• News
  • Work Here
  • Volunteer Here
  • User Sign In
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate

NAPLES BAY AND GORDON RIVER

The Conservancy aims to work with area stakeholders to find comprehensive solutions which help address the alterations to the watershed and freshwater flows and the water quality of Naples Bay and the Gordon River. 


Naples Bay

Sixty years of intensive land alteration activities in the Naples Bay watershed such as canal construction and urban development have resulted in severe degradation to the water quality, hydrology and aquatic life of Naples Bay. The large-scale development and alteration of the region began in the early 1900s, following the construction of the Tamiami Trail in 1926. 

Naples Bay was first dredged in 1930, followed by more intensive dredge-and-fill developments in the 1950s and 60s as the population continued to grow.  The development of the region has resulted in extensive destruction of mangroves, seagrasses, and oyster habitats within the bay. 

In addition, Naples Bay is polluted with copper and shows upward trends for chlorophyll-a, which is linked to nutrient pollution. The copper pollution is related to nutrients as well. When fertilizer containing nutrients is applied to lawns and golf courses in the Naples Bay watershed, it can end up in stormwater ponds and cause algae blooms. A common practice to get rid of algae is to spray copper sulfate on the ponds. Unfortunately, the copper not only kills the algae but then ends up in area waterbodies, like Naples Bay, and can be toxic to oysters and other aquatic organisms.

One of the most significant impacts of the virtually eliminated natural water flows by development and canals is the large fluctuations in freshwater dumped into Naples Bay from the Golden Gate Canal and Henderson Creek. There are several watershed projects planned for restoring a more natural flow of freshwater which are outlined in the Collier County Watershed Management Plan. There are also several mangrove and oyster restoration activities ongoing by City of Naples. However, the water quality must also be addressed for the restoration activities to be successful. That means a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) will need to be developed to address the water quality problems in Naples Bay. 

Click here to see the work our Science and Research Department is doing with Naples Bay.


Gordon River

The Gordon River is one of the tributaries to Naples Bay, and is connected to the Golden Gate Canal.  It is currently considered polluted and has a Total Maximum Daily Load to address the dissolved oxygen and nutrient problems in the Gordon River.  It is also suffering from copper pollution, like Naples Bay. 

There have been several filter marsh projects completed to help alleviate some of the pollution issues. One is at Collier County’s Freedom Park, and the other is on the Conservancy’s campus – the Shotwell Wavering Family Filter Marsh. Both marshes help filter out pollutants from stormwater runoff before it reaches the Gordon River. 

The marshes also serve as habitat for fish, wading birds and other native wildlife like otters and turtles. The Gordon River is currently waiting on implementation of a Basin Management Action Plan for additional water quality restoration.

  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate

Please show Your Support!

  • Join
  • Donate
  • Volunteer

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Address

1495 Smith Preserve Way
Naples, Florida 34102

Nature Center Hours

Monday - Saturday
9:30 am - 4:00 pm (ET)

Sunday: 12 pm - 4 pm

von Arx Wildlife Hospital Hours

239-262-2273
8 am - 8 pm (ET)
365 days a year

 

Contact

239-262-0304 phone
239-262-0672 fax

Take Action & Stay Informed

Stay connected!
*
*
*
*
  • Visit Us
  • Webmaster
  • Privacy Policy

©2019 Conservancy of Southwest Florida. All Rights Reserved

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida website uses cookies, tracking pixels and related technologies. Cookies are small data files that are served by our platform and stored on your device. Our site uses cookies dropped by us or third parties for a variety of purposes including to operate and personalize the website. Also, cookies may also be used to track how you use the site to target ads to you on other websites.