Community Service Award

The Brooks Fishing Club, in conjunction with all five of the Brooks Communities and the Lee County Department of Natural Resources, has undertaken a Lee County community service project to protect the water quality entering our ponds, creeks, Estero Bay and, ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico.  Our community storm drains allow untreated water to enter into these waterways and ends up effecting the water quality of not only the ponds and creeks but also Estero Bay and the Gulf.

Leigh Simmons is a Lee County environmentalist who spoke at one of the fishing club meetings.  Leigh indicated that many people simply don’t realize that storm drain water is not treated.  People have been seen throwing bagged dog feces, used crankcase and cooking oil, plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups, cigarette butts, and other trash into the drains that should be disposed of properly.   This not only pollutes our water but can also be detrimental to proper drainage during storms.

Lee County has acquired attractive medallions to point out to people that refuse should not be dumped into the drains.  The County also has the tools to attach the markers to the drains.  What Lee County needs, however, is volunteers that will help to install the markers.  The EPA is interested in this project and Leigh Simmons marks the coordinates of where the medallions have been placed.

The Brooks Fishing Club provided volunteers to install 583 markers on Brooks neighborhood storm drains and the Shadow Wood Community Association maintenance department marked an additional 91 in the common roadways.

Pictures of a sample marker and the location on the drains are pictured below with BFC volunteers for this project.

Neighbors are also asked to monitor their contractors so that they do not dispose of anything in our storm drains.  Everything we can do to reduce pollution will help in improving our water quality.