25TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Continuing the fight for Fishable, Swimmable, Drinkable Water Letter from our President Origin Story Mascot Musings Not Your Lone Ranger No Fibbing - Impaired Waters Up Billy’s Creek - No Paddle Then and Now: 25 Years 2020 Policy Planning Objectives CALUSA WATERKEEPER BOARD OF DIRECTORS / 2020-2021 Officers: President Ruth Watkins / Vice President Jason Pim / Secretary Kathy Cookman / Treasurer Jim Watkins Board of Directors: Chuck Avery /John Cookman / Solemi Hernandez / Louise Kowitch / Corey McCloskey /John Paul / Linda Penniman / Howard Simon CALUSA WATERKEEPER STAFF & TEAM Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani / Executive Director K.C. Schulberg / Administrative Coordinator Cindy Swisher IT & Social Media Sharkinetics / Public Relations Conric PR & Marketing /Accounting & CPA Atkinson and Associates Billy’s Creek Community Action Plan [BCCAP] Outreach Director Nonnel Galaviz-Johnson 25TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Layout, Concept, “Origin Story,” “Then and Now,” “Mascot Musings” KC Schulberg / “My Mascot Musings” Jason Pim “Not the Lone Ranger,” “No Fibbing” John Cassani / “Up Billy’s Creek” Gene Gibson / Photo credit Cat Chase Media NEW DATE ! – DECEMBER 13, 2020 CONCERT FOR CLEAN WATER with HOTEL CALIFORNIA CENTENNIAL PARK THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS I Heart Media SWFL Happenings Magazine Boater’s Landing Jensen’s Marina & Resort Breeze Newspapers John R. Wood Properties Suncoast Beverages Hans Wilson Associates Tito’s Handmade Vodka La Mesa RV Manatee & Eco River Tours CMCS Keep Lee County Beautiful WITH Bay Water Boat Club Howard Simon & Beth Wilson JGucciardo Consulting Coastal and Heartland National Audubon of Western Everglades Estuary Partnership Forestry Resources Ecological And To Our Sustaining Sponsors: The Severus Foundation – Southwest Florida Community Foundation Dear Friends, In 2016, I caught a television interview with John Cassani addressing water quality problems in the Caloosahatchee River and the science behind how our local waters had deteriorated over time. This was of particular interest to me as I had been deeply invested in water quality issues in the Pacific Northwest for over three decades before making Florida my home. I was struck by John’s candor and gravitas. I joined the Calusa Waterkeeper Board of Directors in 2017. The following year, I became Vice-President and President in 2019. What a whirlwind it has been. In three short years, we grew our Ranger corps from five to nearly ninety, we hired a first-rate Executive Director in KC Schulberg, filed two legal petitions in defense of water quality, held numerous overflowing Town Halls accompanied by prestigious expert panels, presented to more than 100 civic associations, ramped up our water quality testing, established our own testing laboratory, created a continuing education class for local physicians, and produced a ground- breaking 40-minute documentary “TROUBLED WATERS – Public Health Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms.” Though 2020 has gotten off to a challenging start because of COVID- 19, our mission is stronger than ever. At times like this, and as we celebrate our momentous 25th anniversary, we need to all pull together - and we have. Which brings me to how thankful I am for everyone who is part of the Calusa Waterkeeper team – from the founding members of CRCA who focused attention on the River and laid the foundation for today’s work, to the Waterkeeper Alliance for welcoming us into their fold, to our dedicated staff, loyal Board members, and the countless volunteers who help carry out our mission - including the amazing Rangers - to the financial support of businesses and sponsors from our community, to the remarkable foundations that have provided essential grants, and to our very generous individual donors. Lastly, I am grateful to you, our Members. Thank you for being with us every step of the way as we defend your right to drinkable, fishable, swimmable water today and into the future. Ruth Watkins / President Mascot Musings Our Smalltooth Sawfish Logo Though not exactly cuddly, our mascot – the smalltooth K.C. Schulberg sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is extraordinary by many The early 1990s proved a seminal moment in measures. Olive gray to brown on its back, with a light Southwest Florida history when folks became sandy underbelly, sawfish have a lifespan of several surprisingly sensitized to environmental decades and can sometimes attain a length of 20 feet. issues. Hurricane Andrew had slammed They belong to a group of fish called elasmobranchs Florida on August 16, 1992 causing $23b in that includes rays, skates, and sharks. Though shark- Reprinted with permission of News-Press economic and environmental damage. like in appearance, they are actually rays, as their gills In May of 1994, the Everglades Forever Act (EFA), a precursor to CERP, and mouths are found on the underside of their bodies. was enacted by Florida’s legislature, focusing national attention on Sawfish get their name from their distinct rostrum—a South Florida. Later that year, on July 4, Tropical Storm Alberto caused long, flat snout edged with sharp teeth—that looks like devastating flooding throughout Florida. In fact, 1994 was one of the a saw. wettest years on record in Florida with rainfall from January to April The smalltooth sawfish was the first marine fish to 140% above average and November & December a staggering 316% above normal, leaving Lake Okeechobee, our canals and rivers receive federal protection as an endangered specie engorged with surplus water and bringing much needed attention to under the Endangered Species Act in 2003. water flow issues on the Caloosahatchee, its tributaries and estuaries. Its habitat used to extend from the Mid-Atlantic In 1994, the News-Press had published a series of articles on the states through the Gulf of Mexico, down to Uruguay and Caloosahatchee, entitled “River at Risk.” And on August 7, 1994, even to the western coast of Africa from Angola to published a major article called “Caloosahatchee: An Orphan River.” Mauritania. But due to overfishing and compromised That article amounted to a double-truck appeal to protect and defend habitat it is now only found in the waters of Southwest our River – a plea for adoption of the mighty Caloosahatchee, saying Florida. And one of the few remaining pupping grounds “unlike the Hudson, the River has no keeper” and calling for “the is our own Caloosahatchee River. formation of a citizen’s group to watch over the river.” Furthermore, The sawfish, image - now such a central part of our there was an announcement of a News-Press sponsored profile - was originally proposed by our former Caloosahatchee Community Forum to take place later that year. President, Gene Gibson, when we were applying to the This did not fall on deaf ears. When the summit took place on November 19, 1994, the Barbara B. Mann auditorium was filled with Waterkeeper Alliance as a full Member in 2016. John 400 attentive agency & elected officials, environmental groups and Capece provided the new name Calusa Waterkeeper, scores of ordinary concerned citizens – among them, many who would as an alternative to the more geographically-limiting be instrumental in forming our organization, like Rae Ann Wessel, John Caloosahatchee. And the logo was crafted by John Capece, John Cassani, Jim Haggart, Charles Edgar Foster, Laura Church, Cassani’s daughter, Sarah Lepa,. Linda Mattos, Amy Bennett Williams, Connie Hoffsinger, Rob Andrys, We are extremely proud that the international Keith Kibbey… and many others. These were sunnier times (so to Waterkeeper Alliance not only approved our logo; they speak), at least, less polarized, when Bill Hammond sat on the South now showcase it as a prime example in their style Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Ray Judah was a manual sent to all 340 waterkeeper organizations County Commissioner. (continued on opposite page) around the world. Nov 19, 1994 March 9, 1995 Oct 22, 1995 Jan 27, 1996 June 1996 Nov 1996 Nov 21, 1997 March 8, 1998 March 14, 1998 Caloosahatchee FOUNDING of CRCA CRCA Marine CRCA Storm Drain CRCA receives First of 18 years WGCU River doc CRCA Annual CRCA River Cruise Community Forum Caloosahatchee Clean-up Day Stencil Project – IRS 501(c)(3) gets PBS airdate Member Meeting with R.A. Wessel Sponsored by the River Citizens Caloosahatchee to ”Don’t Pollute - Tax exempt (prompted by Jaycee Park J. Capece & C.E. News-Press Association Ortona Locks Flows To River” status J. Cassani) Cape Coral Foster My Mascot Musings ORIGIN STORY [CONTD.] Jason Pim, Calusa Waterkeeper Ranger This smalltooth sawfish story bookends my In January of 1995, a core group of 90, who had attended experiences of the disastrous harmful algal blooms of the Forum, gathered at the Calusa Nature Center’s Iona 2018. On June 27th, I accompanied John Cassani and House to discuss next steps. And thus, a “citizen’s group Wayne Daltry as they escorted Miami Herald to watch over the river” was born. The first job was to journalists from Lake Okeechobee to the come up with a name. According to Rae Ann Wessel, Caloosahatchee to observe the “guacamole” “this was like getting 90 people to name a baby.” Hence cyanobacteria bloom making its way downstream the CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER CITIZENS ASSOCIATION, towards the Franklin Locks. I was already a CWK which does not exactly roll off the tongue. It was quickly Ranger, but this was the first of many more “media abbreviated to CRCA. The News-Press article and Forum algae tours" I would conduct throughout the summer. had laid down markers, which were now taken up by this That next morning, I dropped our oldest daughter intrepid group of nascent water warriors. They adopted to her lifeguard classes at the Cape Coral Yacht Club. I the concept, watch-words, like “Riverwatch” (which was worried the bloom was headed for our canals and became the unofficial title of the organization), and even might affect the July 4th boating plans for my co-opted a News-Press image to become the new logo! community.