CRCA officers spoke at the Aug 8 SFWMD meeting encouraging government to reject old failed practices and embrace new approaches to restore the health of our estuaries and the life it sustains, both human and animal, for future generations. [Opinion]

Donate $10 (or more) to the beautification of the LaBelle Hendry House. Riverwatch will be planting new landscaping following the IFAS Florida Yards & Neighborhoods(FYN) designs that feature native plants, low fertilizer inputs and water conservation [Hendry House FYN] [Donate]

After contentious public input on Aug 8, the SFWMD Governing Board on Aug 9 voted 4-3 to not resume backpumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area, a practice that ended in 2001. [AP] [SFWMD Vote] [Sun Sentinel]

Charles Dauray of Estero, the SW Florida member of the SFWMD Governing Board, voted against Lake O backpumping at the Aug 9 meeting. Some were unsure if his vote would reflect water supply or water quality priorities. [Who Voted] [News Press] [Editorial]

CWA is a newly formed organization designed to be an educational public outreach to the citizens of Cape Coral and is affiliated with the CRCA-Riverwatch. CWA is conducting its first meeting on November 17,2007 from 13:00 to 15:00. [About CWA] [Meeting Details]

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]

The 2007 Southwest Florida Water Resources Conf. and AWRA meeting will be held at FGCU on Nov 16, 2007. Sign up early as a sponsor, exhibitor, or attendee. [Conference Website] [Sponsorships] [Registration]

A relatively unfamiliar type of offensive smelling rotting algae mass appeared recently along the Caloosahatchee estuary and some beach areas of SW Florida. Specialists suspect either Lyngbya or Trichodesmium might be the cause this algae bloom. [Bonita News] [Brown Algae Scum]

SFWMD is now demanding appropriate growth, with water sources that do not harm the environment, irrespective of cost. This may see the growth plans of rural Hendry County revised to address more stringent water & sewer requirements. [Article] [NW Hendry Map] [Objections] [County] [Palm Bch Post]

Area organizations, including CRCA, are supporting a proposal for the Lee County 2020 program to purchase the Corwin property with the help of the Lee County BOCC. Area residents are encouraged to write emails to Lee Commissioners. [AutoEmail] [Addresses]

The Florida DEP announces a public workshop to initiate the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the Caloosahatchee Basin. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 29 at 9:30 am in Fort Myers. [Meeting Details]

Gov. Crist has filled three open seats on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with a developer, an attorney and an earthmoving engineer. This disappoints SW FL environmentalist that endorsed John Cassani, a wildlife specialist. [News-Press] [St. Pete Times]

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation team, including Riverwatch founding member Rae Ann Wessel, will host the 2008 annual meeting of the Everglades Coalition - perhaps Florida's most significant annual environmental event. [Announcement]

Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory (LOBO) which collects and records water-quality in real time 24/7, has started collecting data on Caloosahatchee and its tributaries earlier this week, after being attached to a dock in Tarpon Bay for past month. [Article]