Caloosahatchee River

Hurricane Ian’s landfall on Sept. 28 last year helped foster a red-tide-a-thon that lasted eight months. Now there have been seven blue-green algae health advisories in Lee County alone since May

Southwest Florida is so rich in wildlife habitat and has so many threatened and endangered species that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to add the region to the world’s largest network of protected lands. The Southwest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Area

A group of Republican state lawmakers met at the Riverside Community Center in Fort Myers to discuss millions of dollars earmarked to clean up the Caloosahatchee River while the Florida Department of Health was issuing an advisory for a significant blue-green algae outbreak that had formed in the water behind them.

Water laden with blue-green algae is being released from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River to lower the lake level going into the heart of hurricane season in September. That often coincides with blue-green algae blooms upriver like this one at the Davis Boat Ramp, which is the topic of an ongoing Florida Department of Health alert.

The level of blue-green algae in the Caloosahatchee River near the Davis Boat Ramp was so high that the Florida Department of Health in Lee County issued a special public health alert. Last month, four health advisories for the same harmful algae bloom were issued in or near the headwaters of the Peace River. Both empty into the Charlotte Harbor Estuary.

A popular photo of a female Florida panther, with her kitten trailing behind, is set to be the third image featured on the state’s “Protect the Panther” specialty vehicle tag.The picture was taken in 2018 by famed National Geographic photographer Carlton Ward Jr. on the Babcock Ranch, which is about 15 miles north of Fort Myers and just north of the Caloosahatchee River when the panther duo tripped one of his remote cameras.

The Caloosahatchee project award was part of more than $13.6 million given for innovative technologies and short-term solutions to aid in the prevention, cleanup and mitigation of harmful algal blooms.

Codty Pierce is the new leader of Calusa Waterkeeper

In the mid-1800’s, the Caloosahatchee River served as the key to the economy in Fort Myers. It served as the main transportation route and it drove commerce. To honor the river’s role in the foundation of Fort Myers’ history, the city will pay tribute through a new art installment.

The W.P. Franklin Lock on the Caloosahatchee River in Alva will be closed for one day to support maintenance on Jan. 18.