Executive Director Carol Wehle holds monthly regulatory meetings for pending Consumptive (Water) Use Permits and Environmental Resource Permits. If you wish to participate in public meetings to discuss regulatory matters but cannot attend them in West Palm Beach, you can interact and provide comments via video-conference at the Lower West Coast Service Center at 2301 McGregor Boulevard, Ft. Myers, FL 33901.

Meetings are scheduled for 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on the following dates: October 20, November 17 and December 15. Meeting agendas are posted online and available at the service center prior to the meetings. The meetings are also webcast for those interested in viewing from their computer.

Visit www.sfwmd.gov/permitting for more information on public meetings and ePermitting, or to access permit information and subscribe to the SFWMD's electronic noticing service.

The SFWMD Governing Board approved the donation of 20 acres of land to the City of Bonita Springs. The property abuts the Imperial River and adjoins the city-owned Nature Place, an environmental center promoting the area’s ecology and environmental stewardship. The District purchased the property in 2002 for environmental mitigation and restoration. A requirement of the donation is that the city uses the property for conservation, education and passive recreation, which is consistent with the original use intended by the District.

The acquisition of the 20-acre parcel will provide visitors to Nature Place with direct access to the Imperial River and the hands-on opportunity to learn about the watershed. In addition, the property adjoins Pine Lake Preserve, a 130-acre parcel managed by Lee County. This linkage to additional public lands will allow the city to one day expand the existing trails on the Nature Place property to the Imperial River and the Pine Lake Preserve, affording visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of natural community habitats.

Above Right: SFWMD Governing Board Member Charles Dauray presents deed to city officials.

The SFWMD hosted a business-to-business workshop in Clewiston on August 20 to network with businesses in the Glades communities and discuss opportunities for working with the District. Nearly 100 participants heard presentations describing contracting opportunities on area projects, the SFWMD’s Small Business Enterprise Program and the District procurement process. Following the presentations, District staff and prime contractors were available for one-on-one sessions. Based on the success of the workshop, another will be scheduled in January to offer guidance on the pre-qualification process.

The invasive exotic plant Luziola subintegra was spotted in early August inside Lake Okeechobee near Moore Haven and immediately downstream in the Caloosahatchee River. SFWMD are treating the invasive exotic in these areas and on the northwest side of the lake in and around Fisheating Bay.

The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation developed a flierthat describes this plant and asks boaters to be on the lookout.  If you observe this plant, please send GPS coordinates or other location information to Mike Bodle at mbodle@sfwmd.gov

The SFWMD and the Town of Fort Myers Beach partnered to develop the PRISM Program and Guide showing how individuals can minimize personal pollution of stormwater. The guide explains what stormwater is and how it becomes polluted with silt, car fluids, pesticides, nutrient-rich fertilizers, leaves and litter.

It also contains tips on how residents can have a major impact on improving local water quality by simply “Slowing the Flow” of water from their yards. 

• Create mulch beds to reduce the need for fertilizing, watering, mowing and pesticide use.
• Plant a rain garden—low spots landscaped with flowers and other moisture-tolerant plants that collect rainwater, allowing it to slowly filter into the ground.
• Utilize rain barrels or cisterns to save rain water for future watering needs, such as gardening, filling the bird bath and washing the car. 

Much more information on how residents can minimize personal pollution of stormwater by using less fertilizer, choosing native plants and other beneficial practices can be viewed on the Town of Fort Myers Web site.

Other links:
PRISM
A Guide for Harvesting Rain Water

There are now 168 species of birds documented at Stormwater Treatment Area-5 in Hendry County. Number 168, the smooth-billed ani was photographed July 11. Birders also saw Greater American Flamingos that day on Bloomberg Road and at Duda Farms.

STA-5 tours will be offered on October 17, November 14, November 28, December 12 and December 26. Contact Margaret England for reservations:  STA5Birding@embarqmail.com

The following article is reprinted from Lee County Emergency Management’s newsletter, EM Quarterly. Information, facts and figures obtained from the National Weather Service.

Lightning strikes year round, especially in Florida, where more deaths are caused by lightning than any other state in all of the U.S.

On average, 58 people are killed each year by lightning in the U.S.  Lightning kills more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined (among all weather-related fatalities, only floods kill more). As of August, 27 people have been killed this year by lightning; four were in Florida.

While not all lightning strikes and injuries result in death, many victims are left with devastating and permanent disabilities, such as memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression, and an inability to sit for long. The reported number of injuries is likely far lower than the actual total number because many people don’t seek help or doctors don’t record it as a lightning injury.

Lightning is a serious danger and most lightning tragedies can be avoided with a few simple precautions. Specifically, when thunderstorms threaten, simply get to a safe place. When you hear the first clap of thunder, get in a building or vehicle and wait to leave until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

Visit www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov for more information on lightning facts and safety tips.