| 24 May 2011
Increased flow through one outlet rather than retaining water for more gradual distribution is devastating natural systems essential for our fisheries.
Lee County Commissioners lead battle to Save Matlacha Fishing
This morning (24 May), Lee County Commissioners unanimously agreed to appeal the DEP denial of the permit to reconstruct the Ceitus Barrier on the North Spreader System. They will be supported in that legal action by myself and every single non-profit environmental organization in Southwest Florida, as well as all local governments other than Cape Coral, numerous local citizens groups, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, all of the scientists working for those organizations, as well as the scientific papers and studies produced by those scientists on this subject over the last several decades.
Matlacha Update continued...
The debate regarding Ceitus all too often revolves solely around water quality issues, which include the impacts of poor quality storm water run-off, septic systems, excess nutrients, etc., and the resulting hazardous algae blooms and damage to flora and fauna. Barriers can redirect or even mitigate such impacts, but cannot completely solve them. Water quality, while very important, was not and still is not the primary purpose of the spreader system.
As we all know, a lot off rain falls on the 115 or so square mile watershed on the north side of Cape Coral during the rainy season--about 55 to 60 inches most years, which is about the same as the famous monsoons in Vietnam. I’ve seen it in both places, and it’s a lot of water.
(Click Image To Enlarge)Growing Snook and Redfish depend on a low salinity refuge where they can escape predation.Historically, in North Cape Coral, most of that water flowed southwest to the wetlands along Matlacha Pass. It was surface water sheet flow to the creeks and sloughs and for thousands of years (up until 2008) it ended up distributed throughout the mangrove swamps of our estuary. An estuary (as they now teach in the Fifth Grade of Florida schools), is a where fresh and salt water mix, and they are the most productive places on earth. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a primary fish nursery for the Gulf of Mexico, and the mangroves along Matlacha Pass are the heart of that nursery. Our marine life has evolved dependent on historical water flow quality, quantity, and timing, and without properly distributed and varying levels of salinity at the proper seasons, the nursery cannot function.
When Gulf American Corporation was creating Cape Coral by cutting canals and interfering with the flow of fresh water through the wetlands, the DEP (in 1976) stepped in and required the creation of the spreader system. Its express primary purpose when created was to serve as a distribution system for fresh water—so the mangrove nurseries would continue to receive the quantity and timing of fresh water they so vitally require--properly distributed throughout the estuary. That’s why the system is called a “spreader”—it spreads fresh water, it’s a distribution system.
Opponents of the spreader system say what they call “breaches” in the “western wall” make the Ceitus Barrier useless. In fact, there never was a “western wall”—the water was supposed by design to go west, and the “breaches” are just returns to historical flow paths. They should be encouraged—let Mother Nature decide where the water goes. In the final analysis, she will anyway. And quit calling her work “breaches.”
As you know, the south end of the spreader system, the Ceitus Barrier, essentially a dam, eventually failed following damage from Hurricane Charlie, and the Cape Coral Government, the successor organization to the Gulf American Corporation and owner of the spreader, took out the remainder in 2008 and does not want to put it back. Without the Barrier at the south end, the spreader is no longer a “spreader system”—it is a “collector system” with only one point of discharge.
A legal action on the issue was resolved by creating the EMA or Environmental Management Agreement, fancy words for a committee. The EMA was charged with finding a way to restore, and I quote, “historical water quantity, quality, and timing” to the estuary. The stakeholders consisted of practically every environmental organization in Southwest Florida, as well as local government organizations and citizen groups as well as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The committee included ecologists, environmentalists, hydrologists, geologists, limnologists, engineers, biologists, fisheries scientists, and numerous other experts. They labored for 2 and ½ years, but were unable to identify any way to achieve proper distribution of fresh water to the estuary without the Ceitus Barrier in place. The final vote was 14 to 4 to put the Barrier back, and every single environmental organization as well as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and all of the scientists of all those organizations unanimously joined in that finding. Nonetheless, and despite the very explicit requirements of the Consent Order, the DEP has refused to implement the findings of the EMA.
Without the Barrier in place, the mangrove nursery has since 2008 not been getting the fresh water it needs to support the production of marine life. Snook in particular are being devastated because they require varying levels of salinity at various stages of growth. That portion of our estuary is ceasing to function as an estuary—the very same thing that’s happening in the Caloosahatchee right now and for the very same reason.
The other side of the coin is that without the Barrier in place, excess volumes of fresh water are being diverted out the south end of the system during the rainy season. Too much fresh water, even if were absolutely pristine, is as toxic and deadly to salt water marine life as any pollutant. Again, that’s the same thing that happens to the Caloosahatchee in the rainy season. When the Barrier was taken out in 2008, we immediately experienced a catastrophic marine die-off in Matlacha. Marine life that could not swim away was wiped out—sponges, tunicates, and oysters. You can walk up to the banks along the north side of Pine Island Road in east Matlacha right now and see mountains of dead oysters. They aren’t coming back until the rainy season fresh water flow is redirected and properly redistributed to the wetlands where it belongs.
Right now, we have no choice but to restore the Ceitus Barrier, preferably with a boater-friendly lock similar to the one in south Cape Coral. The citizens of Lee County and its Government know just as well as I do how deeply we depend on the estuary as the bedrock of our environment as well as our economy. It’s why we live here; it’s why the tourists come. We have to save it. And the only way to do that is to file an appeal to the permit denial, put the Barrier back, and thus restore fresh water distribution to our estuary the way Mother Nature designed it.
How you can Help
Contribute to Matlacha Fishing Futures fund - in photo - small tarpon in mangrove creek, A.AdamsPlease take action and then please pass this request on. You and your influence are important. Lets stop the destruction of great Matlacha Area fishing.
Anglers, we fight the good fights together. The facts are in and the Lee County Commission has voted unanimously to file suit against DEP and the City of North Cape Coral for replacement of the Ceitus Barrier.
Anglers, conservation-minded individuals and local government organizations must join in this support brief/intervenor action being taken by Lee County to conserve our most valuable resources.
This support action will need funding the opportunity exists for individuals and organization to contribute. The Snook and Gamefish Foundation a 501c3 is accepting donations for this purpose. If you care about the natural abundance, diversity, and future health of Matlacha Pass you'll want to help fight the Ceitus battle. It's essential to the future of snook, tarpon, redfish, seatrout, gag grouper and 280 other species of game and forage fish that need Matlacha Pass to mature and survive.
Your check or online donation made out to the Snook Foundation, in any amount is Tax Deductible
Make Checks Payable to:
The Snook Foundation
Attn. Matlacha Fishing Futures Fund
5224 W SR 46 #102
Sanford, FL 32771
The Snook and Gamefish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Publicly supported Foundation. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-435-7352 toll free within the state. Florida registration CH11670.
