SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. - Because of record rainfall from Tropical Storm Fay, the Army Corps of Engineers will soon start releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River. And that's a big concern for some city leaders on Sanibel Island.

"What it does is it sends polluted fresh water into a salt water environment," said Sanibel councilwoman, Carla Johnston.

An environment that surrounds Sanibel Island. And some city officials will be carefully watching it after learning that Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers will start releasing water from Lake Okeechobee - to prepare for more possible rainfall. Water that will make its way to the Caloosahatchee River.

"That will destroy the sea grass because they can't get the sunshine and the kind of environment that they need to grow. It will ultimately destroy the fish, which will destroy the fishing industry which will take a toll on the tourism industry and the real estate industry and that is too high of a price for us to have to pay," said Johnston.

It's what Sanibel dealt with in 2005. Many city officials believe the fish kills and algae blooms they saw were because of a release back then, after several storms.

Officials with the South Florida Water Management District say they know that pollutants in the water did have a direct impact. But they add, that was a unique set of events and they can't say that will happen again.

Water officials also say engineers changed things, such as the amount of water released, and how fast it's released.

And Sanibel leaders are hoping that's the case.

"If they do that, that could be not so bad. If they start these flushes, just as if you're flushing a toilet, that is catastrophic," said Johnston.

The water release is set to happen over the next 11 days.