Randy Wayne-White
Author & local resident
Since August 2004, when Hurricane Charlie hit, noted author Randy Wayne-White has noticed a marked change in the water quality. It’s appreciably murkier, and the plant growth is different now. There are plants that aren’t normally there. And there seems to be fewer fish in certain areas once prolific with them.
To Randy, the noticeable visual difference and the different smell of the water suggest that fresh water is being pumped into our area in amounts not experienced in his time here. It contains uncommon nutrients like phosphorous that accounts for the decrease in water visibility.
A resident of Pine Island and a frequent boater, Randy sees himself as an environmentalist who is forward-thinking. He expresses alarm at the changes he’s experienced in the area’s water quality, and he supports efforts to address the problems.
"I find it very troubling," he says. "The first casualty of a failed economy is the environment."
