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Calusa Waterkeeper sounds the alarm for harmful bacteria in Manuel’s Branch

Calusa Waterkeeper sounds the alarm for harmful bacteria in Manuel’s Branch

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 23, 2025 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published on Fox 4 by Andrew Shipley on April 23, 2025 Have you ever wondered what is in our waterways? And I am not talking about plants or animals, but instead bacteria. Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley joined Calusa Waterkeeper who has been testing our...
Dangerous levels of fecal bacteria found in Lee County waterways

Dangerous levels of fecal bacteria found in Lee County waterways

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Nov 23, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published on Fox 4 by Anvar Ruziev on November 23, 2024 A recent report from the Calusa Waterkeeper highlights alarming levels of fecal bacteria in many Lee County waterways. Among the locations tested, Manuel Branch, a canal that runs near Cleveland Avenue...
Red tide showing up offshore, fecal indicator bacteria counts high after hurricanes

Red tide showing up offshore, fecal indicator bacteria counts high after hurricanes

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 31, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published in the News-Press by Chad Gillis on October 31, 2024 It’s a water quality double whammy. Southwest Florida waters are stained and potentially toxic as a red tide bloom rages offshore while freshwater bacteria levels are well above what the...
Fecal bacteria could still be high in creeks, rivers after Helene.

Fecal bacteria could still be high in creeks, rivers after Helene.

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 7, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published in the News-Press by Chad Gillis on October 7, 2024 Chuck Avery grabbed a small glass jar and lid, attached it to the end of a pole and walked down the boat ramp at Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero. He scoops up water, three times, and dumps...
Calusa Waterkeeper to highlight ongoing severe fecal bacteria presence at Manuel’s Branch creek

Calusa Waterkeeper to highlight ongoing severe fecal bacteria presence at Manuel’s Branch creek

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 11, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press, Water Testing

Originally published on WGCU by Tom Bayles on September 11, 2024 “We test water bodies throughout our jurisdiction and that has been one area that routinely comes back extremely high,” said Connie Ramos-Williams, the director of Calusa Waterkeeper. “When we see things...
Calusa Waterkeeper To Host Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Water Quality & Human Health Event

Calusa Waterkeeper To Host Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Water Quality & Human Health Event

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Sep 10, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Events, Featured, Policy, Water Testing

In an effort to keep children and families informed of troubled waters in Manuel’s Branch and other local waterbodies, Calusa Waterkeeper is hosting a Water Quality & Human Health Public Meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The event will...
Putting Our Local Water Quality Into Perspective

Putting Our Local Water Quality Into Perspective

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 23, 2024 | Featured, Harmful Algal Blooms, Matlacha Pass Water Quality, Stormwater, Water Testing

Recently, I was asked to speak on The Chamber of Southwest Florida’s water quality panel. The host, Peter Busch of NBC-2, asked each panelist to rate the current state of our water quality on a scale of 1-10. The responses from those directly responsible for...
Fecal bacteria continues to be found in extremely high levels in Lee County waters

Fecal bacteria continues to be found in extremely high levels in Lee County waters

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 22, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published on Fox4 by Andrew Shipley on August 22, 2024 Water is so important to us in Southwest Florida. Water not only feeds our economy, but it also gives us recreation. But what is in our water? Every month the Calusa Waterkeeper tests our water for...
What’s the state of our water? Answers come from stakeholders at chamber event

What’s the state of our water? Answers come from stakeholders at chamber event

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 22, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on August 22, 2024 Once a taken-for-granted bankable asset, Southwest Florida’s degraded water quality is now a critical, contentious topic.. Water issues here have people scrambling for...
What’s that Smell? Hundreds of dead fish on Matlacha after Debby

What’s that Smell? Hundreds of dead fish on Matlacha after Debby

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Aug 13, 2024 | Harmful Algal Blooms, Press, Water Testing

Originally published on Fox4 by Domingo Murray on August 13, 2024 “We’ve had dead fish at the shoreline, many times, not a whole lot… about a dozen times in 30 years,” he said. Tuesday morning Talbott called FOX4 about the issue, so we reached...
Cypress Bend community appears to be leaking sewage to Estero River

Cypress Bend community appears to be leaking sewage to Estero River

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 26, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Press, Water Testing

‘Levels this high usually indicate sewage.’ Estero neighborhood grabbles with water problem Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Chad Gillis on July 25, 2024 The Estero River is a designated Outstanding Florida Waterway with the highest...
Fort Myers asks state to extend deadline for water pollution fixes

Fort Myers asks state to extend deadline for water pollution fixes

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 21, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Ordered by Florida to clean up its act, Fort Myers works to fix its water pollution problem Originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on July 21, 2024 With swelling demand straining its antique wastewater infrastructure, it’s no wonder...
Calusa Waterkeeper To Host Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Water Quality & Human Health Event

Manuel’s Branch plagued by alarming contamination levels

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 8, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Press, Water Testing

Creek runs along Fort Myers landmarks where children, families gather and play Op-Ed originally published in the Fort Myers News-Press by Codty Pierce on July 7, 2024 As the Calusa Waterkeeper, it is my duty and that of our organization to protect and restore our...
Floridians face continuing risk of swimming in contaminated waters due to veto

Floridians face continuing risk of swimming in contaminated waters due to veto

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 3, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Featured, Policy, Water Testing

Originally published in the Invading Sea by John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper Emeritus on July 1, 2024 Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the Safe Waterways Act, which was passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature Florida public health policy took a blow recently when Gov....
Action Alert: Ask Governor to Approve the Safe Waterways Act

Action Alert: Ask Governor to Approve the Safe Waterways Act

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 26, 2024 | Bacteria Monitoring, Policy, Water Testing

The Safe Waterways Act Needs Your 9th Inning Support! After years of advocating for improvements to public health notifications in the state of Florida, HB 165 finally passed the FL House and Senate earlier this year. But now Calusa Waterkeeper has learned this...
Green Algae replacing what once lush sea grass meadows in Matlacha Pass

Green Algae replacing what once lush sea grass meadows in Matlacha Pass

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...
It’s easy to find fecal pollution in SWFL waters; what’s hard is finding how to stop it

It’s easy to find fecal pollution in SWFL waters; what’s hard is finding how to stop it

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...
Floridians Have the Right to Know if our Waters are Safe

Floridians Have the Right to Know if our Waters are Safe

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Mar 10, 2021 | Featured, Water Testing

An Op-Ed written by John Cassani and originally published in The News-Press on March 10, 2021 For generations, Floridians have worshiped Florida’s iconic waters. They are likely the reason many people came to Florida, to swim, fish, paddle, ski, dive and enjoy all...
Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, January 2021

Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, January 2021

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 27, 2021 | Water Testing

Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, January 2021 Calusa Waterkeeper sampling results for enterococci bacteria on 1-23-21. Levels above 70 MPN represent a threshold for poor conditions that could cause FDOH to close a coastal beach. Unfortunately, FDOH...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 21

Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 21

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 16, 2020 | Bacteria Monitoring, Water Testing

Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 21 This week, Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani, informs us of Lake Okeechobee and the ongoing releases from the Army Corps of Engineers into the Caloosahatchee. There has also been a recent spike in red tide along the Gulf of...
Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 10

Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 10

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Apr 8, 2020 | Featured, Science, Water Testing

Words from the Waterkeeper, Episode 10 Words From the Waterkeeper is back! John reports on algal bloom activity in the area, SFWMD governing board meeting, reduced minimum flow threshold for the Caloosahatchee estuary, local sewage spills, and recent federal...
Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, January 2020

Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, January 2020

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jan 22, 2020 | Bacteria Monitoring, Water Testing

Poor results at every station on Billy’s Creek this month. Extremely high contamination at the Ortiz and Ortiz Circle stations as is almost always the case. Thanks to retired engineers and CWK Rangers Chris and Ed Shinouskis for their help in collecting and...
Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, December 2019

Billy’s Creek Enterococci Sampling Results, December 2019

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 19, 2019 | Bacteria Monitoring, Water Testing

Calusa Waterkeeper sampling results for enterococci bacteria at Billy’s Creek in Ft. Myers on 12-15-19. Serious contamination persists. The dredging this year did not mitigate the bacterial contamination.    
NOAA and Local Scientists Tracking New Different Algae Bloom in Caloosahatchee River

NOAA and Local Scientists Tracking New Different Algae Bloom in Caloosahatchee River

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Dec 6, 2019 | Press, Water Testing

Originally published in The News-Press by Chad Gillis on December 6, 2019 A different variety of algae is blooming in parts of the Caloosahatchee River, but unlike other blooms the region has experienced in the past two years, this algae is not toxic to humans....
High Levels of Fecal Bacteria on Pine Island Beach

High Levels of Fecal Bacteria on Pine Island Beach

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Oct 5, 2019 | Press, Uncategorized, Water Testing

Originally published by FOX4 News on October 4, 2019 A new report was released about a popular beach spot on Pine Island contains high levels of fecal bacteria. The levels are so high, it’s almost nine times the health department’s threshold for closing a...
High Levels of Bacteria Found in Estero River

High Levels of Bacteria Found in Estero River

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jul 9, 2019 | Featured, Press, Water Testing

Originally published by FOX4 News on July 08, 2019 Holley Rauen, a retired nurse and now volunteer at the Happehatchee Center in Estero warns a man about the contaminated water as he passes by on his kayak. She said she’s been on edge ever since a kids’ summer camp...
Enterococci Values Remain Low, Likely due to Minimal Stormwater Runoff

Enterococci Values Remain Low, Likely due to Minimal Stormwater Runoff

by Calusa Waterkeeper | Jun 25, 2019 | Water Testing

With the exception of Powell Creek in North Fort Myers, it’s good to see fecal indicator bacteria remain at such low levels from our most recent testing of area waterways. The dominating high-pressure system that has brought us hot temperatures and dry...
A Dry Spell in SWFL Leads to Lower Enterococci Bacteria Levels around Lee County

A Dry Spell in SWFL Leads to Lower Enterococci Bacteria Levels around Lee County

by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 28, 2019 | Bacteria Monitoring, Water Testing

With the exception of Billy’s Creek, it’s good to see fecal indicator bacteria decline to low levels. A couple of weeks with minimal stormwater runoff and potentially lower groundwater levels are likely responsible for declining bacteria. Some residents...
W.P. Franklin Lock Beach on the Caloosahatchee River Quietly Closed – This Time, for Good

W.P. Franklin Lock Beach on the Caloosahatchee River Quietly Closed – This Time, for Good

by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 21, 2019 | Press, Water Testing

Originally published in The News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on May 21, 2019 With no fanfare, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers quietly closed a well-loved Caloosahatchee beach. This week, staff will start sodding over the sand that slopes to the river at the W.P....
Study Shows Bad Septic Tanks Polluting Water

Study Shows Bad Septic Tanks Polluting Water

by Calusa Waterkeeper | May 2, 2019 | Press, Water Testing

Originally published by FOX4 News on May 2, 2019 Bacteria are dirtying Southwest Florida waterways, a new study shows. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University presented results of the study to Lee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to show the sources of...
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