COMMISSIONERS VOTED TODAY TO FIRE NEW VIDEO TONIGHT, A LOW WATER LEVELS IN CAPE CORAL. PEOPLE IN THE NORTHWEST, PART OF THE CAPE SAY THEIR BACKYARD CAN NOW SEND NEVER BEEN THIS LOW SO EARLY IN THE DRY SEASON, IT CREATES A DANGER FOR BOATERS AND CONCERNS ABOUT A WATER CRISIS AHEAD. GOOD EVENING. I’M KELLIE BURNS AND I’M PETER BUSCH. THIS IS IN THE AREA JUST TO BURNT STORE ROAD ALONG NORTH WEST, 26TH STREET. >> GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER JALEN BARRON IS IN THE CAPE TONIGHT WITH WHY EXPERTS SAY THESE CAN NOW LEVELS ARE ALREADY DROPPING. >> IT’S REALLY BEING TAMPERING, MY ABILITY TO GO OUT WHEN I WANT TO GO OUT. >> NOT ENOUGH. WATER MEANS NO BOATING FOR KEVIN LOUGHREY AND CAPE CORAL RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG SALT WATER CANALS FLOATING DOCKS ARE BEACHED JET SKIS ARE STUCK IN THE MUD. CAPE CORAL IS SEEING A LOW TIDE LEVEL THROUGHOUT THEIR SALT WATER CANALS. AS YOU CAN SEE, BARNACLES ARE VISIBLE ON FISHERMEN. DOCKS AND BOATERS ARE HAVING TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT LOWER THEIR BOAT LIFTS INTO THE WATER DUE TO THE LOW TIDE FISHERMAN I SPOKE WITH TELL ME LO TIDES LIKE WE SAW THE LAST 2 DAYS. >> BRING UNKNOWN SANDBARS WHILE WEAVING THROUGH ON THEIR BOATS AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO CROPS AND BOAT LIFT CABLES YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE ANYONE BE INJURED BECAUSE YOU HIT SOMETHING. >> AND YOU’RE MORE EXPOSED TO LOWRY SAYS GOING TOO FAST IN THE WRONG SPOT COULD SERIOUSLY HURT SOMEONE. >> AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE WATERWAYS HERE, WHETHER YOU HAVE GPS OR NON GPS GARMIN. IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU STILL GOT TO BE VERY COGNIZANT BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE’S LIVES AT STAKE. HE SAID HE HASN’T SEEN HIS CAN NOW ON NORTH WEST 26TH STREET. >> THIS LOW AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR FOR YEARS. I’VE BEEN COMING HERE LIVING HERE. >> THE LOWEST. USUALLY YOU SEE LOW TIDES. AND THE FEBRUARY TIME FRAME. >> BUT NEVER IN AND MONTH OF NOVEMBER, VOTERS LIKE KEVIN LOUGHREY AND HIS NEIGHBORS, THEY DOUBLE CHECK THEIR TIDE APPS EVERY MORNING IN CAPE CORAL, JALEN BARRON, GULF COAST NEWS. >> MEANWHILE, THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL SAYS THEY’RE FRESHWATER CANALS ARE ALSO LOWER THAN WE USUALLY SEE THIS TIME OF YEAR. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 2.1 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER IN THE CANALS AT THIS TIME THIS YEAR. THERE ARE 1.9, 3 BILLION DIFFERENCE OF 107 MILLION GALLONS EQUAL TO 162 OLYMPIC SIZED SWIMMING POOLS. MUCH OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALREADY AT NORMALLY DRY FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST ALLYSON RAE IS LOOKING INTO A RAIN DEFICIT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COMING MONTHS. >> YEAH, WE DID NOT START THIS DRY SEASON OFF. ON A GOOD NOTE, THAT MAN IN THE STORY SAID, WELL, USUALLY WE DON’T TALK ABOUT LOW WATER LEVELS IN THE CANALS UNTIL MUCH LATER IN THE DRY SEASON. BUT WE’RE ALREADY DRY. WE GET AN UPDATED DROUGHT MONITOR TOMORROW, BUT IT HAS ALREADY GROWN ARE NOT OFFICIALLY IN A DROUGHT JUST YET UNTIL YOU HEAD NORTH OF GORDA NORTH OF NORTH PORT THERE IN A MODERATE DROUGHT WITH JUST 7 NORMALLY DRY FOR NOW. BUT IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE REACH THOSE DROUGHT CONCERNS OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS. CAPE CORAL’S ONLY SEEN ABOUT 50% OF THE TYPICAL AMOUNT OF RAIN. THEY SEE A 30 DAY TIME PERIOD. THIS TIME OF YEAR, WHICH IS NOT MUCH. SO LET’S SHOW YOU A COUPLE OF THE NUMBER HE’S HERE SINCE SEPTEMBER. 1ST, WE’VE SEEN ABOUT 9 INCHES RAIN. THIS IS AT PAGE FIELD AIRPORT. SO A LITTLE BIT FAR OFF FROM CAPE CORAL. BUT IT’S SO CLOSE IS ACCURATE REPORTING SITE THAT WE HAVE THE DEFICIT SINCE SEPTEMBER FIRST, ALMOST 4 INCHES IN THE DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR IS ALMOST 17 INCHES AND GOING FORWARD. WE DON’T HAVE RAIN IN THE FORECAST. WE’LL TA
Cape Coral boaters struggle with low tides affecting waterways
Updated: 8:26 PM EST Nov 12, 2025
Cape Coral residents, including boater Kevin Lowerre, are experiencing difficulties due to low tides that are affecting their ability to enjoy boating activities, with floating docks beached and Jet Skis stuck in the mud.Barnacles are visible on fishermen’s docks, and boaters are having trouble lowering their boat lifts into the water due to the low tide. Fishermen have reported encountering unknown sandbars while navigating their boats, which could potentially damage props and boat lift cables.”You don’t want to have anyone be injured because you hit something and you’re more exposed to it,” Lowerre said, emphasizing the risks of going too fast in the wrong spot.Lowerre noted that even with GPS systems, boaters need to be cautious as people’s lives are at stake. He mentioned that he hasn’t seen his canal on Northwest 26th Street this low at this time of the year.”Three years, I’ve been coming here and then living here. The lowest. Usually, you see low tides in the February time frame, but never in the month of November,” he said.Boaters like Lowerre and his neighbors are double-checking their tide apps every morning to stay informed about the conditions.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
Cape Coral residents, including boater Kevin Lowerre, are experiencing difficulties due to low tides that are affecting their ability to enjoy boating activities, with floating docks beached and Jet Skis stuck in the mud.
Barnacles are visible on fishermen’s docks, and boaters are having trouble lowering their boat lifts into the water due to the low tide. Fishermen have reported encountering unknown sandbars while navigating their boats, which could potentially damage props and boat lift cables.
“You don’t want to have anyone be injured because you hit something and you’re more exposed to it,” Lowerre said, emphasizing the risks of going too fast in the wrong spot.
Lowerre noted that even with GPS systems, boaters need to be cautious as people’s lives are at stake. He mentioned that he hasn’t seen his canal on Northwest 26th Street this low at this time of the year.
“Three years, I’ve been coming here and then living here. The lowest. Usually, you see low tides in the February time frame, but never in the month of November,” he said.
Boaters like Lowerre and his neighbors are double-checking their tide apps every morning to stay informed about the conditions.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.