Water-Related News

FWC investigating after manatee dies in Chiquita Lock

A manatee has died after getting stuck in the Chiquita Lock in Cape Coral.

A preliminary investigation suggests the manatee got stuck and drowned. And this is not the first time it happened.

The discovery is fueling the city’s fight to remove the Lock for food over wildlife and boating concerns.

The city has been pushing to remove the Lock since 2016. They came close to removing it in 2019 but ran into opposition from the Matlacha Civic Association. In Sept. of 2021, the city filed another request to remove the Lock. The Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing the current permit application.