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President Trump arrives in Florida to visit Lake Okeechobee and Herbert Hoover Dike

President Trump arrives in Florida to visit Lake Okeechobee and Herbert Hoover Dike

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 29, 2019 | Press

Originally published by WINK News on March 29, 2019 Thursday night, President Donald Trump landed in Florida ahead of his highly anticipated visit to Lake Okeechobee and the Herbert Hoover Dike. Trump toured both the dike and the lake by helicopter Friday, where he...
Officials Ready Mullock Creek to Drain Floodwaters, but at what Cost to the Environment?

Officials Ready Mullock Creek to Drain Floodwaters, but at what Cost to the Environment?

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 27, 2019 | Press

As reported by Amy Bennett Williams of The News-Press on Mar 27, 2019. Chainsaws growling, workers have started taking big bites out of the tangle of exotic plants that have all but choked off Mullock Creek in south Lee County. With headwaters just east of U.S. 41...
Red Tide & Blue-Green Algae that Ravaged Region in 2018 not Detected in Gulf or Caloosahatchee

Red Tide & Blue-Green Algae that Ravaged Region in 2018 not Detected in Gulf or Caloosahatchee

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 16, 2019 | Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on March 16, 2019 Two algae blooms that strangled the Southwest Florida coast most of last year have subsided and may not return for a few months. Toxic red tide and blue-green algae outbreaks last year killed...
Judge Dismisses Caloosahatchee Stakeholders’ Petition

Judge Dismisses Caloosahatchee Stakeholders’ Petition

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 8, 2019 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Litigation, Press

As reported by Amy Bennett Williams of the News-Press on Mar 8, 2019. During the course of the hearing, the petitioners provided empirical evidence that the district’s level will not meet the needs of the river and estuary, said Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani. Though...
Florida Waterkeepers Committed to Protecting Sunshine State Waters

Florida Waterkeepers Committed to Protecting Sunshine State Waters

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 6, 2019 | Featured, Planning, Policy, Press

Originally posted by Julia Widmann of the Waterkeeper Alliance on Mar 6, 2019. Regional entity Waterkeepers Florida came together early February for an in-person board meeting to set goals for the 2019 Florida legislative session. They gathered at the 25th Annual...
Calusa Waterkeeper Awarded Southwest Florida Community Foundation Grant

Calusa Waterkeeper Awarded Southwest Florida Community Foundation Grant

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 2, 2019 | Featured, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on March 2, 2019. The nonprofit will use the funds from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to engage with healthcare frontline workers and decision-makers about the effects of the harmful algae...
Lake Okeechobee Releases Cause Concerns about Water Quality & Algae Blooms

Lake Okeechobee Releases Cause Concerns about Water Quality & Algae Blooms

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 28, 2019 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Lake Okeechobee, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on February 28, 2019 Lake Okeechobee releases started again last week, and the results are a mixed bag for the Caloosahatchee River and its delicate estuary. The volume of water is not concerning to many local...
North Fort Myers Site at Moody River may be for New Lee County Boat Ramp

North Fort Myers Site at Moody River may be for New Lee County Boat Ramp

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 19, 2019 | Planning, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Bill Smith on February 19, 2019 A site on Hancock Creek in North Fort Myers could become a Lee County public boat ramp, replacing a ramp in downtown Fort Myers that has closed to make way for development. County officials are...
Lee County & Cape Coral Approve Water Management Plan for Yellow Fever Creek Preserve

Lee County & Cape Coral Approve Water Management Plan for Yellow Fever Creek Preserve

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 19, 2019 | Planning, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Sarah Jarvis on February 19, 2019. Lee County approved an agreement with Cape Coral on Tuesday in an attempt to help restore water flow into Matlacha Pass and the Caloosahatchee River. The agreement establishes the...
Upcoming Event: FGCU Biodiversity Conference

Upcoming Event: FGCU Biodiversity Conference

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 15, 2019 | Events, Press

Red Tide Impacts on Biodiversity in the Gulf March 14, 2019 | 8 am to 5 pm Florida Gulf Coast University The Biodiversity Conference is an opportunity for researchers and community leaders around the state of Florida to share their findings, and have in-depth...
Public Comment Still Needed on Lake Okeechobee

Public Comment Still Needed on Lake Okeechobee

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 12, 2019 | Lake Okeechobee, Policy, Press

Public Comment Still Needed on Lake Okeechobee As reported by FOX4 News on February 12, 2019 John Cassani with Calusa Waterkeepers spoke to the League of Women Voters’ Environmental Committee at the Cape Coral Public Library. He spoke about water quality issues in our...
Programs Aiding Southwest Floridians get a Financial Shot in the Arm

Programs Aiding Southwest Floridians get a Financial Shot in the Arm

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 6, 2019 | Press

Originally published in Florida Weekly on February 6, 2019 Programs designed to improve the quality of life for Southwest Floridians got a shot in the arm with grants awarded them by the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. The foundation gave $596,923 to 21 local...
You Can Have a Say in Lake Okeechobee Discharges

You Can Have a Say in Lake Okeechobee Discharges

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Feb 1, 2019 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Policy, Press

As seen in a News-Press OpEd submitted by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper, February 1, 2019 Southwest Florida residents will be the first to weigh in on the Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) public scoping process for the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual...
Dredging Billy’s Creek may Ease Flooding Concerns but won’t Help Water Quality

Dredging Billy’s Creek may Ease Flooding Concerns but won’t Help Water Quality

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 23, 2019 | Bacteria Monitoring, Planning, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on January 23, 2019 The City of Fort Myers will soon move forward with a dredging project in Billy’s Creek that’s expected to ease flooding but may not improve water quality in the ailing Caloosahatchee...
Governor Ron DeSantis Unveils Major Environmental Reforms

Governor Ron DeSantis Unveils Major Environmental Reforms

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 10, 2019 | C43 Reservoir, Lake Okeechobee, Policy, Press

First published in The News-Press by Thyrie Bland and Amy Bennett Williams on January 10, 2019 Newly-elected Governor Proposes Multi-billion Dollar Plan for Water Quality Protection It’s news millions of Floridians have been waiting eight years to hear: Their governor...
Calusa Waterkeeper Joins Environmental Groups in Law Suit Against Federal Agencies

Calusa Waterkeeper Joins Environmental Groups in Law Suit Against Federal Agencies

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 26, 2018 | Featured, Lake Okeechobee, Litigation, Press

As seen in a News-Press OpEd submitted by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper, December 25, 2018 Calusa Waterkeeper, Center for Biodiversity, and the Waterkeeper Alliance are Suing the ACOE, USDEP and others for Violations of the Endangered Species Act The popular...
Removing Chiquita Lock Without a New Barrier a Mistake

Removing Chiquita Lock Without a New Barrier a Mistake

by Jason Pim | Dec 14, 2018 | Cape Coral Spreader Canals, Press

As seen in a News-Press OpEd submitted by Jason Pim, Calusa Waterkeeper Volunteer Ranger, December 14, 2018 Opinions differ in Cape Coral surrounding the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s permission to remove the Chiquita Lock. This aging facility...
Federal Report Shows Salt Causes Release of More Blue-Green Algae Toxins into Local Waters

Federal Report Shows Salt Causes Release of More Blue-Green Algae Toxins into Local Waters

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 5, 2018 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Science

Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on December 5, 2018 A federal report suggests that the presence of salt causes blue-green algae cells to burst and release all toxins into the water. The United States Geological Survey report shows that while...
Where did Toxic Algae Vacuumed from Lee County Canals Go?

Where did Toxic Algae Vacuumed from Lee County Canals Go?

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 1, 2018 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Science

Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on December 1, 2018 Southwest Florida’s recent toxic algae blooms were unprecedented in scope, persistence and sheer nastiness. Also unprecedented was how Lee County disposed of some of the crud, shown by...
Research Shows Algae Toxins are Airborne and Reach Deep into Human Lungs

Research Shows Algae Toxins are Airborne and Reach Deep into Human Lungs

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 29, 2018 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Science

First featured in a News-Press article written by Amy Bennett Williams and published on November 29, 2018 Anyone breathing near the dense blue-green algae blooms that plagued the region last summer likely inhaled some toxins deep into their lungs, FGCU research...
Cape Coral Leaders, Residents & Environmental Watchdogs at Odds over Chiquita Lock Removal

Cape Coral Leaders, Residents & Environmental Watchdogs at Odds over Chiquita Lock Removal

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 10, 2018 | Cape Coral Spreader Canals, Planning, Press

Originally published in The News-Press by David Dorsey on November 10, 2018 Environmental watchdogs are at odds with the City of Cape Coral and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection over the potential removal of the Chiquita Lock. The lock, located near...
Algae Streaks Caloosahatchee’s Upper Reaches Again

Algae Streaks Caloosahatchee’s Upper Reaches Again

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 10, 2018 | Press

Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on November 10, 2018 After a brief reprieve (to the naked eye, at least) from the toxic algae that had tainted the Caloosahatchee River since June, cyanobacteria appears to once again be clinging to the...
Harmul Bacteria Seems to be New Normal in Water

Harmul Bacteria Seems to be New Normal in Water

by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 16, 2018 | Featured, Press

As seen in a News-Press OpEd submitted by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper, May 16, 2018 The recent Save Our Water summit, hosted by The News-Press, had many positives with the conclusion that we should continue to have hope that our waters can be restored. A crowd of...
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