Salinity readings for the North Spreader

The data remains constant. The North Spreader receives huge volumes of poor quality storm water from the 115 sq mile watershed during the rainy season.  During that period, it is of course (as designed) entirely fresh water. When the Ceitus Barrier was in place, the Spreader distributed that fresh water to the wetlands fringe west of Cape Coral, which corresponded with historical flows and served to maintain the fish nursery as well as cleanse the water before it entered Matlacha Pass.

Removal of the Ceitus Barrier has deprived the Cape wetlands fringe of the fresh water necessary for the fish nursery and estuary to properly function, and does serious point source fresh water pollution and siltation to Back Bay and Matlacha Pass.

During the dry season (when there is no storm water flow), the removal of the Ceitus Barrier allows the North Spreader to receive  tidal salt water through the 1,000 sq ft opening created by the removal of the Ceitus Barrier, and thus achieves modest salinity  levels. But, any attempts by salt water species to colonize the North Spreader during the dry season will of course be reversed the next rainy season.

Restoration of the Ceitus Barrier would restore the North Spreader to it's properly designed and formerly functioning condition as a storm water distribution system mimicking historical conditions.

Some newspaper accounts in the last few days have suggested that spreader systems and similar coastal environmental efforts are hopeless because of sea level rise--that's nonsense.  Sea level rise in the North Spreader area is well established as some four inches since the Spreader was built in 1976. The North Spreader was designed to raise the fresh water level in the Spreader by 16 inches to facilitate flow through the wetlands--we have another 12 inches of sea level rise to go before the Spreader becomes irrelevant, and that will be many decades from now if it ever occurs. In the meantime, DEP and other state agencies continue to spend hundreds of millions of $$ on identical spreader systems in other parts of Florida.

The corrupt and illegal agreement by the DEP and the Cape Coral Government to dismantle the North Spreader system was based on political considerations, not environmental science or Florida law or policy.

 

Phil Buchanan

3861 Galt Island Avenue

St James City, FL 33956

Phone/fax: 239-283-4067

Email: coolcherokee@comcast.net