Welcome to the Home Page of the SW Florida Watershed Council

The Southwest Florida Watershed Council is a grass-roots, multi-county coalition of individuals, organizations, agencies and businesses that have come together to address the issues affecting the Calhossahatchee and Big Cypress watersheds. The purpose of the Watershed Council is to ensure that the interests and concerns of all stakeholders are addressed, and that long term management strategies balance the needs of this region’s growth and the natural systems upon which our economy and quality of life depend.

To learn more about the goals of the Watershed Council, visit our Information page. Membership is open to all. Any individual, group or business that wants to ensure that decisions affecting the watershed are based on the best science available and balance the needs of all stakeholders should see our Membership page for more information on how to join.

Board of Directors Elections

I want to update everyone on the outcome of this year’s board elections. All of the board members that were up for re-election (Sharon Arnold, Jennifer Hecker, Greg Rawl, John Cassani, Tamara Pigott, Noel Andress, and Karen Andress) were reappointed for another term and the nominees (Mitch Hutchcraft and Sarah Larsen) were appointed to a new 2-year term.

Our board members for 2010 are as follows:

Prefix

First Name

Last Name

Title/Position

Company

Ms.

Sharon

Arnold

Vice President

Gravina, Smith & Matte, Inc.

Ms.

Jennifer

Hecker

Natural Resource Policy Manager

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Mr.

Greg

Rawl, PG

Geologist

Greg F. Rawl, PG

Mr.

John

Cassani

Resource Manager

Lee County Hyacinth Control District

Ms.

Tamara

Pigott

Beach & Shoreline Project Manager

Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau

Mr.

James

Evans

Environmental Biologist

City of Sanibel

Mr.

Nick

Batos

Chair

Brooks Concerned Citizens

Mr.

Don

Eslick

Chair

Estero Council of Community Leaders

Mr.

Ed

Hanlon

Professor, Soil and Water Science

University of Florida

Ms.

Rae Ann

Wessel

Natural Resources Policy Director

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

Mr.

Pete

Quasius

Environmental Policy Advocate

Audubon SWF

Mr.

Noel

Andress

Owner/Broker

Sunmark Realty Inc.

Mrs.

Karen

Andress

Sunmark Realty Inc.

Mr.

Don

Duke

Associate professor

Florida Gulf Coast University

Ms.

Sarah

Larsen

Student

FGCU

Mr.

Mitch

Hutchcraft

Vice President

King Ranch

As Chair, I would like to personally thank all of our board members for their leadership and continued commitment to the Watershed Council. I also want to welcome our new members, who I am sure will bring a fresh new perspective to the board.

The board will conduct officer elections over the next few days. Results will be emailed to the membership and posted on our website www.swfwc.org.

The next regular meeting will be held Wednesday March 17th at 2:00 P.M. at the Sugden Welcome Center on the Campus of FGCU. This month’s program will feature Shelley Norton from the National Marine Fisheries Service to discuss the Smalltooth Sawfish Critical Habitat Designation and Recovery Plan. We will send out a meeting announcement and more information on the program later this week. This should be an exciting presentation that could have huge implications for the Caloosahatchee watershed. I hope that you all can attend.

If you haven’t already sent in your membership dues for this year, please do so. Membership forms are available on our website www.swfwc.org. If you are unsure of the status of your membership, please call me at 239-297-1857 or email me james13391@yahoo.com.

Thanks,

James Evans, Chair

Southwest Florida Watershed Council

What's New?

Watershed Council Natural Resources Committee Meeting Schedule September 10, 2009

The Council's Natural Resources Committee will meet at the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (1926 Victoria Avenue in Fort Myers) at noon on the following dates:

September 14

October 9

November 11

December 14

James Evans Elected to Lead Watershed Council March 20, 2009

Biologist James Evans, who works for the City of Sanibel, was elected Chairman by Watershed Council members on March 19th. Mr. Evans has been an active member of the Council for many years, and has served as a strong advocate of science-based water resource management throughout his career.

Aquatic biologist John Cassani, who co-founded the Council and chaired it for the past three years, was thanked by members for his dedicated service. He will remain active as a member of the Council's Board of Directors.

The Watershed Council again asks the South Florida Water Management District to establish a reservation of water for the Caloosahatchee River The Watershed Council initially requested that a reservation of water be established in 2002 out of concern that the Caloosahatchee River is not considered an “existing legal user” of water resources when it comes to the process of allocating water resources. It appeared likely that the River, which is a tremendously important resource in Southwest Florida, would need extraordinary consideration in order to be guaranteed a flow regime which will support the ecological and economic needs of this region.

The Watershed Council has continually been assured by the South Florida Water Management District and other entities such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that the Caloosahatchee would receive the water it needs, but this has not been the case. Since the adoption of the Minimum Flow and Level (MFL) rule for the Caloosahatchee River in September 2001, there have been exceedences to the rule in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2008. The last two consecutive years constituting a violation of the rule, causing, by definition significant harm to the resource. 2007 and 2008 drought conditions played a significant role in addition to water supply demands which are apparently over allocated as evidenced by the poor performance record of meeting minimum flow targets through the period of record. South Florida Water Management District policy that allowed redirecting Caloosahatchee Basin runoff during the 2007/2008 dry season to Lake Okeechobee via S-77, rather than allowing the basin’s stored runoff to flow downstream to the estuary at a critical time, further magnified the low flow problem. The redirected negative flows occurred through much of the 2007/2008 dry season.

Once again, the Watershed Council has requested that the South Florida Water Management District act on the promises it has made and take the steps necessary to protect the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. Click here to read the letters we have sent and received over the years and to read the latest exchange -- a letter written in October, 2008 to the SFWMD.

Draft Caloosahatchee Riverway Betterment Financially and Ecologically Sustainable Concept For The C-43 Reservoir, Southwest Florida: Corresponding with the Caloosahatchee River Restoration Plan per Florida Statute 373.4595 Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program; Caloosahatchee River Watershed Protection Plan

Florida Department of Environmental Protection draft total maximum daily load report for waterbodies in the Everglades West Coast Basin

The Department has completed draft total maximum daily load reports for several waterbodies in the Everglades West Coast Basin. These TMDLs were presented at workshops in early July.   Further information on the reports and workshops may be requested by contacting Jan Mandrup-Poulsen at: 850/245-8448 or by e-mail at: jan.mandrup-poulsen@dep.state.fl.us.

Cocohatchee River Estuary Fecal Coliform TMDL - WBID 3259A (6/18/08 - 2.4 MB)

Gordon River Extension Dissolved Oxygen TMDL - WBID 3278K (6/20/08 - 1.4 MB)

Hendry Creek (Marine) Fecal Coliform TMDL - WBID 3258B1 (6/18/08 - 3.3 MB)

Hendry Creek Dissolved Oxygen TMDLs - WBIDs 3258B and 3258B1 (6/20/08 - 3.5 MB)

Imperial River Dissolved Oxygen TMDL - WBID 3258E (6/20/08 - 1.5 MB)

Lake Trafford Nutrient, Un-ionized Ammonia, and DO TMDLs - WBID 3259W (6/18/08 - 1.8 MB)

Watershed Council Priorities

Fort Myers - April 2, 2008

The Southwest Florida Watershed Council hosted a Summit attended by 14 Non-Governmental Organizations on March 20th to facilitate effective communication regarding water resource issues amongst the groups. Participants also prioritized the issues as follows:

Score       Issue:

16             Fertilizer ordinance (local and regional) and associated state legislation, effective public outreach on the issue

12             Florida Forever successor program

8               State preemption of local decision making

8              Lake Okeechobee and associated regional CERP projects

7              Support for DRGR studies and legislation /rules to implement conclusions

6             The Harper Report and its influence on state stormwater rules and its affect on future permitting

Troubled Waters: An Analysis of 2005 Clean Water Act Compliance

Christy Leavitt, Clean Water Advocate

Environment Florida Research & Policy Center

Click here to access the report

EPA Watershed News

http://www.epa.gov/watershed/news.html

EROC Ordinance

Regulation of professional landscape management practices including the application of fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus in Lee County. Draft for county ordinance available and county guidelines available.

Click here for ordinance draft

Click here ordinance evaluation guidelines

Caloosahatchee River Basin New EPA Established TMDLs:

http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/tmdl/florida/index.htm#caloos

South Florida Water Management District Weekly Update on Water Conditions

The South Florida Water Management District issues a weekly update on water conditions and operational protocols during the rainy season in an effort to keep elected officials, county partners and others informed. Click here for the reports.