Originally published by The News-Press on June 8, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams Lawsuits have been flying as the South Florida Water Management District and its fired contractor quarrel over a soured $560-million deal to build the C-43 reservoir. Yet work continues at...
Originally published by TC Palm on June 7, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams A week into hurricane season, as concerns over algae blooms mount, Caloosahatchee river-watchers don’t have to worry about Lake O making things worse – at least for the moment. Calusa Waterkeeper...
Originally published by The News-Press on June 2, 2023 by Chad Gillis Lake Okeechobee is more than a foot above its target level at this time of year, and heavy rains have fallen across much of the state in recent days. The big question for the Fort Myers-Cape...
Blue-Green Algae Blooms Spotted from Lake O to Fort Myers Shores Originally published by FOX4 News on May 26, 2023 Once again, Lake Okeechobee is covered with blue-green algae blooms. According to NOAA, algal blooms covered about 260 square miles on the ake,...
Originally published by The News-Press on May 26, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams Had they stared into a shaft of sunlight piercing the Caloosahatchee River on Thursday morning, boaters at the Alva dock might have seen spangles, as if the water were dusted with green...
Originally published by Waterkeeper Alliance on May 25, 2023 Today, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case of Sackett v. EPA and ruled in favor of the Sacketts and their corporate polluter allies, delivering a major setback to the essential protections...
Originally published by Fox Weather on May 24, 2023 by Andrew Wulfeck Residents and visitors to parts of the Sunshine State’s largest lake are being urged to exercise caution after harmful blue-green algae was recently detected by the Palm Beach County Health...
Originally published by WINK News on May 12, 2023 Algae swirling in the Gulf Coast is bringing a smelly odor to the air. It’s happening around the waters of Matlacha. “It’s almost a matted, matted surface that resembles a mud flat, but the colors are quite vibrant....
Originally published by The News-Press on May 02, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams Construction of the C-43 reservoir is on hold after the South Florida Water Management District fired the contractor for the half-billion-dollar-plus job. The district announced the...
Originally published by The News-Press on April 20, 2023 by Chad Gillis Experts say high loads of pollution are flowing to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Oceans in the aftermath of a series of storms that brought summer-like rains to the Sunshine State. Several...
Originally published by Naples Daily News on April 19, 2023 by Chad Gillis Ray Bearfield was recently appointed as the Collier County Waterkeeper, a local chapter of a nationwide effort to protect America’s waterways. Bearfield, 72, grew up in Richmond, Indiana,...
Originally published by WINK News on April 11, 2023 The color of some of the mangroves from above? Grey – like the mood as we note the coastline’s defenses are weakened. The color of the sky this day, also grey. The new Calusa Waterkeeper, Captain Codty Pierce noted...
Originally published by The News-Press on March 17, 2023 by Chad Gillis The latest red tide to blanket Southwest Florida seems to be losing strength in Lee and Collier counties as higher brevetoxin counts have been reported in the Tampa Bay area in recent days....
Originally published by TODAY on March 10, 2023. Spring breakers are flocking to Florida in hopes of enjoying clear water and white sand beaches, but many are instead discovering red tide during their vacations. The micro-organism that causes red tide has impacted...
Originally published by The News-Press on March 9, 2023 by Chad Gillis Gulf of Mexico water temperatures are running on the high side this year, which could trigger anything from afternoon thunderstorms to early animal migrations. Various weather outlets say water...
Originally published by The News-Press on February 20, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams The name is a bit different but the intent is the same in a bipartisan bill reintroduced by Naples U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds this week: help algal bloom-affected communities get...
Originally published by The News-Press on February 16, 2023 by Chad Gillis A red tide bloom along the Southwest Florida coast appears to be spreading in size, according to state records, but some experts say toxic conditions may soon wane. The most recent reports from...
Originally published by WINK News on February 13, 2023 Red tide is a complex water issue, and scientists who study it are surveying the conditions that can trigger blooms—sunlight, water temperature, salinity, wind direction, and speed—to figure out how to mitigate...
Originally published by The News-Press on February 3, 2023 by Chad Gillis Some tributaries flowing into the Caloosahatchee River and Estero Bay are polluted with fecal coliform bacteria, with counts going well above criteria used to determine whether or not a beach is...
Originally published by The News-Press on February 1, 2023 by Amy Bennett Williams The biggest environmental restoration project in the history of the planet just got a report card. All in all, things are on track. No failing grades, but no raves either. There are...
Red Tide Lurking in Southwest Florida Originally published by FOX4 News on January 27, 2023 The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was detected in 69 samples collected from and offshore of Southwest Florida over the past week. Bloom concentrations (>100,000...
Originally published by NBC-2 News on January 27, 2023 Southwest Florida water experts are warning beachgoers, boaters, and the like – go in at your own risk. Calusa Waterkeeper and the Department of Health samplings show how even at beaches like Lynn Hall Beach Park,...
Originally published by Florida Weekly on January 11, 2023 Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani steps back from a role in which he has gathered a team of 100 to monitor the Caloosahatchee River. After more than six years Cassani has finished a marathon of sorts – at...
Originally published by WINK News on January 10, 2023 Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani, a man who has dedicated himself to the preservation of Southwest Florida’s waterways, plans to retire soon. Cassani has been the face of the region’s water for years. Whether you’re...
Originally published by ABC-7 News on January 5, 2023 Hundreds of dead fish have been spotted in Cape Coral canals and residents are not sure why this has been happening. Cape Coral resident Francesca Nappi and her neighbors have noticed a strange smell for the past...
Originally published by The News-Press on December 23, 2022 by Chad Gillis Hurricane Ian and a red tide bloom combined to create dangerous conditions in coastal waters in Lee and Collier counties this year, and some water quality experts say they still would avoid...
Originally published by Florida Weekly on December 15, 2022 The Public Forum on Water Quality & Environment Issues, previously scheduled for October 2022, has a new date. The Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) is holding a town-hall style Public Forum on...
Originally published by The News-Press on December 12, 2022 by Chad Gillis There was a time when the federal agency that manages Lake Okeechobee levels was concerned that a major hurricane or even a large tropical storm could cause lake waters to rise to the point...
Red Tide Continues to Make its way through Southwest Florida Waterways Originally published by FOX4 News on November 17, 2022 Red tide continues to make its way across southwest Florida waterways. Some areas are not feeling the full effect, though many beaches are...
Originally published by WINK News on November 21, 2022 Red tide is appearing up and down the Southwest Florida coastline, but is it an issue you should be concerned with? These are pictures of where the cleaner water ends and the red tide begins. The Calusa...
