June 2, 2010
PURRE Water Coalition Applauds City's Decision
Sanibel Vice Mayor Mick Denham said at that city’s council meeting June 1 that he has had enough of the Caloosahatchee taking much more than its share of estuary-killing water from Lake Okeechobee.
After sitting through two Army Corps of Engineers’ briefings recently and being told it was “easier” to send polluted Lake Okeechobee water down the Caloosahatchee because it does not have the protections of lawsuits or endangered species, Denham said he is ready to take more aggressive action to stop the releases.
The vice mayor said he now wants to seek an official restriction similar to those enjoyed east and south of the lake because the Caloosahatchee’s estuary has been designated the critical habitat of the endangered species, the smalltooth sawfish (shown below).
“I am relieved to hear that, finally, after all these years, someone from a municipality understands what we at PURRE have been saying for years,” said Michael Valiquette, PURRE chairman. “The only thing that will get the attention of the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District is litigation and a court ruling. Way to go, Mick! It’s time to take off the gloves in this fight to save our estuary.”
The Charlotte Harbor Estuary, which includes the Caloosahatchee River and Sanibel Island, has been deemed the critical habitat of the smalltooth sawfish, an endangered fish belonging to the same group as sharks, skates and rays. It can reach 18 feet in length and live up to 25 or 30 years. Its habitat, once large, has shrunk to encompass only the Charlotte Harbor Estuary (see map of the sawfish's critical habitat, below right). 
The vice mayor received the full support of the Sanibel City Council and everyone who spoke from the audience, including Valiquette, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Natural Resources Policy Director Rae Anne Wessel, and other citizens.
The path Denham is suggesting would involve several steps, including the filing of Freedom of Information Act requests, possible petitions under the Endangered Species Act, and more. The city is working with the Washington, D.C. environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond.
Denham also plans to set up a meeting with key staff of the South Florida Water Management District to try to hold them to their commitment to provide 450,000 acre-feet of water storage. “I want to have a very specific timeline about what they’re going to do and how they’re going to do it,” Denham said. “I think I need to use the offices of the City of Sanibel, the Regional Planning Council, and Lee County to help them secure the necessary acreage.”
“PURRE fully supports the city of Sanibel’s more aggressive approach,” Valiquette said. “I told the vice mayor publicly that PURRE stands behind him and the city in these efforts and will help in any way we can.”
Valiquette did a telephone interview with Fox 4 News in Ft. Myers this morning to discuss what the Lake Okeechobee releases are doing to the water quality around Sanibel and voice PURRE’s support for the city’s plans. Click the link below to watch the broadcast.
