Caloosahatchee Estuary

DEEP DIVE: Is this the calm before the toxic algae bloom storm?

September 17, 2024

Aside from some recent flare-ups — like the toxic algae found in the St. Lucie River this past spring and the near-constant algae in Lake Okeechobee — Florida waters have mostly been spared the massive, guacamole-like blue-green algae blooms that choked…

We did it: LOSOM is now the law of the land

August 14, 2024

Five years ago we had an opportunity for change. We seized it. And now, at long last, that change has come. On Monday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division Commander signed a Record of Decision for the…

Another attempt to solve our algae problems with ‘innovative tech’

June 27, 2024

When it comes to solving Florida’s water pollution problems, we’re always looking for the silver bullet, the easy way, the shortcut. And these shortcuts almost always involve “technology.” So we were unsurprised to see a bill filed earlier this month…

We need more STA capacity to clean and store water, period

April 27, 2024

In recent weeks we and our friends at Friends of the Everglades have been highlighting the need to fix Florida’s “rigged” system of water management which favors Big Sugar over all other stakeholders. Part of that has been our campaign…

Discharges to the Caloosahatchee – good or bad?

April 18, 2024

After last week’s newsletter asking if our discharge crisis was over, we got lots of feedback from readers along the Gulf coast who said the answer was “no.” While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted discharges from Lake Okeechobee…

Is our discharge crisis over?

April 11, 2024

We may need to retire our “discharges ticker.” For the moment, anyway. Last week the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that once the two-week “pause” in discharges to the St. Lucie, Caloosahatchee and Lake Worth Lagoon ended April 13, the…

Deep Dive: If the STAs were reserved for lake water, Lake O might be below 13 feet now

April 4, 2024

As billions of gallons of polluted water poured out of Lake Okeechobee and into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River estuaries and Lake Worth Lagoon, a familiar question kept being raised: Why isn’t that water going south? And a familiar…

No room at the (water storage) inn? Blame Big Sugar

March 21, 2024

At last week’s South Florida Water Management District meeting, several speakers took potshots at those of us who want to “send it south.” It’s all fine and good to call for water to be sent to the stormwater treatment areas…

Think Big Sugar has nothing to do with the discharges? Think again

February 26, 2024

VoteWater’s Gil Smart: Some say Big Sugar has nothing to do with the discharges. But the entire rigged system was created to keep Big Sugar high and dry – while we drown in a deluge of dirty water.

Where are our champions? What are elected officials doing to stop these discharges?

February 22, 2024

Massive discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers began this past Saturday, with up to 6,500 cubic feet of water per second roaring through the Julian Keen Jr. Lock and Dam/S-77 in Moore Haven and up to 3,600 cfs…

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