To the editor,

I was one of the last people to catch a fresh water fish on the Sanibel River.

I turned to the final page of the Island Reporter last week and was excited to read, “Reviving our river.” My heart jumped! I told myself, after 10 years, they are finally acknowledging the deterioration of our beloved Sanibel River. Then came the realization, they aren’t talking about “our” river, they are talking about “their” river — they are talking about the Caloosahatchee River. The river that never touches Sanibel, except in the pocket book, of course.

Yes it is me again, years down the line, still hoping and praying for acknowledgement of the plight of the Sanibel River, our once pristine, now officially designated “impaired” waterway.

I truly believe that the city has done all it can do to stop the carnage. Their initiatives have been commendable. But the damage has been done. Our slogan used to be “Save Our River.” Now it is “Remember Our River.”

I stood next to the water, in my back yard, last year, with members of the Sanibel city administration and discussed what has happened to our river in the past 10 years. Once again, I felt the possibility existed for a public acknowledgement that the major artery of Sanibel is irrevocably flawed. Of course, that never happened.

Environmentalists, where are you?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone would prove me wrong? I would be most happy to apologize for my misrepresentation of the facts. That would mean we have our river back.

Sterling Fulmer

Sanibel