Sanibel and Captiva Island Creation.
Over the centuries, winds and waves move the sea sands in a constant process of erosion and deposition. In the shallow waters off Florida's coasts these forces build shoals and sandbars - and emerging islands - adjacent to the mainland. Thus were formed the barrier islands of Florida, defending the mainland from destruction of hurricane and storm surge.
The sandbar that became the backbone of Sanibel and Captiva emerged from the sea as little as 5000 years ago. The islands were formed not only by sand ridges pushed out to sea, but also by the steady deposit of sand from longshore current that sweeps down the islands and the quiet, steady entrapment of sediment by tangled roots of bayside mangroves.
Captiva is just over one square mile in total and Sanibel is not quite 20 square miles. These thin crescents are made primarily of crushed shell, limestone and sand mixed with a bit of clay and mud.
Click here for a view of the islands. The blinking dots present points of reference on the islands. Click on them and you will see their names.
There has been human occupation in this area of Southwest Florida since long before there was an island of Sanibel or Captiva. Archeologists have estimated Paleo-Indians lived here 12,000 years ago. In that time span sea level has changed enough to shift the place where land meets sea. The islands have been hosts to Calusa Indians, Cuban and Spanish fishermen, homesteading farmers, and rusticating winter visitors.
Among barrier islands, Sanibel and Captiva are unique. The natural features, together with a climate that is subtropical in summer and temperate in winter, create an excellent habitat for a diversity of birds, reptiles, mammals and aquatic life.
Sanibel is Southwest Florida's only barrier island with a significant southern exposure. Along its south-facing shores, the currents of the Gulf of Mexico deposit countless shells with every tide. Sanibel is Southwest Florida's only remaining double-barrier island, in which two major sets of ridges catch rains to produce an extensive system of interior fresh water. Just beneath the surface, a rain-fed freshwater lens protects the interior wetlands from saltwater intrusion.
Vegetation is luxuriant. On the ridges, cabbage palm, stranger fig, gumbo limbo, was myrtle, wild coffee and a host of semi-tropical shrubs and trees flourish. In the lower swales, sawgrass, spartina grass, leather ferns, sedges and purslanes dominate.
Captiva, with a high backbone ridge and lush with tropical growth, is the older of the two islands. Roosevelt Channel, lying between Captiva and the neighboring Buck Key, is a haven for otters, manatees, dolphins and an abundance of fish. Captiva, Buck Key and Sanibel were all farmed in the 1880's with crops of peppers, tomatoes, squash and watermelon.
In 1870, the census taker, who perhaps considered only white settlers, counted three souls living on Sanibel: William S. Allen, assistant marshal of Monroe County, his wife, and his son George, 16.
Forty families had settled the islands by 1890. Salty soil, as a result of storm overwashes, caused a shift to more saline-tolerant citrus by the 1920's.
Settlers on Sanibel Island and wealthy cattlemen at Punta Rassa, across the bay, began as early as 1833 to requisition a lighthouse. Fifty years later, the east-end of the island was declared a government lighthouse reservation. A 104-foot light tower was completed in 1884. In the mid 1920's, ferries began shuttling cars and people to a dock near the lighthouse and continued to do so until the causeway opened in 1963.
Today 6,600 year-round and 12,000 seasonal residents as well as almost a million visitors enjoy them. Through visionary conservation efforts that began in the 1930's, the islands and the surrounding waters still play host to hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals and reptiles.
Early Preservation Work.
Jay Norwood Darling is known locally for his work in conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge that bears his name, the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The honor came after the end of a distinguished life dedicated to conservation and the betterment of humanity. His career was that of a political cartoonist, taking complex issues and illustrating metaphors with his unique brand of wit, analysis, and clarity of thought. He produced over 15,000 cartoons in his career, which were syndicated in over 100 newspapers.
His leadership locally rallied residents and visitors into the Sanibel and Captiva Island Conservation Association in the late 1930's. It included practically all of the property owners of the two islands, and together they worked for the future, with Darling as the chair.
During World War II, Darling's efforts led to the establishment of the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge. The National Wildlife Federation's letter of support said, "The lands and waters included in this proposed refuge are perfectly provided with all natural environment to make a spectacular refuge.... The bay waters which invade this area are most prolific spawning grounds for fish, crabs, shrimp .... It is a natural habitat of many of Florida's choicest of birds....."
Without Darling's tireless persistence, the land quite possibly would have been sold to developers who had placed a bid on the bayside property. The refuge officially came into being in 1945. Thousands of letters, meetings, and fundraising efforts by the "Ding" Darling Memorial Committee resulted in the J. N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge's formal dedication in 1967, five years after his death in 1962.
On October 31, 1967, The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) was incorporated as an outgrowth of the "Ding" Darling Memorial Committee, to nurture the newly dedicated Refuge and protect the island's "rich treasury of wildlife and vegetation through land acquisition , wildlife protection, promotion of orderly development and education."
Two major events spurred development of the islands during the 1960's. The first was the completion of the Sanibel Causeway in 1963, with an original toll of $5.00 per car, to match the key for the car ferry, later reduced to $3.00. The second was the creation of the Island Water Association, with a goal of bringing a reliable source of fresh drinking water to the islands. People that valued the wildlife and wild lands witnessed development that eroded the vitality of environmentally sensitive lands.
Potable Water
The Island Water Association (IWA) was incorporated in 1966. By 1967 a pipeline was carrying freshwater to the island from pine Island with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons of water a day. In 1973, a new electrodialysis facility was built on Sanibel for the purpose of converting lightly brackish water to potable water. The water came from wells dug down 600 feet into what is known as Hawthorne aquifer.
Technology improved and demand increased as the human activity on the island increased. In 1980, a reverse osmosis facility, which cleans our drinking water that is provided throughout the islands, was completed and eventually replaced the electrodialysis plant. Our island water is considered to be one of the best in the world. The salinity of the water drawn up in the wells is just one-fifth of normal seawater, which makes its purification less expensive. In the most basic of terms, the islands' water is manufactured.
Captiva.
Human use of the islands and adjacent Buck Key goes back thousands of years. Evidence of use by the Calusa people on Buck Key is protected through the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Without doubt many people used this island and the larger Captiva Island transiently throughout its history.
Captiva's first permanent settler to acquire land through the Homestead Act was William Binder. His story and those of other people who made Captiva home at the beginning of the 20th century can be read in a book published by the Captiva Civic Association, True Tales of Old Captiva. Eleanor Dormer's Sea Shell Islands chronicles the history of both.
Captiva is governed as part of unincorporated Lee County. During the early 1970's there had been some discussion about incorporating with the City of Sanibel, but in the end the choice was made by residents not to join the Homes Rule Movement.
The Captiva Erosion Prevention District was formed specifically to monitor and remedy beach erosion problems on Captiva. Engineers estimate renourishment is necessary every five to seven years. Money for the projects comes from a special taxing district, hotel bed taxes, State and Federal funds. An office is located in the Captiva Civic Association Building along with the Captiva library.
There are differences between Lee County Building Codes and Sanibel's environmental protection. Most of the available land has been developed as land values have outpaced the value of structures on the land. Information regarding those issues can be found on the Lee County website including the Lee County Plan.
The City of Sanibel
As development pressure intensified, the community came together with a thoughtful eye on the future. The Nature Conservancy and National Audubon Society's leadership and consultants were called upon. Starting in 1969 information was gathered and synthesized to further promote preservation of the island's natural resources. The Sanibel Zoning and Planning Committee was formed to work with Lee County to insure orderly development and limit building height, but it met with little success. Not to be deterred, a small group of citizens began the movement for home rule and the right to determine the future of the island.
The City of Sanibel incorporated in 1974, with two thirds of the voters embracing home rule. The City Charter began, "Whereas, residents of Sanibel Island in Lee County, Florida, desiring to have the rights of self-determination, to the fullest extent allowed by law, in the planning for the orderly future development of an island community known far and wide for its unique atmosphere and unusual natural environment, and to insure compliance with such planning so that these unique and natural characteristics of the islands shall be preserved, to seek the benefits conferred on municipal corporations by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Florida." The Report initially recommended limiting growth to 6,000 residential units, but currently it is estimated there will be 9,000 units at build-out. The alternative, prior to incorporation, was scary: the zoning set by Lee County was for 35,000 units with little regards to protecting the environment.
Instead, orderly development with the preservation of natural resources now protects the island. In order to protect those areas that are most crucial for wildlife and wetland functions, density determinations were set according to what the native landscapes could reasonable bear. Mangroves were determined to need the most protection, so the City assigned the density at one unit for 40 acres of mangrove forest. The lowest of the freshwater wetlands were the next most sensitive area and were assigned a one unit for 20 acres. The highest, driest and most stable land was the upland ridges, and received the highest density assignment of five units per acres.
Just like a patchwork quilt, the island was zoned density according to topography and habitat types, with exception given to structures already built prior to the City's incorporation.
Other mechanisms were put in place that also minimized development impact. These included the percent of coverage by impervious surfaces on a parcel along with native vegetation standards. The concept of conservation within City regulations have persevered through the years and in many instances, have been further defined and strengthened. Click here to view the Sanibel Plan | 
