Laura O'Brien Church passed away Saturday, June 27. Laura was a CRCA founder & its lead educational projects organizer in the group's early years. Laura was an inspired teacher who cared deeply about her students and the environment. [Memories] [Services] [News Press]
The June 2009 CRCA newsletter is available online. The archives provides an index to many of the newsletters dating back to 1995. Sign up to receive the newsletter by email. [June PDF Newsletter][June HTM Newsletter][Archive]
Governor Crist may have the final say whether an inland port transportation & shipping hub is placed in the muck regions of the EAA or in a more ecologically benign location. Politics rather than ecological/economic considerations might be first. [Palm Beach Post]
The proposed Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Coral Creek watershed (including Sanibel & the North part of the Cape Coral Spreader Canal System) will be discussed at a meeting July 6 at 2pm, 2201 Placida Rd., Englewood. [TMDL Report for Coral Creek]
The Federal District Court has lifted the injunction against a bridge on Tamiami Trail. If the bridge is done, the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie esturies will benefit by having the excess Okeechobee waters going south into ENP. [SCCF News] [Court Decision][Coalition]
On July 24, Colonel Alfred A. Pantano, Jr. will assume command of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His prior service includes Executive Officer of the 1st Armored Engineer Brigade in Baghdad. [Pantano Bio]
The Environmental Working Group's National Tap Water Database compiles EPA data about water utilities through 2003. The AWG data is useful for historical, but not current issues. DEP also posts utility data to the web. [DEP Data][Tap Water Database]
John Folks of the Florida Office of Ag. Water Policy describes the constraints faced by farmers in meeting environmental regulations. He outlines criteria that must be met for a solution to be viable for farmers. [Lessons Learned Paper]
On June 29, SFWMD Governing Board Members & senior staff members, including Deputy Exec. Director Ken Ammon, will be discussing LOSA Water Availability, Rule/Consumptive Use Permit Renewals, Caloosahatchee Basin, Reservation Rule Status, and more. [Details]
More than 100 conservation leaders from all over the country were in New Orleans to launch the Restore America s Great Waters campaign. Their purpose is to get congressional authorization for individual projects and funding. [TheTimes-Picayune]
The practice of spreading wastewater plant residuals on farms is controversial. It can provide crop fertility with less potential for nutrient runoff. But there is also the issue of heavy metals that vary based on the wastewater source. [Fact Sheet] [Biosolids Rules] [Sentinel][DEP]
The U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee passed an amended version of the Clean Water Restoration Act. They also passed the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 and the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know-Act. [CleanWaterNetwork]
Triclosan - a bacteria killing agent used in personal care products - is accumulating in rivers, estuaries, harbors and a lagoon from South Carolina and Florida. 31-23% of aquatic animals are contaminated with it. [EnvironmentalHealthNews][Journal]
The 5th EPA webcast in the green infrastructure series, that include Funding and Incentives, and Brownfiedls Redevelopment will be about how to deal with stormwater without it coming into contact with contaminated or compacted soils. [EPA Flyer][Registration]
Divers have been collecting algae 14.8 miles southwest of Redfish Pass as part of a study to answer questions about massive algal blooms that pile up on the beaches of Lee County. The study is also looking at sea urchins in the control of algae. [News-Press]
Congress will soo vote on groundbreaking legislation that would decrease greenhouse gas pollution and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. Global warming has the potential to deveastate our shorelines & estuaries. [Petition][RiverAlert]
The East County Water Control District revenues are lower than in previous years. The District protects water reserves through drainage, conservation, mitigation, and other methods in Lehigh Acres and the western portion of Hendry County. [News-Press]
The SFWMD, Army Corps of Engineers, and representatives of the landowner agreed on the restoration of the lake and swamp. A total of 19.08 acres will be placed in a permanent conservation easement and made available for passive recreational use. [Eagle Quest Opinion]
The CVA will provide money to 28 states to help keep their waterways clean. The funds will help with the construction and installation of sewage pumpout facilities and floating restrooms, to purchase pumpout boats, and provide educational programs. [Joshua Winchell]
Even though the most expensive land conservation plan of Floridas history will be taking place during 2010 fiscal year (1.4 billion budget), SFWMD expects property prices not to drop more than 12%, therefore it won't need to raise its taxes. [Palm Beach Post]
The ceremony for the 578-acre preserve was held on June 10. This State and Federally-funded project will improve water quality, aquifer recharge, and flood protection in the Orange River & Caloosahatchee watersheds. [News-Press]
While most attention focuses on nutrient pollution, pharmaceuticals also pollute our waters. These chemicals can interfere with biology via the endocrine systems of fish and humans alike. More control on pharmaceutical disposal is crucial. [Palm Beach Post]
Lee County developers are planning on a new 79-acre housing Estate project on the Caloosahatchee. 58 houses would be built, with well and septic systems, and even a new bridge and roads off of River Road 78 for private access. [Letter from Deb Arnason]
The Environmental Voice of Southwest Florida has launched www.Eco-Voice.org. It is a great tool to stay informed on local, regional, and national environmental issues and events. The site complements the successful email list. [New Eco-Voice Web Site][Link to EVSWF List]
Join CRCA-Riverwatch this 4th of July to celebrate Independence Day and our beautiful rivers! Picnic is at Fisheating Creek (7555 US Highway 27 North,FL 33944) at 11:00am for all CRCA members & their guests. [More Info][Fisheating Creek Resort]
Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation sent a letter to Governor Crist urging the veto of SB 2080. If you would like to contact the Governor, his e-mail is Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com; tel:850-488-7146; fax; 850-487-0801. [SCCF letter]
Lee County Commissioners are contemplating connecting Waterway Estates to the N Ft Myers Utilities or Cape Coral system to stop wastewater discharges into the Caloosahatchee River. The solution won't be cheap. [News-Press]
On Tuesday, June 16 the 24ft Endeavour Electric Hybrid will set off for a seven-day cruise. The 250-mile journey will use less than $2 per day of electricity. Proceeds from Endeavour Greens voyage will be donated to What About Blue. [Endeavour Green][What About Blue]
Higher than normal amounts of white manatee grass has been accumulating in the shores of Sanibel and Captiva beaches. Although the grass itself might not represent any serious problem to the water, some people wonder about the cause. [NaplesNews] [SCCF][Manatee Grass Info]
Governor Crist seems to be dumping his green credentials in favor or catering to potential big donors for his upcoming Senate campaign. He approved legislation that will promote sprawl development throughout the state. [NewsJournalOnline]
Attention all environmental concerned citizens and children on summer vacation! June is National Rivers Month! Here is a great opportunity to spend time in the outdoors, and give back to our environment. [Announcement][American Rivers]
Dr. Annette Snapp, FGCU Professor & Colloquium Coordinator, was elected as the new CRCA President at the June 3 board meeting in North Fort Myers. Congrats to Annette and a sincere thank you to our past-presidents, Marti Daltry & Mary Ruth Prouty. [New Board]
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled a 2006 Miami District Court decision requiring SFWMD to get special NPDES permits before backpumping farmland polluted waters into Lake Okeechobee. [Miami Herald] [WTPV] [The Ledger]
The 2007 destruction of Willow Lake was the biggest environmental atrocity of Pine Island history. Unfortunately, restoration enforcement by Lee County and SFWMD officials has not been very effective...or taken seriously. [SFWMD Update] [News Press]
Road traffic and water supply were the two primary hurdles developers faced in proposing new subdivisions. With Crist removing the road criteria only water supply can limit unchecked sprawl. [Palm Beach Editorial]
Some power boaters think that they are battling kayakers for area waterways. The fact is boating regulations are designed to protect wildlife (fish, manatees, etc.) and plant life that these wildlife require to live. It is not about kayakers. [Power Boater Letter]
Despite a pledge to toughen anti-pollution enforcement, the DEP under Governor Crist has not properly enforced regulations or collected fines, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
[PEER Press Release]
If confirmed, Sonia Sotomayor would replace Justice Souter on the US Supreme Court. Souter joined Ginsburg and Breyer in supporting a ruling by Sotomayor in the 2007 Riverkeeper v. EPA case. Six justices voted to overturn the ruling. [About.com] [Overruling decision]
Salinity levels are dropping in the upstream portions the Caloosahatchee Estuary. Heavy rains are helping beneficial freshwater species, such as tape grass, to increase in numbers and temporarily reduce the potential for oxygen depletion. [News-Press]
The Supreme Court nominee knowledge and service as a federal trial and appellate court judge, provide invaluable perspectives for deciding environmental protection and related issues, as reflected in her 80-page Riverkeeper v. EPA opinion. [Sotomayor Opinion] [Georgetown Blog] [Earthjustice]
The City of Cape Coral would have to build large reservoirs or filter marshes to protect the northwest waterways from canal discharges. Environmentalists had met with city, county and state officials to replace the Ceitus Boat Lift and dam. [News-Press]
The Lake Okeechobee Protection
Program is considering an alternative plan to restore Lake Hicpochee water storage wetland capacity. The H1B project has three modifications. H1B-Mod3 seems to be the most promising and cost effective. [Evaluation of Alternatives]
Steve Rawl who learned to crew on the Caloosahatchee at Alva recently traveled with the Yale University Crew team for a regatta preceding the Dragon Boat Racing Festival in Chengdu, China. [Yale Bulldogs] [News-Press]
Switching Lehigh Acres residents from septic tanks to central sewers may be good for water quality in the Caloosahatchee watershed, but it's hard on the wallets of Lehigh residents. [News Press]
With the onset of this year's rainy season obervers watch to see if we will revisit what is becoming another annual tradition - algae bloom season. Algae thrive when the weather warms & rains wash nutrients into the river. [Photo 1] [Photo 2]
Rick Tulley & Cindy Bear have announced that the Lee County K-12 Environmmental Ed program has lost its funding. The program is well known for accomplishments such as the Monday Group, its classroom programs, & field trips. [Tulley & Bear] [History] [News Press]
A first draft of the report has been released on the removal of the Ceitus Boat Lift on the Cape Coral Spreader Canal system. Janicki Environmental produced the study. The report will be discussed at the next NSEMA Stakeholders meeting. [Draft Report]
The Caloosahatchee River Citizens Assoc. elected its 2009-2010 board of directors at its May 2 annual meeting. Officers will be elected at the first board meeting on June 3 in Ft. Myers. Mary Ruth Prouty has served as co-president with Marti Daltry. [Photo Gallery]
Member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Joe Frank, received a recognition award from Riverwatch at the CRCA annual meeting in appreciation of his service to the organization. CRCA thanks Joe & the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. [Award][Photo Gallery]
After the conclusion of business and food at the annual meeting of the Caloosahatchee River Citizens Association, Cowboy Poet Hank Mattson entertained the group with his stories and artifacts of Florida history. [Photo Gallery]
Despite the drought now broken, Corps of Engineers and SFWMD managers continued the Lake Okeechobee water flows to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. In past years the estuary was denied these essential salinity-balancing waters. The new policy is welcome. [Flow Calculations] [Graph]
Governor Crist needs to veto a bill passed by the Florida Legislature that would put the power to approve wetlands destruction in the hands of WMD executive directors. JD Alexander added the amendment to create this authority. [St. Pete Times]
The SFWMD board seat made vacant by the resignation of Bubba Wade has new nominees, including Lee County Smart Growth Director Wayne Daltry. Other new names are Roger Hatton, Bruce Hendry, Joanne Semmer, Greg Stuart, & Robert Wilson. [List]
For information on Caloosahatchee River drawbridges policies, contact the LaBelle (SR 29) bridge tender at 863-674-4664 or the Ft. Denaud (SR 78A) bridge tender at 863-675-2055. Lock operations information is available from the Corps of Engineers. [Moore Haven Lock] [Ortona Lock] [Franklin Lock]
SFWMD Governing Board approved a new strategy to acquire lands from the U.S. Sugar Corporation with unprecedented restoration opportuni- ty for the Everglades. About 73,000 acres of lands would be initially purchased, in the south of Lake O. [Mail SFWMD.gov]
Senators Nelson and Martinez have not yet signed on as co-sponsors to the Clean Water Restoration Act. We need their support on this very important federal legislation that affects Florida. The Riverwatch board has officially endorsed the CWRA. [Mail Clean Water Act]
Laura O'Brien Church passed away Saturday, June 27. Laura was a CRCA founder & its lead educational projects organizer in the group's early years. Laura was an inspired teacher who cared deeply about her students and the environment. 
The June 2009 CRCA newsletter is available online. The archives provides an index to many of the newsletters dating back to 1995. Sign up to receive the newsletter by email. 
On July 24, Colonel Alfred A. Pantano, Jr. will assume command of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His prior service includes Executive Officer of the 1st Armored Engineer Brigade in Baghdad. 
The Environmental Working Group's National Tap Water Database compiles EPA data about water utilities through 2003. The AWG data is useful for historical, but not current issues. DEP also posts utility data to the web. 
On June 29, SFWMD Governing Board Members & senior staff members, including Deputy Exec. Director Ken Ammon, will be discussing LOSA Water Availability, Rule/Consumptive Use Permit Renewals, Caloosahatchee Basin, Reservation Rule Status, and more. 
More than 100 conservation leaders from all over the country were in New Orleans to launch the Restore America s Great Waters campaign. Their purpose is to get congressional authorization for individual projects and funding. 
The U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee passed an amended version of the Clean Water Restoration Act. They also passed the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 and the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know-Act. 
Triclosan - a bacteria killing agent used in personal care products - is accumulating in rivers, estuaries, harbors and a lagoon from South Carolina and Florida. 31-23% of aquatic animals are contaminated with it. 
The 5th EPA webcast in the green infrastructure series, that include Funding and Incentives, and Brownfiedls Redevelopment will be about how to deal with stormwater without it coming into contact with contaminated or compacted soils. 
Divers have been collecting algae 14.8 miles southwest of Redfish Pass as part of a study to answer questions about massive algal blooms that pile up on the beaches of Lee County. The study is also looking at sea urchins in the control of algae. 
Congress will soo vote on groundbreaking legislation that would decrease greenhouse gas pollution and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. Global warming has the potential to deveastate our shorelines & estuaries. 
The East County Water Control District revenues are lower than in previous years. The District protects water reserves through drainage, conservation, mitigation, and other methods in Lehigh Acres and the western portion of Hendry County. 
The SFWMD, Army Corps of Engineers, and representatives of the landowner agreed on the restoration of the lake and swamp. A total of 19.08 acres will be placed in a permanent conservation easement and made available for passive recreational use. 
Even though the most expensive land conservation plan of Floridas history will be taking place during 2010 fiscal year (1.4 billion budget), SFWMD expects property prices not to drop more than 12%, therefore it won't need to raise its taxes. 
While most attention focuses on nutrient pollution, pharmaceuticals also pollute our waters. These chemicals can interfere with biology via the endocrine systems of fish and humans alike. More control on pharmaceutical disposal is crucial. 
The Environmental Voice of Southwest Florida has launched www.Eco-Voice.org. It is a great tool to stay informed on local, regional, and national environmental issues and events. The site complements the successful email list. 
Join CRCA-Riverwatch this 4th of July to celebrate Independence Day and our beautiful rivers! Picnic is at Fisheating Creek (7555 US Highway 27 North,FL 33944) at 11:00am for all CRCA members & their guests. 
Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation sent a letter to Governor Crist urging the veto of SB 2080. If you would like to contact the Governor, his e-mail is Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com; tel:850-488-7146; fax; 850-487-0801. 
Lee County Commissioners are contemplating connecting Waterway Estates to the N Ft Myers Utilities or Cape Coral system to stop wastewater discharges into the Caloosahatchee River. The solution won't be cheap. 
On Tuesday, June 16 the 24ft Endeavour Electric Hybrid will set off for a seven-day cruise. The 250-mile journey will use less than $2 per day of electricity. Proceeds from Endeavour Greens voyage will be donated to What About Blue. 
Governor Crist seems to be dumping his green credentials in favor or catering to potential big donors for his upcoming Senate campaign. He approved legislation that will promote sprawl development throughout the state. 
The 2007 destruction of Willow Lake was the biggest environmental atrocity of Pine Island history. Unfortunately, restoration enforcement by Lee County and SFWMD officials has not been very effective...or taken seriously. 
Road traffic and water supply were the two primary hurdles developers faced in proposing new subdivisions. With Crist removing the road criteria only water supply can limit unchecked sprawl. 
Despite a pledge to toughen anti-pollution enforcement, the DEP under Governor Crist has not properly enforced regulations or collected fines, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The Supreme Court nominee knowledge and service as a federal trial and appellate court judge, provide invaluable perspectives for deciding environmental protection and related issues, as reflected in her 80-page Riverkeeper v. EPA opinion. 
Steve Rawl who learned to crew on the Caloosahatchee at Alva recently traveled with the Yale University Crew team for a regatta preceding the Dragon Boat Racing Festival in Chengdu, China. 
Switching Lehigh Acres residents from septic tanks to central sewers may be good for water quality in the Caloosahatchee watershed, but it's hard on the wallets of Lehigh residents. 
With the onset of this year's rainy season obervers watch to see if we will revisit what is becoming another annual tradition - algae bloom season. Algae thrive when the weather warms & rains wash nutrients into the river. 
Rick Tulley & Cindy Bear have announced that the Lee County K-12 Environmmental Ed program has lost its funding. The program is well known for accomplishments such as the Monday Group, its classroom programs, & field trips. 
A first draft of the report has been released on the removal of the Ceitus Boat Lift on the Cape Coral Spreader Canal system. Janicki Environmental produced the study. The report will be discussed at the next NSEMA Stakeholders meeting. 
The Caloosahatchee River Citizens Assoc. elected its 2009-2010 board of directors at its May 2 annual meeting. Officers will be elected at the first board meeting on June 3 in Ft. Myers. Mary Ruth Prouty has served as co-president with Marti Daltry. 
Despite the drought now broken, Corps of Engineers and SFWMD managers continued the Lake Okeechobee water flows to the Caloosahatchee Estuary. In past years the estuary was denied these essential salinity-balancing waters. The new policy is welcome. 
Senators Nelson and Martinez have not yet signed on as co-sponsors to the Clean Water Restoration Act. We need their support on this very important federal legislation that affects Florida. The Riverwatch board has officially endorsed the CWRA.