Babcock Ranch Preserve Management Plan dated July 17, 2008 that was presented at the BOT Cabinet Aides meeting on July 23rd. This plan and its exhibits will be posted at: www.babcockcmp.org. Schedule is available on the upcoming BOT meetings. [BRP Schedule] [News Press]

In a ruling Tuesday from Miami, U.S. District Judge Alan Gold ordered the EPA to review water pollution set for the Everglades. He says the EPA must determine whether they meet federal requirements. [PalmBeachPost] [Wctv.tv] [PEER]

Our river again takes on the appearance of a color pallet as an algae bloom paints its waters. The occurrence of algae is now settling into a pattern of multiple blooms each and every year. [Photos] [Fort Mayers Salinity]

There is only one month left to enter the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festivals first-ever photo contest, Shooting the Blueway. The contest is completely free and open to amateur photographers of any age, photos taken from a canoe along the GCBP Trial. [Photo Press Release] [Web Site]

Lake Okechobee recovery from its long-running water crisis has received an assist, with a third more rain than the historical average for the first three weeks of July. Through Wed, Jul 23, average rainfall across the SFWMD was 6.62 inches. [PalmBeachPost.com]

Negotiation deals U.S. Sugar and Everglades Restoration, but experts say growing cane sugar in Florida would never have been possible if the state government had not drained the Everglades in the first place. [Impactnews] [PalmBeachPost] [Excerpt] [Web Site]

Riverwatch has endorsed a letter developed by the Natural Resources Committee and Board of the Southwest Florida Watershed Council dealing with the issue of the MFL Rule for the Caloosahatchee and associated Reservation. [Letter]

Details of the 187,000-acre purchase of EAA lands remains under wraps. The State and U.S. Sugar Co. must reach an agreement before the 75-day negotiating period ends in September, according to Randy Smith of SFWMD. [TCPalm]

The ground-breaking ceremony for the new Billy Creek Filter Marsh will be in September. The facility, funded by SFWMD & Lee County, designed by ECT, and built by Lodge Construction will clean stormwater runoff flowing to the creek. [BC Filter M Park]

The excess nutrient content of water, both nitrogen and phosphorus, has long been known to trigger algae blooms. Other factors such as temperature and PH can also affect algae blooms. [Pubs acs] [Canada.com]

As agricultural land use intensifies, BMPs seek to minimize the resulting rise in nutrient runoff & habitat degradation. As billions are allocated to land purchases, state & federal agencies are investing only tiny fractions of this in BMP research. [The Ripple Effect]

Hendry Co Darrell Harris asks how the state can afford to buy U.S. Sugar when people in Hendry can not afford to drive down the road to get something to eat. He points out how teachers and state workers are getting laid off. [New Times Broward-Palm Beach]

Red drift algae, known as rhodophytes, have littered portions of shoreline between Fort Myers Beach and the north end of Bonita Beach. Red drift algae should not be confused with red tide; they are harmless to humans than red tide. [News Press]

Five environmentalist organizations have filed legal action against the federal government, demanding new measurable standards for pollution-fueled algae blooms in waterways. This legal action could have national implications. [Tallahassee]

SFWMD officials warned a federal judge Thursday, a lingering lawsuit threatens to cut off funding needed for restoration projects. They say the lawsuit could hurt the borrowing power of the SFWMD. [Sun Sentinel] [PalmBeachPost]

Gov. Crists plan to buy U.S. Sugar for $1.75 billion has been described by Fla newspapers as bold, ambitious, and grand. It will conceivably rid the Everglades of the lions share of its pollution. [Miami New Times] [PalmBeachPost] [News Yahoo]

Phil Buchanan of Pine Island has been leading the regional coalition of environmental groups challenging Cape Coral dismantling the coastal spreader canal water quality treatment system. Riverwatch expresses its confidence in the efforts of Phil. [Letter]

A court hearing has been scheduled for May 7 at 9:30am in Lakeland on Ft. Myers' appeal of the court ruling to halt The Vue, a 27-story tower partly on illegally transferred Centennial Park. Riverwatch & others filed the challenge to the project. [Notice]

"What freshwater flow regime will protect and enhance submerged grass beds, and other biotic resources?". Peter Doering and Robert Chamberlain of SFWMD presented their conclusion on the minimum and maximum flows to the estuary. [Details]

The Florida Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida sent a letter to the EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson notifying the EPA of their intent to sue the agency in 60 days for failing to uphold the Clean Water Act. [Naples News]

Most Floridians are blind to the pollution happening next door. That is changing as the DEP begins a project to transfer its files online for public access. Environmentalists say that accessible records will improve the watchdog role of the public. [News-Press]

The Florida DEP is in the process of making changes to the Florida statewide stormwater treatment rule, an effort that is long over-due. EPA has written a comment letter to DEP in which they outline a number of concerns. [Details] [EPA Comments]

Dr. John Geake and Ellen Hawk Geake have renewed their Riverwatch membership at the Corporate ($250) level under the name Riverside Glades Medical Center. Riverside is the only medical office in Glades County. [Riverside]

Special thanks to Courtney Moberly, Phil Pelletier, Mayor Paul Pulleti, Margaret England and many others for organizing the first ever Earth Week in LaBelle. Over 800 students participated in educational activities Apr 22-25 at Hendry House. [Photos] [Album]

Pam Rowe & Tom Schueler of the Center for Watershed Protection presented the Smart Watershed Benchmarking Tool, a self assessment tool to help local communities meet their water resource goals.
[Details] [User Manual]

Floridians have demonstrated their willingness to reduce water use during times of adversity. But should it all go down the drain when the water shortage is over? Hardly. It is time to adopt permanent changes in water use habits. [PalmBeachPost.com]

Fertilizer Preemption bill – HB1267 and SB2352 died in committee on April 22. These bills would have kept local governments from passing local ordinances more stringent than a state model. [Details] [Consumer Fertilizer Preemption]

Riverwatch members are invited join the new regional email list called EVSWF. The list is open to all those interested in environmental issues of SW FL and is moderated by Paul Holmes of Peace River Audubon.
[Link to List] [Moderator]

Around South Florida vast sugar cane fields, earth-moving equipment are laying the foundation for a mammoth reservoir bigger than Manhattan designed to revive the ecosystem of the River of Grass. [Associated Press]

Debate continues over development in the Babcock Ranch area of Charlotte & Lee Counties. Wayne Daltry, director of Smart Growth in Lee County raised issues of transportation, wildlife, and costs of development to Lee County taxpayers. [Florida Weekly]

Water polluters in NE FL will be able to buy and sell water-quality credits to compensate for some kinds of environmental damage. A credit system was approved last week by the Florida Legislature - but only for the lower St. Johns River. [Times-Union]

Thirty residents of Cape Coral, including Lee Commissioner Bob Janes attended the meeting of Cape Water Action. Bill Hammond delivered featured presentation at this gathering funded by a grant from Charlotte Harbon NEP. [Photo] [Letter]

Rep. Tim Mahoney voted to pass the Farm Bill while Rep. Connie Mack did not vote. One provision creates a new Ag Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) addressing water quality & quantity. [Press Release] [TC Palm] [Florida Impacts] [House Vote]

After a long year of citizen and organizational efforts, the Lee County Commission adopted a strong fertilizer ordinance to address local water quality issues. CRCA thanks Com. Bob Janes and others for the historic accomplishment. [News Press]

EPA released a new database/Web site for water quality assessment and total maximum daily loads information. The site, known as ATTAINS, reports the status of TMDL actions to restore impaired waters. [Details] [Web Site]

SZS Consultant's, Inc. is a worldwide expert on the use of pilings to support structures in soils with poor bearing strength. They are recommending to the Corps of Engineers an alternative design for the reconstruction of the New Orleans levees. [Letter] [Stong Levees]

Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit asserting the SFWMD and the Army Corps did not provide documents that guarantee the project will use treated water primarily to help the Everglades. Construction stopped after the lawsuit. [News-Press]

CRCA Board of Directors will meet on July 9 at 6:30 pm in LaBelle at Bridge Street Coffee House. This will be the 2nd Wednesday, not the normal 1st Wednesday. For more info contact Marti Daltry. [Agenda] [Previous Meetings]

Save Our Creeks Board and Annual Membership Meeting is on August 9th at 10 am. It's time to elect new officers and Board Members. If you are willing to serve, plan to nominate yourself. For more information call Ellen at 239-992-5455. [Flyer]

Riverwatch and other plantiffs are filing for a rehearing of the lawsuit they initially won halting The Vue tower plans. The ruling that favored the Riverwatch position was overturned by an appeals court on technical issues of standing. [Motion] [News Press] [Press Release]

U.S. Sugar Corps plan to sell its land to clear a path for Everglades restoration signals. U.S. Sugar and its allies in the sugar cane and sugar beet industry have poured millions into political campaigns, its lobbyists held away in the Legislature. [Sun Sentinel]

South Florida is experiencing an ecological and hydrological meltdown. The Everglades ecosystem now hosts 69 threatened or endangered species, and its rookeries and fisheries have crashed. Massive algal blooms are turning Florida Bay into pea soup. [Time.Com]

SFWMD is in the midst of a monumental land deal. But what does this mean for the 16 counties taxpayers bankrolling the district? And what about water quality in the C-51 canal? Water managers might have to postpone other reservoirs and cleanups. [PalmBeachPost.com] [Time.Com]

The goal of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. The River Network organization has created an online course to teach people all about CWA and its enforcement. [RiverNetwork.org]

The C-43 West Reservoir project expected to improve water quality in the Caloosahatchee River and along Lee County coastline might not receive more state money needed for construction. [News Press 1] [News Press 2]

SFWMD will purchase 300 square miles of U.S. Sugar land which might form the core of a flowway. Decades ago the Corps conducted analysis of a flowway from Lake O, rejecting it due to what it called Insurmountable Hydrological Barriers. [PEER News] [News Release]

A representative of PURRE traveled to Washington on during the week of July 4 to attend a hearing in Conrgress on Harmful Algal Blooms to help educate the subcommittee and members on the issue. [Washington Post] [Naples News]

SFWMD is providing drafts on the Caloosahatchee Research and Water Quality Monitoring Plan, Chapter 1-3, for your review. Please use the attached files to provide comments by July 18 to tara.bamber@jjg.com & pdoering@sfwmd.gov [Chapter 1-3] [Chapter 7-2] [Chapter 7-8]

CRCA battles algae blooms, but algae can be used to clean sewage or agricultural runoff. U.S. scientists suggested companies grow algae biomass for processing and find a cost-effective way to separate algae from water.
[Herald Tribune]

Chinese local officials have mobilized thousands of people to clean up an algae bloom that stretches along their coastline, threatening to impede the Olympic games. People everywhere faces the challenge of nutrient runoff and warming temperatures. [Herald Tribune]

The PURRE Water Coalition commends Senators Nelson and Snowe for their leadership on the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2008. PURRE will continue to work hardly to get this bill passed and on the appropriations in the future. [Details]

Earthjustice attorney David Guest filed suit in U.S. Circuit Court in Atlanta to challenge the Bush administration latest attempt to weaken the Clean Water Act they transfer dirty water – from canals contaminated by urban or agricultural pollution. [Wctv.tv]

Blue green algae bloom is turning the Caloosahatchee River into a sewer. It has never been in such distress. Public health, safety & welfare are at risk, says Bill Gross, a spokesman for Alva Inc., chairman of Survivors of SR 80. [News-Press] [News-Press]

Need for the EAA Reservoir A-1 is uncertain given the US Sugar deal. The secret land deal negotiations probably motivated the suspension of the A-1 project a month ago, not the NRDC lawsuit as SFWMD claimed. [Sun-Sentinel] [Orlando-Sentinel] [Tampabay]

Is it time to halt the Rivers Coalition lawsuit over St. Lucie water pollution? The answer is no, said Leon Abood, chair of the environmental group. The sides are given until Aug 8 to finish discovery in the case with a status report due Aug 18. [TCPalm.com]

The sale of U.S. Sugar's holdings to the South Fla. Water Management District closes in Nov 2008. Included in the sale are newly completed sugar mill, the largest in the world; the largest bulk citrus processor in the U.S.; railroads and building. [MiamiHerald.com] [NYTimes] [Tampabay]

The first meeting of the North Spreader Canal Ecosystem Management Agreement (EMA) stakeholders working group will take place on July 8 from 10am to 3pm at the SW FL Regional Planning Council, 1926 Victoria Ave #364, Ft Myers. [Details] [Web Site]

Ellen Peterson, 84, has led on many Caloosahatchee, Lake O, and most notably, Fisheating Creek issues. She dedicated more than four decades to fighting battles to preserve nature and give the public access to the natural environment. [News-Press]

Lee County officials are promoting a new, only 18 months reservation Legacy program to help entice property owners with selling environmentally sensitive land to the County, especially in the midst of a slumping real estate market. [News-Press]

Meet the Creek event of Billy Creek held to celebrate the granting of non-profit status on Saturday, Jun 7th was a great success. Friends of Billy's Creek group is responsible for removing garbage from the Fort Myers waterway. [News-Press]

The regions of the oceans known as "the desert of the sea" have expanded dramatically over the past decade. Scientists have found that vast areas that were once green with plankton have been turning blue, as marine life becomes scarcer. [NPR.org]

Gov. Crist announced the appointment of Paul Huck, Jr. and Robert J. Montgomery to the SFWMD Governing Board. Huck served as Gov. Crist's Chief Ethics Officer. Montgomery is a VP for environmental issues at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. [Details]

This is a critical time period for the Clean Water Restoration Act (HR2421 & S1870), amending the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over waters of the United States.
[Details] [Library of Congress]

Two months of drenching rains have eased the regional drought. The relaxed limits would take effect Apr 18. However, farmers around Lake O would have to continue with their existing 45% reductions. [PalmBeachPost.com]

The Caloosahatchee was on the 2006 Ten Most Endangered Rivers list. The St. Johns River makes the list this year. Urban water demands are among the factors stressing the health of this river from Melbourne to Jacksonville. [Times Union] [News-Journal] [Daily Record] [Riverkeeper] [List]

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) launched an experimental Tape Grass Seeding Project to help restore and enhance aquatic habitat in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. [Details]

Florida lawmakers ended their legislative session on May 2. Budget problems dominated the session. Among the key issues is the approval of a $300 million a year bill that would extend the Florida Forever land-buying program until 2020. [News-Journal]

State lawmakers have passed the Clean Ocean Act that bans ships sailing from Florida ports from dumping their partially treated waste off shore. Now Gov. Charlie Crist should sign the measure and make it law.
[Florida Today] [Video]

Friends of Billy’s Creek, a 501(c)3 organization is pleased to invite you to a fun Eco-event Meet the Creek on June 7th, 2008 from 11am to 2pm at Rock Lake Motel 2937 Palm Beach Blvd. Bring the whole family!
[Flyer] [Web Site]

North Florida water quality activists have issued a statewide request for assistance. Please read the attachments and send an email to the Governor and DEP Secretary Mike Sole stating your concerns.
[CWN Request] [CWN Web Site]

1st Annual Monitoring Forum is on Jun 3-5 at the Bayfront Hilton in St. Petersburg. The Forum focuses on coastal nutrient; improving data comparability. Registration by May 16 is required for attendance.
[Details] [Registration Documents]

Nobody would have imagined that once watery wilderness called the Everglades would get so dry and that it would burn out of control. History's bill is coming due for a century of bad decisions, and we haven't yet figured out how to pay it. [Grist.org]

The FL Dept. of Env. Protection has a new communication tool to keep the staff and watershed stakeholders informed about ongoing activities within the TMDL/watershed management and restoration program. [Letter] [Newsletter] [Web Site]

Forest Michael of Transystems will discuss ideas for C-43 water storage at the July 9 CRCA meeting in LaBelle after a July 3 WRAC presentation in West Palm Beach.
[Input Request] [Concept] [Wrac Agenda] [Web Site] [Location]

Conservancy of Southwest Florida Natural Resources Policy Manager Jennifer Hecker discussed the issue of the Key Southwest Florida environmental projects at the Action Day in Washington, DC June 18th. [macronews.com] [Web Site]

Audubon and other groups have a vision for an improved Everglades Agricultural Area which profoundly affects Lake O, coastal estuaries, the Everglades & Florida Bay as well as the Glades Communities. [Details] [About Lake O]

Congressman Tim Mahoney and candidates Gayle Harrell & Tom Rooney discussed differences in paying for the cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon and drilling off Florida's coastline at the Republican Women's Club dinner, May 22 at Finz Waterfront. [TCPalm]

In 2006 Lee County directed their Natural Resources staff to create an ordinance that would help reduce the excessive nutrients from flowing into our rivers and the Gulf. The strongest ordinance in Florida was adopted May 13, 2008. [News-Press]

South Florida water managers plan to keep water in newly restored Kissimmee River marshes off-limits to farms and growing communities. New rules would reserve water for fish and wildlife and set a "baseline" for water usage. [Sun-Sentinel]

Blue-green algae is back in the Caloosahatchee River. We are aware of it, and we’re concerned, said Susan Sanders, spokeswoman for the SFWMD. Can we tell what the cause is? No. But we’re following up on potential causes. [News-Press] [Caloosa Belle]

The water contrast upstream and downstream of Franklin Lock is dramatic. The algae bloom is so thick that boats leave trails in the water. Flow at Townsend Canal is vigorous, which is where the bloom starts. [nbc-2.com] [Photo Gallery]

CRCA Board of Directors will meet on June 4 at 6:30 pm at Perkins Restaurant in East Fort Myers. Meeting details will be posted as soon as they are available. For more info contact Marti Daltry at president09 @caloosahatchee.org. [Previous Meetings]

Potential VP nominee, FL Governor Charlie Crist, says that he recommends a book about the battles to restore the Florida Everglades, Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie by former Washington Post reporter Michael Grunwald. [Tampa Bay] [The Swamp]

Rep. Connie Mack visited LaBelle with other leaders lobbying for the 10,491-acre reservoir east of Ft Myers in Hendry County. It’s part of the huge Everglades restoration plan, which the federal government has only recently begun to fund as promised. [News-Press]

Royal Shell Vacations and Royal Shell Preferred Properties, have announced that they will donate $50,000 to PURRE this year. [Island-Reporter] [Royal Shell Vacations] [Royal Shell Preferred Properties] [PURRE]

On Oct 24, the Charlotte Harbor NEP held a workshop to present the Lower Charlotte Harbor SWIM Plan, which includes the Caloosahatchee basin. The plan lists projects totally well over $100 million and sets goals for water quality improvement. [Draft Report (5MB)]

The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 increased the budget authorization (this was not an actual funds appropriation) for the C-43 Aquifer Storage and Recovery Pilot Project (test well) from $6.0 to $8.2 million.
[WRDA Project Budgets]

At the Nov 30 County Coalition meeting, the Corps of Engineers provided a south Florida projects update, including the C-43 West Basin Reservoir. The Corps says the project will provide 13% of all water storage needed for CERP. [C-43 Reservoir] [All Projects]

Congressman Tim Mahoney, Hendry Co. Commissioner Janet Taylor, and others heard from farmers, environmentalists & scientists about the need for and programs to create green jobs in rural counties.
[Article 1] [Article 2] [Photos]

The New York Times picked up on the case against U.S. Sugar officials, including Mott Foundation officers, that alleges employee shareholders were defrauded of retirement income. [Mott Foundation] [Stacked Deck] [Local Story] [Hendry-Glades] [NYT Video]

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney hosted Reps. Jim Oberstar & Connie Mack for a Caloosahatchee River restoration discussion in LaBelle on Wed, May 28 then toured toured Lake O & the Herbert Hoover Dike to study repair efforts. [News-Press] [PalmBeachPost]

Proposed new Land Use Program Policy 1.4.2. seems to be written more for properties on barrier islands, not for properties like William Island that are in the midst of development. It is important to set up a more applicable performance standard. [Details] [Map]

Riverwatch has submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a permit application submitted by Babcock Property Holdings, LLC. [CRCA Comments] [NY Times Photo] [Corps Public Notice] [Government Contacts]

On Oct 26, Circuit Court Judge Sherra Winesett ruled on CRCA's law suit saying that the City of Ft. Myers was wrong to approve The Vue tower on Centennial Park land before getting National Park Service approval. [Summary] [NewsPress] [Quotes] [Ruling] [Eiditorial] [Blog]

In a May 2007 memo, a Corps General recommended not funding Lake O projects unless Florida takes proper actions to meet water quality standards...while at the same time the Corps continues to approve development projects that degrade FL waters. [Peer Press Release] [Corps Memo]

How should Ft. Myers' riverfront be developed? The world's premier urban planners assert that it is best to set tall towers back from the water's edge and use the waterfront lands for support activities open to all, a design Ft. Myers should adopt. [Design Video] [CRCA Letter] [Waterfront Mistakes]

SFWMD claims its "Robust Permitting System" protects water quality in Florida without any need for federal oversight. SFWMD has called other state water agencies to its defense in appealing a federal court ruling. [SFWMD PR]

A decade ago, ASR - an unproven technology lay at the heart of the state's plans for restoring the Everglades & expanding South Florida's water supply. Today, many questions remain unanswered and plans questionable. [PalmBeachPost.com]

People have long understood how land-based nutrient runoff damages the Caloosahatchee River & estuary. A team from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth has calculated another source of nutrients called 'benthic flux'. [NewsPress]

The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District and SFWMD will host a series of nine public meetings throughout south Florida in Apr and May to present and receive feedback on regionally based recreation plans for the CERP Master Recreation Plan. [Details]

The language control, No.1 dimension of the "orchestrated attack on federal employees" by the Bush administration has resulted in the EPA’s most recent decision to deny California a Clean Air Act waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. [Truthout Report]

Riverwatch extends special thanks to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. Board of Directors for their canoe contest sponsorship. We are grateful for your generosity and your commitment to a shared mission. [STOF, Inc. Web Site]

The upper estuary needs about 450cfs of fresh water for fresh water grasses to recover & remain healthy. A good target number for salinity east of Ft. Myers is 10ppt. The C-43 reservoir project(Berry)is designed to help meet that need [Graph]

Nikki Yeager, current President of the LaBelle Kiwanis Club, bought a Riverwatch chance ticket on a new 14-ft canoe donated by the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida, Inc. at the Swamp Cabbage Festival and she won! Thank you to all who took a chance.

A vast array of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and other have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans. Worries are heightening among scientists and officials. [Associated Press]

Karen Bickford of the Lee County water quality office has two web pages providing information about the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Fertilizer Ordinance, and other issues. [Fertilizer Updates] [Lee Water Quality Web]

The Southwest Florida Boy Scout Council will hold the 3rd Annual Kayak Fishing Classic on May 17, 2008 in southwest Florida waters. There will be great prizes in both the adult and youth divisions! Get registered today!
[Details] [Web Site]

Riverwatch thanks the LaBelle Heritage Museum for assisting CRCA in the Swamp Cabbage Festival exhibit & cruise. Special thank to Mr. Joe Thomas who narrated the cruise, sharing stories and history of LaBelle and the river. [Support the Museum]

The April 2008 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. [April Newsletter] [Newsletter Archive]

Riverwatch & other petitioners are insisting upon restoration of a structure to divert water through the spreader canal system. In settlement negotiation, Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler declined to agree to any reconstruction. [News-Press]

Cape Coral citizens wrote responsed to an editorial written about Mayor Feichthaler on April 21 by Mark Stephens, thus accusing The News-Press of trying to disparage their good mayor. The city insists on Ceitus Boat Lift removal. [News-Press] [Issue History]

U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) continues to gather support for legislation to protect national water quality through the Clean Water Restoration Act. Rebecca Wood of American Rivers recognized Oberstar for his dedication. [Am Rivers] [Oberstar]

On May 28 US Rep. Tim Mahoney hosts Rep. James Oberstar (committee chair over WRDA and Corps projects) for a tour highlighting District 16 water issues in an effort to marshal federal support for regional infrastructure projects. [Press Release] [Location Map]

About $1.9 million worth of water management projects will fall on the shoulders of Cape Coral taxpayers after the state turned down funding. City was looking for $20 million in funding 4 projects in 2008. The Legislature turned down funding for all. [News-Press]

The Watershed Council meets on May 15 at 2pm. This meeting will focus on a discussion of the possibility of forming a single water resource advocacy organization in Southwest Florida. The meeting is open to the public [Details] [SWFWC Web Site]

Fires on the edges of Lake Okeechobee rage along the western shore. Fires release nutrients through the ash left in their wake. What effect this might have on Lake nutrient levels is uncertain.
[News-Press] [Sun-Sentinel] [Photo]

New pictures from SKY2 over Lake O captured something that should not be there. Blue-green algae has conservation leaders concerned. Rae Ann Wessel of SCCF said it is a blatant warning sign of a system out of balance. [Nbc-2.com]

Riverwatch directors participating in the 2008 Everglades Coalition conference represented serveral organizations: Marti Daltry, Sierra Club; Rhonda Roff, Save It Now Glades!; Joe Frank, Seminole Tribe; Rae Ann Wessel, SCCF, and John Capece, CRCA.

At its 2008 conference, Florida's premier environmental group, the Everglades Coalition, discussions focused on global climate change and sea level rise. Dr. Harold Wanless of U.Miami provided the reality check. [Wanless] [P.Beach Post]

The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, a 34-member board of politicians and gubernatorial appointees from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Sarasota counties will meet to discuss Babcock growth issues on Thursday, Jan 24. [NewsPress]

Florida Hometown Democracy, the ballot initiative that sought to slow growth, fell 65,182 signatures short of the 611,009 needed to make the ballot. A double-barreled business lobby effort changed state law and raised nearly $4 million to crush it. [Orlando Sentinel]

Join thousands of other river enthusiasts in 2008 to help clean up America’s rivers. Registration is now open to all organizers and volunteers. Clean-ups on or after March 15 will be a part of National River Cleanup™ 2008. [Organizer's Handbook] [Details]

Join us for the Earth Day 2008 event to be held on Sat, April 26 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the LaBelle Nature Park, (Hardee St. and Fraser St.) LaBelle, Florida. For more information contact Margaret England at (863)517-0202. [Flyer] [Map]

The Fertilizer Task Force report to the Florida Senate Agriculture Committee did not preempt local rules. Audubon is working with other groups to support the recommendations and oppose preemption of local rules. [Report (5MB)]

Contaminated muck, scraped from Lake Okeechobee's drought-exposed lake bed, did not go very far after last year's $11 million cleanup by SFWMD. The muck could end up in landfills at great expense to taxpayers.
[Sun Sentinel] [Graph] [Lake O Levels]

The Cape Coral Yacht Club was transformed into a water wonderland for an "Evening Under the Sea" as students from North Ft. Myers Academy for the Arts helped spread the word about the urgent need to care for our waterways. [NewsPress]

Keith Kibbey is one of the longest-serving directors of CRCA. Each year he organizes the River Ride. If you'd like to become a CRCA director then let us know. We will help you learn the ropes. [Director Requirements] [I am Interested]

The river's early-season algae bloom contains four potentially toxic blue-green algae. Only one, microsystin, a liver toxin, tested above the safe level of 1 microgram per liter. Lee County tests found 1.1 ug/L. [News Press] [Bloom Photos]

Agreements with DEP say waters from the north and south spreader canals on western side of Cape Coral cannot flow directly into the Gulf without a filtering system. So why does the city not already have a plan to really fix the violation? [News Press]

SFWMD's Chip Merriam says that recent Lake O soil tests and reputed to show arsenic above residential standards are unrelated to any muck removed as part of the SFWMD dredging project. [Sun Sentinel] [SFWMD Muck Test Results] [Merriam]

2006-07 were officially the driest back-to-back years in South Florida since 1932 when recordkeeping began. This two-year rainfall deficit-more than 21 inches below normal-displaces by nearly an inch the previous record set 50 years ago in 1955-56. [Article]

HB 1267 Urban Fertilizer Bill created controversy as it passed unanimously from the Florida House Committee on Agribusiness. Audubon took a stand against the bill based on language that makes an erroneous claim about the Urban Turf Rule. [Details]

The PCB ENRC Alternative Water Supply bill is distorting a good idea, using the Rural Land Stewardship program as a way to encourage private landowner storage and treatment of water in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. [Details]

Uncontrolled growth is what got Florida into its present fiscal mess. Now developers are using current problems as a rationale to be permitted to create even more problems for Florida. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,.... [The Tampa Tribune]

SCCF has joined with Riverwatch & other groups opposing the fertilizer rule preemption bill now being considered in Tallahassee. It would prevent local governments from implementing urban landscaping fertilizer limits. [Letter]

Lee Commissioners halted Cape Coral’s plans to remove the Ceitus Boat Lift. The commissioners say removing the lift would allow canal water to contaminate water in the nearby Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve & the Gulf. [News-Press] [Daily Breeze] [News-Press 2] [New-Press 3] [Daily Breeze 2]

If FDEP has it's way, the leaking "spreader canal" system designed to protect the pristine Matlacha Pass from polluted waters of Cape Coral, canal system will not be repaired. Matlacha Pass will get flooded with stormwater & pollutants. [Snook Foundation]

The KLCB Picnic Island cleanup was a bit of a disappointment, but in a good way. Within an hour 30 volunteers had scoured the island picking up only 32 trash bags of garbage totaling 300 pounds. Expected amount was 1 ton. [News-Press]

The latest version of the Fertilizer bill has several amendments but it's still bad legislation. SB 2352 is scheduled for Senate Com. on Env. Preservation & Conservation this week. Your voice is needed NOW to stop the bill in committee! [Letter]

We've been complaining in Florida for years about Congress not keeping up its end of the federal-state partnership to restore the Everglades. Now it's the state that no be holding up its side of the bargain.
[News-Press]

Opposition continues against The Vue, a proposed 27-story building on Centennial Park land. A joint city-county workshop will take place on Apr 10 at 2pm in the Lee Co Admin Bld. Please consider attending the meeting. [Details] [Letter] [Shared Plan]

Join the Sierra Club, Calusa Chapter Sat, Apr 19 from 10am-3pm celebrating Earth Day in the historic Koreshan settlement along with music, food, and many demonstrators' and exhibitors. For more information call the park:(239)992-0311. [Koreshan Site]

The State is trying to take away local control of land use densities and intensities(SB 2246) and environmental permitting of wetlands (SB 1376) on agricultural lands! [Legislative Alert!] [SB 1376 Letter] [SB 2246 Letter]

A Training Workshop for secondary teachers focuses on the skills students need to succeed with FCAT, including reading, graph making, diagram interpretation and data analysis is scheduled for Apr 26 from 9am-4pm. [Flyer] [Registration]

Despite complaints, Cape Coral, Lee County and state officials, as well as area environmental groups, are discussing a preliminary agreement to allow removal of the controversial Ceitus boat lift.
[News-Press]

Earth Day celebration hosted by Sierra Club on Apr 19 was a big success. The event, one of several in the area celebrating Earth Day, drew hundreds of people. Among them were Riverwatch's Marti Daltry and Lois James. [Naples News]

Cape Water Action meets on May 10 from 1-3:45pm at The Epiphany Episcopal Church, 2507 Del Prado Blvd. in Cape Coral. Speakers will be Dr. Bill Hammond and Kraig Hankins. For more info call Mary Ann Parsons at 239-340-9879. [Details] [Cape Water web site]

Join the 13th Annual Estero River Canoe and Kayak Regatta on May 3. The course includes 4 miles recreational or 10 miles competitive. A famous end-of-series picnic lunch also included! Register now! [Details] [Online Registration]

Recent rains appear to have triggered new algae blooms on Lake Okeechobee and on the Caloosahatchee. Algae is again appearing at the Caloosahatchee Olga water plant, but at lower levels than seen in Pahokee & Clewiston. [Report] [Pics]

Tim Manhoney, the Caloosahatchee - Okeechobee - St.Lucie Congressman emphasized energy, agricultural wastes, solid wastes, water, and Everglades restoration in his Earth Day activities. [Details]

Audubon of Southwest Florida's Annual Meeting is on Apr 12 at Florida Gulf Coast University. Cynthia Barnett, author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern US, will be the keynote speaker. The event is free and open to the public. [Details]

EPA has accepted a development model called the Harper model, after its author Harvey Harper that has been criticized for assuming that wetlands are a source of pollution – pollution that can be cured by development.
[News Release]

The Matlacha Civic Association invites you to celebrate spring at Matlacha’s Olde Fish House Marina and Restaurant on April 17th with a cookout, concert and a moonlight paddle. For tickets, call Bill Stoelker at 282-9540 or Melady Kehm at 282-1219. [Details]

In 1998, the City of Cape Coral described the critical purpose and function of its spreader canal system. But ten years later the City now seeks to scrap the system as a matter of convenience. [Canalwatch]

The March 2008 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. [March Newsletter] [Newsletter Archive]

"The Committee recommends to WRAC that the Statewide Fertilizer Rule is on the right track" reads the Lake O Committee Report. However, some denounce the statewide rule saying it does little or nothing to reduce P or N. [Opposition Statement]

As part of the Keep America Beautiful Great American Clean-up event, the City of Cape Coral is partnering with Keep Lee County Beautiful to host a Canal Clean-up day. The clean-up begins on Mar 30 from 8am – noon at the Cape Coral Yacht Club. [Details]

DEP plans to dismantle the spreader canal system that protects the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve and the rest of our estuary from polluted waters of Cape Coral. They did the same in Port Charlotte at the Manchester Waterway. [Article 1] [Article 2]

The Ft. Myers City Council voted 6-0 to approve the developer's request to build the commercial portion before the residential portion of a previously approved development. However, Councilman Warren Wright abstained. [NewsPress]

Visitors to Stormwater Treatment Area 5 realize they are a long way from the traffic and conveniences of the city. That's one reason birds flock to the man-made marshes built to hold and clean water flowing into the Everglades. [PalmBeachPost.com] [Photo Gallery]

At the February meeting of the Southwest Florida Watershed Council the Board selected officers for 2008. They are: Treasurer, Sharon Arnold; Secretary, Tamara Pigott; Vice Chair, Greg Rawl and Chair, John Cassani. [Officers List]

South Florida water managers were "put on notice" by state senators to stop staying at lavish resorts for meetings & taking flights short distances at taxpayers' expense. Senator Gwen Margolis raised the issue with SFWMD board members. [Sun Sentinel]

One of the environmental issues lawmakers will tackle before adjourning May 2 is the governor’s budget request for $200 million for South Florida environmental restoration, including $50 million for water storage projects and treatment marshes. [NewsPress]

Join the Yard & Garden Tour sponsored by Florida Yards and Neighborhoods of Lee County Extension on Sunday, Mar 16 from 1pm to 5pm. Tickets are available at the Lee County Extension Office at 3406 Palm Beach Blvd. Ft. Myers. [Details]

It is sadly ironic that Cape Coral is paying to remove parts of its spreader canal system using state monies intended to reduce pollution. Groups have until Mar 30 act to require a restoration plan. [Comments] [Failure] [Location] [Funding] [DEP Email] [Notice]

You are invited to the CRCA-Riverwatch Annual Meeting and Potluck to be held on Saturday, April 5 from 11 am to 5 pm at the Caloosa Lodge Screened Pavilion at Caloosahatchee Regional Park State Road 78 west of Alva. [Invitation] [Lodge] [Map]

Join the 7th Annual Caloosahatchee Adventure Triathlon on Sunday, March 30 at the Caloosahatchee Regional Park on SR 78 in Alva. The event begins at 8 am and finishes at 2 pm. To volunteer for this event call Laura Estabrook at 239-707-1067. [Details]

You are cordially invited to the 2nd public meeting for the Hendry County Rural and Agricultural Lands Study to be held on April 2, from 4pm to 7pm at the City of LaBelle Civic Center. For more information call Patrick Vanasse at (239) 278-5224. [Details]

To help get the federal money flowing, Florida members of Congress plan to tour vital component of Everglades restoration, the building of a 22 linear miles levee to David Obey, House Appropriations Committee Chair. [Sun Sentinel]

Members joining CRCA at the Friends level or higher receive a Caroline Krieger Comings print - Everglades or Maid of Matlacha. You can join online. [Everglades] [Maid of Matlacha]
[Join Us] [Request Print] [Art Web]

CRCA together with other eight regional environmental groups & two Pine Island residents filed a joint petition against the City of Cape Coral & the FL DEP to stop the city from removing the Ceitus Boat Lift and the canal block it straddles. [Petition]

Caloosahatchee Cookbook invites you to share your favorite recipes, including picnic & boating favorites. Include your culinary secrets in the fundraiser cookbook. The sooner you submit, the better your chances of being included. [Form] [Online Form]

A House proposal to cut nearly $400 million from Everglades environmental land preservation has raised the ire of Congress. National & local lawmakers urged observers not to jump to conclusions during tough budget times. [Naples News] [Press Release] [Everglades Letter]

Lee Co. Commission defended its action to stop removal of the Ceitus boat lift but also pledged to work as quickly as possible, with the city, to come to a long-term solution to preserve water quality. CRCA also joined the Lee action. [Daily Breeze] [News Press]

Federal water managers are reconsidering idea of a southern "spillway" for Lake O. Experts urged Corps of Engineers to explore ways to expand the outlet capacity of the lake. Thus relieving pressure on the deteriorating Herbert Hoover Dike. [PBP]

Catherine Corbett of Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program presented water quality targets for the Southwest Florida feasibility study, using seagrass light requirements as a resource-based approach. [Details]

On Jan 4, Lee County TDC endorsed spending $192,272 from its beach & shoreline reserve fund to support research on causes of the slimy red drift algae, which has plagued local beaches. It will be led by a team from FGCU Division of Marine Sciences. [News-Press]

The River Roots & Ruts Trail Run held on Jan 5 included a 5K Fun Run and a Relay Half Marathon. Race director, Steve Brookman, said that over $600 was raised for Riverwatch and the other participating organizations. [Summary] [Photo Gallery]

Florida water users are confused about what really constitutes a drought. SFWMD insists on conservation to provide for future growth while some local utilities see no shortage of water resources. [PalmBeachPost.com] [Drought Monitor]

The South Florida Watershed Journal(SFWJ) is an online journal that illuminates and celebrates south Florida's water cycle. It's a poor man's journal for Everglades experts to publish their favorite graphs, photos, and observations. [Web Site]

The White House Plumbers were the Nixon team assigned to stop leaks during the Watergate era. UF may now be looking for the source of leaks that questioned its commitment to agriculture and IFAS. [UF Plumbers] [UF Denial] [Farmers Caucus]

Audubon, Riverwatch and other groups participated in the Burrowing Owl Festival held at Rotary Park in Cape Coral on Sat, Feb 16. You can download Audubon's slide show.
[NewsPress] [Audubon Slides (8MB)]

Riverwatch & others won a court challenge to halt The Vue, a 27-story tower partly on illegally transferred Centennial Park. The City of Ft. Myers appealed the decision & a hearing was scheduled for Apr 9 in Tampa, but a delay has been announced. [Notice]

Linda Young of the Florida Clean Water Network suggests you keep an eye on bills being considered in Tallahassee that are important for our waters and our ability to have a voice in policy decisions. [Bills] [Clean Water Network] [Contact]

At the Charlotte Harbor Watershed Summit held on Mar 25, Dr. Larry Brand of the Univ. of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine Biology, presented his case for the human factor in red tide blooms. He says red tide increase is caused by people. [NaplesNews]

Keep Lee County Beautiful, a private nonprofit organization is organizing Picnic Island Cleanup to be held on Mar 28 from 9am to 11am. Any interested boaters, kayakers, jet skiers & volunteers can call at 334-3488 for details. [Details] [KLCB Web Site]

Raw sewage has spilled from at least a quarter of Lee County's wastewater plants over the past five years. Environmentalists say the polluting plants are poisoning tributaries that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. [Article 1] [Article 2] [Article 3]

SFWMD & Lee Co. have purchased a grove for $37 million ($21,000/ac). 1335 acres will be used for water quality treatment, 440 acres for recreation & commercial. The nitrogen removal system will cost $100+ million more. [NewsPress] [Map1] [Map2]

Try mopping up the floor from an overflowing toilet when the water continues to run! It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars on local water-management strategies in an effort to clean the toxicity without addressing the source. [TcPalm]

For the first time in the agency's history, SFWMD declared an extreme District-wide water shortage, instituting a one-day-a-week watering schedule for residential landscape irrigation effective Jan 15. [The Rules] [Q & A] [40 Tips] [SFWMD Water Info]

Send the Capitol a message...be part of a 100,000 letter campaign to the legislature on Preemption Legislation! This law will prevent municipalities from enacting stricter local fertilizer regulations than adopted by the state. [Details]

The dropping water level of Lake O provides an unprecedented opportunity to efficiently remove some of the muck from the bottom of the lake. Nathaniel Reed & others recommend immediate action.
[Lake O Watershed Handout]

After doing the administration's dirty work to remove the Everglades from the UN's international environmental endangered list, Deputy Asst. Secr. of the Interior Todd Willens is cashing in his political capital for a lobbyist's income. [Press Release]

Hendry County Board of County Commissioners will hold a Public Involvement Meeting & Informational Open House for Hendry County’s study on the Long Term Planning of Rural and Agricultural Lands on Wednesday, Feb 27 at LaBelle High School Auditorium. [Details]

The February 2008 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. [February Newsletter] [Newsletter Archive]

A revised draft Lee County ordinance on Use of Fertilizers was released on March 15 for discussion only. The Sierra Club has made new recommendations to make this a stronger, better fertilizer ordinance. [Draft 1] [Recomendations] [Letter] [Draft 2]

As summer is approaching the officials are raising the issues of bacterial pollution in the coastal waters. State Senators are backing legislation that would require the Florida DEP to find the source of bacteria that closes any Florida beach. [News Press]

Nikki Yeager of LaBelle was the lucky winner of the CRCA Swamp Cabbage Festival canoe contest. Second prize of $50 went to Jan Rokel while third prize of $25 went to Mary Gibbs. Thank you to all who donated.

South Florida Water Management District, WRAC issues Lake Okeechobee Water Availabity Rule Workshop is on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 9:00 am at the Building B-1 Auditorium 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida. [Agenda]

The Hendry and LaBelle Recreation Board and Coalition for Eco-Recreation would like to invite community organizations, youth groups, and individuals to a LaBelle Nature Park Trail Clean Up on Sat, Mar 8 from 8am to 10am. [Details]

A public workshop is scheduled for Mar 14 at the SFWMD HQ in West Palm Beach & through satellite locations to kick off the 2009 WaterSIP & Alternative Water Supply Funding Program application period.
[Workshop Flyer]

Dishwasher detergent may make your stemware sparkle, but the phosphates they contain are among the most damaging pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia is poised to ban phosphates from all home dishwasher detergents. [Washington Post]

Representatives from Southwest Florida utility companies said that their agencies do not test for pharmaceuticals in drinking water and are not required to by the Florida DEP. No one knows what levels of pharmaceuticals are in the water. [NaplesNews] [Article]

Trace amounts of many of the pharmaceuticals we take to stay healthy are seeping into drinking water supplies. Research indicates that this could harm humans and that fish and wildlife are seriously affected. [Associated Press] [Photos]

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney is earning a reputation for frank talk and strong debate with the DC crowd when it comes to advocating for water quality restoration for south Florida. We've needed a strong voice in Washington for a long time. Thanks, Tim! [PBP Article]

Agriculture may be the oldest sector of Florida's economy, but it's still thriving and now contributes more than $100 billion a year to the state, according to a new study by the University of Florida. [Orlando Sentinel]