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Many thanks

By Staff | May 17, 2008

To the editor:

Thank you to the newly-formed Cape Water Action leaders and volunteers.

The public educational meeting on May 10 was excellent, well worth the three hours of planned program. Thirty-plus residents attended the event, despite the last minute change in location from the city-owned Rotino Center to a Cape Coral church. 

Hearing from knowledgeable speakers about the canal system and the expected short- and long-term water quality problems was a good place to start. Thank you for leaving time for questions. The speakers provided well thought-out answers and were willing to offer tips and reflections on doable actions for CWA to consider.

A Cape biologist with the Environmental Resources department, Kraig Hankins, encouraged attendees to sample water and collect water quality data as part if the city’s Canalwatch Program.

As a Cape resident for five years, the historical information provided on the canal system’s successes and failures was especially important to hear and understand.

As was mentioned at the event, the county-wide Florida Yards and Neighborhood educational program, which has been active both in the Cape and in the county for over five years, can play a part in presenting to resident water quality solutions. Educating Cape residents on using the right plants in the right places when replanting along sea walls, in shallow water retention areas, drainage ditches, choosing suitable buffer plantings and knowing how to minimize yard inputs that impact the canal system……all these things are just a few of the topics taught by FYN volunteers.

Putting the Cape’s canals water quality into context was just what was needed. Discussions on the past, present and future and using comparisons with Cape canals to older canal systems in other parts of the state made sense before moving forward with an action plan. The parallels drawn from the experiences of the speakers also framed the need for selected actions. Positive steps now can make a difference for the health of the canal system’s water quality in the future. Also, knowing the Cape has agency and environmental group support was especially gratifying.

I hope CWA can sponsor and co-sponsor other public water quality meetings and events in the future.

I applaud CWA’s leadership in making the Cape’s water quality issue No. 1 for everyone who lives there, and not just those living on the water. As a Cape resident, I know there are ways to be better stewards of our canals.

Ultimately, like speaker Dr. Bill Hammond discussed, it may take longer than some of us would have expected.  It took seven years for the Monday Group high school students and teachers to see their vision to save the Six mile Slough Preserve. It could take seven years for CWA to make major community actions stick in the Cape led by its public officials. I hope everyone agrees; the Cape Canals are worth fighting for.  

Good speakers, good exhibitors and good leadership did exactly what CWA had set out to do after their initial startup meeting last November…. Work together to preserve protect and enhance Cape Coral’s extensive canal, river, and estuary system and the unique water-based quality of life.

Thank you to everyone who planned and participated in the event. 

Thomas Becker

Cape Coral