Water is the lifeline of Florida. Thousands of years ago, the coast of Southwest Florida was inhabited by indigenous people called the Calusa. Their villages thrived on the estuaries bounty from fish and mollusk being their main source of food to using shells as their tools, weapons, jewelry, and ornaments. The coast of Southwest Florida is specked with their shell mounds which have allowed archaeologists to learn about their rich water culture. The Seminole Indians settled into the Everglades and Big Cypress, developing a rich and beautiful culture around the water and land that thrives to this day. As early pioneers arrived, new waterfront communities started to grow. People primarily made a living off the richness of the estuaries, catching fish, harvesting shellfish, and also growing small plots of winter vegetables. The water culture in Southwest Florida has continued from generation to generation. In present day, our lives are based around the water whether it is fishing, boating, shelling, or enjoying a day at the beach. Out local economic driver is the water and beaches, which is what keeps our tourism alive in Collier County.

Our continued growth in Collier County has come at a price, and it is the environment that is paying for it. Our continued growth and development has contributed to the degradation of our waterways. As canals have been made to divert water through communities and golf courses, man-made nutrients from fertilizers, herbicides, and other pollutants running off into the water have contributed to the decline of water quality and fueling harmful algae blooms, like Red Tide and Blue-green Algae.

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In 2015, Collier County Waterkeeper was formed by local residents who were concerned by the rapid decline in the water quality in Collier County. Nearly all the waterways in Collier County are considered "Impaired Waters" due to nutrient and other pollution. We see the need for our fellow residents of Collier County to come together and take action to protect and clean our waterways. At Collier County Waterkeeper, we are dedicated to cleaning beaches and mangroves of litter, monitoring water quality through weekly water testing, regular patrols of the coast, bays and estuaries looking for sources of pollution, and working with our community to promote citizen science and advocate for clean water. Education is the key to change and we are on a mission to give our community and visitors the tools needed to help keep clean drinkable, fishable, swimmable water for generations to come.