Plans gel for first Florida Economic Water Summit

Calusa Waterkeeper, a local non-profit water quality advocacy group, will hold the inaugural Florida Economic Water Summit at the Broadway Palm Theater in Fort Myers on Monday, Oct. 15, from 6-9 p.m.

Prompted by public outcry, the summit will gather industry and community leaders, economists and scientists - all of whom have all been affected by toxic waters - from across Southwest Florida to address the catastrophic damage to the region's economy as a result of red tide and blue-green algae blooms.

"This is no longer just a clean water or environmental issue," said Calusa Waterkeeper Executive Director K.C. Schulberg in a prepared statement. "This disaster slices across every aspect of our way of life, ravaging our livelihoods, our solvency, our public health, our beautiful beaches, river and estuaries and all that we love about Florida. A catalogue of neglect and mismanagement of our resources got us here. Stakeholders are now central to finding a solution before our way of life is permanently impaired."

Many different speakers from various backgrounds with copious amounts of experience in their respective field will share their knowledge and experience.