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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
‘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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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.
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
Originally published by WINK News on March 29, 2019 Bacteria is contaminating water all along our coast. There is a new water crisis in Southwest Florida. It is not algae or red tide, but bacteria and fecal matter where we kayak and fish. John Cassani, Calusa...
