Calusa Waterkeeper and City of Fort Myers find Differing Fecal Bacteria Data Originally published by WINK News on Septtember 8, 2020 Efforts to clean up Billy’s Creek are getting a boost. The City of Fort Myers and Calusa Waterkeeper are working together...
Originally published in The News-Press by Bill Smith on September 8, 2020 Fort Myers officials went on the offensive Tuesday in an effort to counter claims that bacteria, including fecal material, is flowing from the Billy’s Creek watershed to the Caloosahatchee...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on August 28, 2020 Green Cape Coral canals have become as predictable as the summer rains, and this year is no exception. But while stagnant city waterways may be nothing new, the health department...
Fort Myers Construction Sites Investigated for Caloosahatchee Runoff Originally published by WINK News on August 27, 2020 The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating new reports of stormwater runoff from the City Walk and Silver Hills projects...
Originally published by FOX4 News on August 26, 2020 Community water activists in Cape Coral are concerned about the growing number of algae blooms in the area. Blue-green algae has been found in Makai Canal, Boris Canal, and Highlander Canal. The Lee County...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on August 26, 2020 Two downtown Fort Myers developments have been shut down again for water pollution violations. Construction has been stopped at the Silver Hills and City Walk projects after weekend...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 25, 2020 The Caloosahatchee River and estuary are in pretty good shape this summer, although algae blooms loom inland and along the coast. Lake Okeechobee has been plagued by a blue-green algae bloom this...
Fecal Contamination Level is High in Billy’s Creek Originally published by WINK News on August 17, 2020 The latest tests from Calusa Waterkeepers shows that contamination levels caused by fecal bacteria in Billy Creek remain high. Neil Wilkinson is a retired...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on August 13, 2020 The Everglades is looking at above-average rains this summer, but conditions are relatively dry in Lee and Collier counties. While the 16-county South Florida Water Management District is...
Blue-Green Algae Found in Cape Coral Canal Originally published by WINK News on August 12, 2020 Going beneath the surface to figure out what’s going on with our water. “People are now seeing it in abundance in their canals,” said Calusa Waterkeeper, John Cassani....
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 28, 2020 Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force is meeting again, after a several-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The group is made up of scientists from around the state who make...
Research Reveals how Red Tide and Blue-Green Algal Blooms could Affect your Health Originally published by WINK News on June 22, 2020 The sights and smells of the 2018 red tide and blue-green algae are hard to forget. Two years later, we’re getting more answers as to...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on July 21, 2020 Those who lived through 2018’s summer knew Southwest Florida’s water was bad, but a new peer-reviewed scientific study helps clarify how bad. Just published in the journal Neurotoxicity...
Originally published by EurekAlert! on July 20, 2020 In 2018, cyanobacteria from nutrient-rich waters in Lake Okeechobee were released down the Caloosahatchee river at the same time that red tides were gathering along the Florida west coast, potentially exposing...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 16, 2020 An environmental network in Florida says Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health are not doing their jobs when it comes to informing the public about the health risks of toxic algae...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 13, 2020 Environmental groups across the state are challenging the bill recently signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis that is supposed to help clean up Florida’s ailing waterways. Proponents of Senate...
Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on July 10, 2020 Over the past several months, the agency that protects Florida’s environment has juggled several major pollution incidents in Fort Myers, plus a few smaller ones. The troubles have come...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 9, 2020 Recent satellite imagery shows a shrinking blue-green algae bloom on Lake Okeechobee, but it’s still too early in the summer to know whether or not a major bloom will manifest this year....
Lack of Oxygen Killing Fish, with Heat Making Matters Worse Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on July 3, 2020 Eels gulping air. Floating mats of bubbly crud. Milky brown tides. As it did a few months ago, foul water again surrounds...
Water Quality a Concern in Matlacha Pass as Eels Surface Originally published by WINK News on July 2, 2020 Concerns are rising over the water quality of Matlacha Pass after cloudy-looking water was spotted, bringing eels and other sea life to the surface for air. The...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on June 25, 2020 A group of local scientists are mapping out critical marine habitats in the Caloosahatchee River in hopes that tape grass will flourish here again. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and...
Saharan Dust may Impact Southwest Florida Coastal Waters Originally published by WINK News on June 23, 2020 A gigantic dust column from Africa’s Sahara Desert has traveled thousands of miles and will eventually settle over the U.S. The dust is so thick it can be seen...
Saharan Dust could Ramp Up Red Tide off our Coast Originally published by NBC-2 News on June 22, 2020 Southwest Florida’s coastline has steered clear from red tide and blue-green algae so far this year. Plus, for the most part, the Caloosahatchee River is nice...
Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on June 19, 2020 A blue-green algae bloom has taken over more than half of Lake Okeechobee, the liquid heart of the historic Everglades. Satellite photos show the 720-square-mile lake as being mostly covered with a...
Originally published in Cape Coral Daily Breeze by Meghan Bradbury on June 12, 2020 While Calusa Waterkeeper is celebrating its silver anniversary, the organization says it has a long way to go to fulfill its mission of protecting and restoring the Caloosahatchee...
Current Administration may be Planning for Offshore Drilling After the Election Originally published by FOX4 News on June 11, 2020 This year marks a decade after the disastrous BP Oil Spill. Now, multiple sources say the president’s administration is preparing to push...
Originally published in The News-Press by Karl Schneider and Amy Bennett Williams on June 11, 2020 Early summer in Southwest Florida means spiking water pollution. Starting in late May, subtropical rains sweep a winter’s worth of discards into area waterways. Near the...
Calusa Waterkeeper Tests for Source of Billy’s Creek Contamination Originally published by WINK News on June 10, 2020 Fecal bacteria contamination in Billy’s Creek has been a concern for years, and a local group, Calusa Waterkeeper, is working to fix the problem. They...
‘Staggering’ Amount of Fecal Bacteria Found in Billy’s Creek in Fort Myers Originally published by NBC-2 News on June 10, 2020 “What’s in the water? That’s the question members of Calusa Waterkeeper set out to answer Wednesday...
Runoff from Construction Sites Enter Caloosahatchee River Originally published by WINK News on June 4, 2020 Construction runoff has been getting into the Caloosahatchee River recently and residents and professionals alike have noticed murky patches. John Cassani, with...
