Sewage spill leads to canal fish kill
To the editor:
Our waterways seem to be under attack on all fronts locally, and that is a shining example of what is occurring at Ten Mile Canal in Fort Myers. Last week I was contacted by state-wide activists about a terrible, unexplained massive fish kill at this location. When I went as a clean water activist to report and assess the damages, I was shocked at what I seen. Hundreds of large snook, bass, catfish, and every fish species bellied up floating dead in the canal as well as along the banks of the canal. Vultures picking away at these carcasses all day long was a sure indicator something went very wrong here. The smell of death along with a horrible stench of unhealthy sewage or chemical was airborne to the point it was incredibly hard to breathe without gagging.
Not a single person had any idea of what had happened here, and no government agency at this point was willing to admit what happened. There were certainly no signs or informational sources posted to let people know what happened. I went there three straight days to investigate and demand answers. Each day accumulated more and more fish kill with toxic waters showing blue green algae more and more each day, and no sign of any authorities looking into this problem.
We wanted answers as the clean water movement. We demanded someone or some city or state agency give information about this problem. After six days of nonstop pressure from the clean water movement to our state officials, the city finally came clean and admitted it was a sewer line. The city claimed it will look into whose line was ruptured and who would be responsible. All educated guesses from the general public and clean water activists now points at the actual city of Fort Myers as the culprit. Why would the city take almost a week to claim responsibility for one of their lines breaking while completely polluting our waters?
This same canal slowly trickles back into our Estero Bay. The idea of Ten Mile Canal is to naturally cleanse the water before it’s slowly trickles into the bay. Toxic, sewage-filled, polluted water damaged by man has raise questions on the health of our water quality now heading to our local communities and back bay. If the city will not take full responsibility for its own line of raw sewage breaking, then it also raises questions of the spill being not contained and not going to Estero Bay.
Being provocative from people all over our state demanding answers, and putting pressure on local government agencies as well as the local media has proved that being vocal about environmental disasters certainly forces their hand not to be able to sweep it under the rug. We will always be here to speak up, demonstrate and raise awareness to the health and well-being to our fight to preserve our paradise. Without a voice, we are systematically kept quiet. We encourage you and every single person to become proactive when you see a mishap. Report it, take pics and get involved in saving our waterways. Our way of life depends on it. ?
John G. Heim
Clean water activist?
2013 river champion
Fort Myers Beach