Cape Coral’s waterways face growing pressures from development

Cape Coral, once envisioned in the 1950s as a modern city, has grown into a community of over 200,000 residents with a 400-mile canal system, but its waterways face challenges as development expands. Jason Pim, president of the Calusa Waterkeeper and a Cape Coral native, works to protect the city’s cherished waterways. "Pull up Google Maps, look at this satellite view of Cape Coral on Google Maps and look at what's left of those green spots in Cape Coral," Pim said. "Like we want to keep those spots green and not pave them gray." Pim emphasized the need for smarter development practices. "There's a lot more things we could just be doing better. No one wants to stop development. We want to do it smarter and better," he said. "So the way we look at undeveloped land should have changed since 1950 or 1960. We know more about the importance of this land, and we have less and less of it each year." The city’s waterways, which attract many residents, are regularly tested and studied to ensure environmental safety and health. Harry Phillips, Cape Coral’s environmental biologist, explained the impact of pollution on the canals. "There's a lot of people that moved down here from other parts of the country or even the world. And maybe they just don't know that dumping something down the storm drain is going to affect the canal," Phillips said. Phillips conducts weekly water sampling to monitor nutrient pollution, harmful species, and water quality. He noted that more sampling will be required as development increases. Phillips also encouraged residents to help by picking up after pets, limiting fertilizer use, reducing runoff, and avoiding overwatering lawns. Pim highlighted the cumulative impact of development on the area’s natural systems. "Our natural systems are very resilient, but we keep eliminating those natural systems piece by piece," he said. "It's not just one specific development or one specific issue. It's this cumulative impact of, you know, it's you hear a lot of death by a thousand cuts." For Pim, protecting Cape Coral’s waterways is vital for the city’s future. "I don't think any of our kids are going to thank us for building out one more neighborhood or one more apartment complex," he said. "What I want to leave my kids with is an estuary that's healthier than I found it. A place where they can boat and fish and explore like I was able to when I was a kid. And so we really have to protect what's left to make that happen." DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.