by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 20, 2021 | Featured, Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 19, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 14, 2021 | Press
Originally published by Pine Island Eagle on July 14, 2021 by Paulette LeBlanc. Water safety and sustainability problems should not be solved by the public, according to environmentalist islanders Sue Dahod and Susan McGuire, who say, unfortunately this is what it’s...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 13, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 12, 2021 | Featured, Press
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,...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 10, 2021 | Featured, Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 10, 2021 | Press, Stormwater
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 7, 2021 | Press, Stormwater
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 6, 2021 | Press, Stormwater
Guest Editorial originally published by The News-Press on July 06, 2021 and submitted by Ed Shinouskis I would like to comment on the June 24 Guest Opinion by Michael A. MacDowell titled “Compared to Flint Michigan, we’re in good hands with water quality in...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 30, 2021 | Press
Group Tests Air Quality Impacts of Decomposing Algae Originally published by WINK News on June 30, 2021 Something beneath the surface of the water may impact the air we breathe. Volunteers are testing the air quality around Matlacha Pass and whether decomposing algae...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 28, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 25, 2021 | Featured, Press
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....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 21, 2021 | Press
Peroxide-Based Algaecide Pilot Program Underway to Combat Blue-Green Algae Originally published by WINK News on June 21, 2021 More efforts are underway to keep our waterways in Southwest Florida clear of blue-green algae. The state teamed up with Israel-based company...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 17, 2021 | Press
Originally published by The News-Press on June 17, 2021 by Chad Gillis A chunk of land in Glades County that was purchased for $37 million in 2007 is being used for water quality treatment testing and will eventually be the site of a nitrogen-removal facility. But...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 16, 2021 | Featured, Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 14, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 14, 2021 | Press
Matlacha Residents Concerned Over Growing Algal Blooms in Canals Originally published by FOX4 News on June 13, 2021 A disturbing sight in Matlacha canals is causing residents to rethink about getting in the water. Dead fish are popping up, floating on top of a brown...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 8, 2021 | Featured, Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 7, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 4, 2021 | Featured, Press
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....
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 31, 2021 | Press
Algae Toxins Cripple Water Supply in West Palm Beach Originally published by WINK News on May 31, 2021 Neighbors lined up for safe drinking water in West Palm Beach after testing showed high levels of algae toxins. Home filtration systems don’t work in this case, and...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 24, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 21, 2021 | Press
Originally published by ABC-7 News on May 21, 2021 The algae situation in Southwest Florida is getting worse as a bloom decays in the Caloosahatchee River. Algae first appeared in Lake Okeechobee, then at Franklin lock, the Alva Boat Ramp, and now its in Fort Myers at...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 21, 2021 | Press
Engineers Meeting to Discuss Lake O Discharges as Algae Toxins Build Originally published by WINK News on May 21, 2021 The Army Corps of Engineers is meeting at 11:30 a.m. Friday to discuss how many new discharges of water will be released from Lake Okeechobee into...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 19, 2021 | Press
Originally published by NBC-2 News on May 19, 2021 Thick, smelly clumps of blue-green algae have been decaying along the Caloosahatchee near the south side of the Franklin Lock this week. It comes as several water conservancy groups in our area urged the Florida...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 19, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 19, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 18, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 18, 2021 | Press
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...
by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 18, 2021 | Press
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...
