a presentation on the Basin Management Plan at the January meeting of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association. Cassani began by saying it has...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 17, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally published by NBC-2 News on January 17, 2024 The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating after fuel was found in a North Fort Myers canal along North Gulf Circle on Monday. The Coast Guard was called to the canal in the Waterway Estates...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 16, 2024 | Press
Originally published by The News-Press and written by Amy Bennett Williams on January 16, 2024 The hits would look like this: $5.2 billion to the area economy, 43,000 jobs lost, $17.8 billion in property values and $460 million in fishing revenue. That’s the beatdown...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 13, 2024 | Press
Originally published by NBC-2 News on January 13, 2024 As sports betting takes off in the State of Florida, there is a lot of excitement – and a whole lot of money the State could make from it. Enough state leaders are already looking at what they can spend it...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 9, 2024 | Featured, Press
Originally released by Captiva Community Panel in association with Protect Captiva Representing the Protect Captiva coalition, the Captiva Civic Association (CCA) filed a petition with Lee County on Jan. 8 challenging the new land development regulations that increase...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 21, 2023 | Featured, Press
How Much Nitrogen Pollution is on Our Waterways? Originally published by FOX4 News on December 21, 2023 While people love living along the canals in Cape Coral, recently the question was raised, “how much nutrient pollution is actually getting into these canals?”...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 21, 2023 | Cape Coral Spreader Canals, Featured, Press
Originally published by Cape Coral Breeze on December 21, 2023 by CJ Haddad A hearing to determine whether the state should issue a permit allowing the city of Cape Coral to remove the Chiquita Lock concluded Wednesday afternoon. The next steps will be post-hearing...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 18, 2023 | Cape Coral Spreader Canals, Featured, Press
Originally published by The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation on December 18, 2023 The hearing to remove the Chiquita Lock in Cape Coral resumed on Dec. 18. The hearing was continued after extensive questioning of experts concerning the water pollution generated...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 22, 2023 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on November 22, 2023 by Chad Gillis Some environmental advocates and researchers are concerned that a detrimental change may be planned for the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, which has been under state protections since 1966. The...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 14, 2023 | Press
Originally published by Sanibel Captiva Island Reporter, Islander & Current on November 14, 2023 Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation partners who are fighting the removal of the Chiquita Lock in Cape Coral have been granted the opportunity to move forward and...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 10, 2023 | Cape Coral Spreader Canals, Press
The Fight Over the Chiquita Lock Removal is Heading to Trial Originally published by FOX4 News on November 10, 2023 The fight over the removal of Chiquita Lock is heading to trial, with Administrative Law Judge Suzanne Van Wyk ruling that the lawsuit can proceed. This...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 2, 2023 | Featured, Press
Originally published by The News-Press on November 2, 2023 by Luis Zambrano After a startling dropout by several high-profile Southwest nonprofits, the challenge to keep Cape Coral’s Chiquita Boat Lock, a nearly 50-year-old manmade barrier, in operation moves...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 9, 2023 | Featured, Press
Calusa Waterkeepers Create Oyster Gardens to Aid Water Quality Originally published by FOX4 News on October 9, 2023 You may be keeping our waterways cleaner the next time you order oysters at dinner. The Calusa Waterkeepers, a non-profit organization, has been...
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 | Sep 17, 2023 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Press
A recent News-Press article (“Well-known FGCU professor accused of downplaying blue-green algae by water advocate”) overlooks the principal barrier to public understanding of Florida’s persistent blue-green algae – the calibration of exposure to risk....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 14, 2023 | Featured, Press
Originally published by Conservancy of Southwest Florida on September 14, 2023. Our nearshore waters are crying for help, but are we listening? In Lee County, many are familiar with the impact that Lake Okeechobee discharges and basin runoff have on the Caloosahatchee...
