CIty of Fort Myers Beach Enviromental Sciences

Fort Myers Beach
Environmental Sciences

Water Restriction Information

Click Here to be re-directed to the South Florida Water Management Distrct for up-to-date information on current water use restrictions.
or visit:
http://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_page
id=1874,9496104,1874_19616129&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

CHARLOTTE HARBOR
NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAYS CELEBRATIONS!

Please spread the word about Charlotte Harbor National Estuaries Days celebrations, especially the three events that will be held September 22! All the details are posted on the program website at www.CHNEP.org. Events are held throughout the Harbor’s watershed and Lee County. Come on out and join in the fun!

Special Events

September 22: Explore Your Estuary Day*
September 29: Native Peoples of Southwest Florida*
September 29: Mote’s Mobile Exhibit at Fishermen’s Village
September 29: Eco-Kids Blast!*
October 6: Sarasota Conservation – A 25-Year Perspective With County Commissioner Jon Thaxton
October 6: Duette Preserve Conifer Celebration*
October 7: Coral Creek Kayak/Canoe Adventure and Picnic*
October 8 – 14: “Ding” Darling Days with Family Fun Day on October 14
October 16: Managing Lakes in Polk County, A Lakes Management Conference*
October 27: Estuaries Day Every Day – A Free Day at the Bay
October 27: Geocaching at Powell Creek Preserve*
October 27 – November 4: Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival
October 30: Celebrate the Caloosahatchee*
November 3: Charlotte Harbor Nature Festival

This festival is the signature event for the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program. Come enjoy the festival to learn about the natural environment of southwest Florida from the experts!

November 3: Esperanza Woodring Memorial Cast Net Rodeo
November 17: Thirty Years of Birding, Wildlife, Conservation and Education in Charlotte County*

Boat Tours

September 29: Literary Passage – Charlotte Harbor to Cabbage Key*
September 29: Charlotte Harbor Sunset Cruise
October 2: Lemon Bay and Stump Pass Watershed Nature Cruise*

Paddling

September 22: Myakka Wild and Scenic River Canoe Paddle
September 22: Buck Key Kayaking Adventure
September 29: Paddle the Estero River*
October 6: Paddle the Peace River in Arcadia*
October 21: Coral Creek – Cape Haze Estuary Day Paddle*
November 18: Matlacha Pass Estuary Day Paddle*

Guided Walks

September 28: Lovers Key State Park
September 29: Estuaries Day Guided Walks
October 7: Birding on Little Pine Island
October 17: Oyster Creek Regional Park Nature Walk*
October 27: Take a Wet Walk on the Wild Side*

Wading Trips

September 29: Lovers Key State Park
October 13: Mucking About in Pine Island Sound*

Cleanups

September 15: Charlotte County Coastal Cleanup*
September 15: Lee County Coastal Cleanup*
October 28: Lee County Monofilament Madness*

For questions, please contact:

Maran Brainard Hilgendorf, Communications Manager

mhilgendorf@swfrpc.org, Phone extension 240

Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program

1926 Victoria Ave, Fort Myers FL 33901

www.CharlotteHarborNEP.org

239/338-2556, Toll Free 866/835-5785, Fax 239/338-2560

Click Here for Season Information

PUBLIC NOTICES

Stormwater discharges onto the beach must be eliminated by April 17, 2008

Tidal waters can become polluted and beaches can be eroded when pipes or culverts discharge directly onto the beach. Point sources of discharge from private property directly onto the beach are prohibited. This prohibition includes drainage collected from parking lots or other paved surfaces and stormwater from the roofs of buildings. Point sources of discharge from private property that were in lawful existence as of April 18, 2005, must be eliminated within 36 months, which is April 17, 2008.

(Town of Fort Myers Beach Land Development Code Sec. 6-13.)

Disposal of Swimming Pool Water

Swimming pool water may not be discharged either directly or indirectly to the beach, canals, wetlands, or any other tidal waters. Prior to disposal of swimming pool water, chlorine and bromine levels must be reduced by not adding chlorine or bromine for at least five days or until their levels are below 0.1 mg per liter. The preferred method for disposing of swimming pool water is to discharge the water into roadside swales to allow percolation into the ground without any runoff into canals, beaches, wetlands, other tidal waters, or onto adjoining properties. Another acceptable method is to discharge the water into the sanitary sewer system operated by Lee County Utilities.

(Town of Fort Myers Beach Land Development Code Sec. 6-12)

NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

3900 Drane Field Road • Lakeland, FL • 33811-1299 • (863) 648-3203

FAX (863) 701-1248 • Web site: MyFWC.com

Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area to be posted this week

March 27, 2007

CONTACT: Nancy Douglass

or Gary Morse (863) 648-3200

Danger for imperiled species that nest on Florida’s barrier islands comes in many forms. Threatened and endangered shorebirds and sea turtles compete with natural predators, developers and outdoor enthusiasts for narrow strips of sand with mixed results. But biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), along with officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Lee County and the Town of Fort Myers Beach, say a completed boundary survey of Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area (CWA) will enable them to do a better job of protecting imperiled species nesting there.

Little Estero Island CWA, at the southern end of Fort Myers Beach, is one of the few state-owned wildlife areas in Lee County that provide nesting habitat for threatened species of shorebirds and sea turtles. Dogs are prohibited throughout the CWA. Officials protect bird colonies by roping off nesting areas and posting signs to indicate which areas people may not enter.

Posted areas are closed to public access from the time the signs go up until Aug. 31, when the young birds leave their nests. Still, the water’s edge is accessible to beachgoers by walking around posted areas or using the marked thoroughfare between posted areas if one is provided.

The process of nesting generally starts in April, when beach-nesting birds stake out suitable sites, followed by sea turtle nesting in May. Professional wildlife biologists and a cadre of volunteers mobilize to post areas, gather data, inform the public and monitor progress of wildlife offspring.

The FWC and its partners try to contact residents adjacent to the affected beachfront. Most residents and visitors support protective measures and take responsibility for keeping a watchful eye on nesting colonies.

“Shorebirds, marine turtles and their nests and eggs enjoy protection under state and federal law. It is, however, the public’s sense of stewardship for the resource that’s the real key to protecting future generations of beach-nesting wildlife,” said Nancy Douglass, regional nongame wildlife biologist for the FWC.

Beach-nesting birds often get nervous around human recreational activities like beach volleyball, kite-surfing or the family pet romping after a windblown Frisbee. Frightened birds sometimes flee their nests, leaving their chicks or eggs vulnerable to a variety of hazards that include predation and dehydration.

Disturbances by people or their pets pose serious problems for beach-nesting birds. Dogs are particularly disruptive to the birds, because they resemble natural predators like raccoons and foxes.

“It’s not so much that people don’t care, it’s that beach-nesting birds are difficult to detect,” Douglass said.

The nests are simple, shallow depressions in the sand, and eggs are well-camouflaged. Once adult birds are frightened off the nest even for a short time, it exposes young chicks to the ravages of the summer sun. Without parent birds providing shade, it only takes a few minutes for temperatures in the nest to rise above 100 degrees, resulting in death for the chicks. Young chicks and eggs also are a favorite target of crows and gulls when parents are not immediately available to challenge hungry predators.

Summer on Florida’s beaches is a time of renewal for many of Florida’s imperiled wildlife species. Tucked away among the dunes and shells of the Gulf Coast, least terns, skimmers, plovers, sea turtles and many other native species set about the age-old task of ensuring the survival of the next generation.

“We’re asking those who use our state’s beaches to avoid nesting areas where colonies of shorebirds are tending their eggs or young chicks. We’re not asking people to stop kite-flying or enjoying the beach, we’re just asking beachgoers to avoid a handful of closed areas where there are nesting birds,” Douglass said.

If you would like more information about Florida’s shorebirds, visit MyFWC.com/wildlife/ and download the “Co-existing with Florida's Beach-nesting birds” brochure.

Red Tide

For the latest information and updates on Red Tide in Southwest Florida, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's website by clicking the icon below: