Once upon a time the Caloosahatchee River meandered its way from marshlands just west of Lake Okeechobbee to Ft. Myers where its waters met up with the Gulf of Mexico. It was barely navigable and often flooded. Then it was dredged and straightened becoming part of the intracoastal waterway – allowing boats to travel from Ft. Myers to Ft. Pierce. Now portions of the old river are being restored. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.

One Florida pest is expected to be less of a nuisance this fall, thanks to summer rains. The flying, biting midge, also known as a no-see-um, has had a hard time finding areas to breed, causing their numbers to dwindle. Pam Geiser reports.

About a hundred miles off the coast of southwest Florida – beneath about 250 feet of water - sits the deepest coral reef ever found on the U.S. continental shelf. Marine scientists discovered the Pulley Ridge reef in 1999. They’re only just beginning to understand the role it, and other deep water reefs like it, play in the oceanic ecosystem.

While the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council has taken steps to protect Pulley Ridge – some marine scientists are concerned that other deep water coral reefs off U.S. coastlines are being unknowingly decimated by what’s called bottom-trawling fishing.

Florida Senator Mel Martinez is co-sponsoring legislation that would limit bottom-trawling to areas that have already been fished. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more…

Policy makers, scientists and stakeholders came together Friday in Fort Myers for the 15th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference. The event’s primary focus was “Water Quality in the Caloosahatchee Basin”. WGCU's Mike Kiniry reports.

Lee Commissioners approved the sale agreement Tuesday that calls for contributing 40 million dollars to buy about 5,600 acres of Babcock Ranch that lies in Lee County. WGCU’s Amy Tardif reports.

Fresh water releases from Lake Okeechobee are stirring Sanibel islanders into action. Residents feel their environment is doomed unless they can stop the release of excess water from the lake down the Caloosahatchee River. Wendy Humphrey reports.

Florida Gulf Coast University and the Estuary Conservation Association launch the Cocohatchee River and Estuary Guardian initiative today at the Pelican Isle Yacht Club in North Naples.
The program is a joint effort to ensure the environmental health, boating and fishing opportunities and the quality eco-tourism potential of the Cocohatchee watershed. It runs from Delnor Wiggins Pass, under Vanderbilt Beach Road, crosses U.S. 41 to Immokalee Road where it connects to a drainage canal from Golden Gate. FGCU associate professor of Environmental Studies, John Fitch, says it’s extensive and interesting watershed.
He spoke with WGCU's Amy Tardif.

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Republican Congressman Connie Mack and Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz joined forces Wednesday. They met with members of the House Resources Committee to debate the pros and cons of opening up the Eastern Gulf to natural gas drilling. From Capitol Hill, Terry Gildea (gil DAY) has more.

When people think of Lake Okeechobee’s dike, thoughts of hurricanes and flood control measures come to mind. But, the thirty-foot high dirt wall also provides recreational opportunities. Carol Pratt reports on a new trail around the lake.