Category Archives: Aquifer

The Floridan Aquifer is our main drinking water source under our entire WWALS watershed, east to south Carolina, west through Alabama to Mississippi, and under all of Florida.

Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14

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Only two state agencies commented on the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) for the Project Arrowhead datacenter near the Alapaha River in Irwin County, Georgia:

  • the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council (SSRWPC) in one page, and
  • the DRI facilitator, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). Beyond a three-page summary at the beginning, the SGRC comments mostly consisted of the same 21 pages we already saw at the beginning of the comment period.

In the section of “Comments from Public Agencies” the other two letters are from the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC) and from WWALS, which you have already seen.

Fifteen citizens commented in the section labeled “Comments from the Public – Non-official.” All were opposed to the datacenter.

For much more about datacenters, including who you can contact, petitions, and upcoming meetings, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA --SGRC 2026-05-14, Comments from Public Agencies, Comments from the Public]
Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14, Comments from Public Agencies, Comments from the Public

I thank Irwin County Assistant County Manager Bonnie Kelly, Ed.D. and County Clerk Patricia Battle for each returning a copy of this document within minutes after I sent in an open records request this morning.

This is presumably the same document you can see the Irwin County Commissioners perusing in Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20.

The document is on the WWALS website and images of each page are below. Continue reading →

Hydrologic Conditions Report –SRWMD 2026-04-30

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In case you thought recent rains had solved the drought, think again.

This is the April 30, 3026 Hydrologic Conditions Report that was presented at the May Governing Board meeting of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

[Hydrologic Conditions Report --SRWMD 2026-04-30, Still in drought, Need much more rain]
Hydrologic Conditions Report –SRWMD 2026-04-30, Still in drought, Need much more rain

https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/DocumentCenter/View/19656/04-April-26-Hydro-Reportk

SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MEMORANDUM

TO: Governing Board

FROM: Robbie McKinney, Hydrologic Program Manager, Office of Water Resources

THRU: Hugh Thomas, Executive Director

DATE: April 30, 2026

RE: April 2026 Hydrologic Conditions Report

RAINFALL

  • Districtwide average rainfall for the month was 0.88”, which was about 74 percent lower than the 1932-2025 average of 3.38” (Table 1, Figure 1). The 12-month period ending April 30 reflected a Districtwide rainfall deficit of 20.22”, which was an increase to the 19.98” deficit seen at the end of March. District counties ranged from just over 0.5” to 1.4” of rainfall on average, with parts of Taylor, Suwannee, Columbia, Hamilton, Union, Gilchrist, and Dixie counties receiving more than 2.5 inches of rainfall (Figure 2).
  • Overall, a 12-month rainfall deficit was present in all river basins, with the Aucilla and Coastal basins increasing in deficit by the end of April (Figure 3). A small area in the southern Waccasassa Basin showed a deficit of less than 8 inches. Portions with deficits greater than 29” were also observed in the Aucilla, Santa Fe, and Suwannee basins. Each river basin increased its 3-month rainfall deficit by the end of April (Figure 4). No surpluses were seen over the past 3 months, and each river basin had areas measuring anywhere from less than 6” to more than 9” of deficit. Sections with greater than 9” of rainfall deficit can be seen in all 5 of the basins.

SURFACE WATER

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Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20

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Update 2026-06-01: Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14.

The Irwin County Commissioners approved almost everything unanimously, including the Special Exception for a datacenter.

[Videos: Datacenter Special Exception Approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20]
Videos: Datacenter Special Exception Approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20

The only exception was 6. ACCEPT PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT, which they tabled.

On the datacenter special exception, several Commissioners did express specific concerns. But they seemed to be relying largely on hearsay, such as by the Commissioners who had visited some datacenters, which “wasn’t really rushed,” yet “We were rushing to see everything we could see. And we didn’t get all the questions like that answered.” Continue reading →

SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation 2026-05-15

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If it was really cancelled, you’d think SRWMD, SJRWMD, and JEA would say so, and announce they have cancelled any outstanding contracts, such as the one SJRWMD let on November 12, 2025, for $2.17 million for a consultant to study WFNF for three years.

Instead, we’ve heard nothing from JEA or SJRWMD, and the Executive Director of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has no comment.

For much more about WFNF, including which Suwannee District counties oppose it (all 12 of them) and which have passed their own letters or resolutions of opposition (7 of them), as well as who you can contact, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19]
SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19

Stew Lilker, Columbia County Observer, May 15, 2026, Water First North Florida: The $1.1 Billion Project That No One Likes, Except Insiders, Is on the Ropes
Where is it now and how did it get there?

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Datacenters and wastewater pipeline speakers at WWALS River Revue 2026-09-12

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Hahira, Georgia, May 18, 2026 — Two experts from Georgia and Florida on current water topics will speak at WWALS River Revue, the sit-down fundraising dinner for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., plus the music of a headliner and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, and a silent auction.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

[Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF]
Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF

Continue reading →

Packet: WFNF opposition @ Union County BOCC 2026-05-18

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Update 2026-05-19: They passed it: https://www.facebook.com/SpringtownAuto/posts/pfbid02d4vZXw719avgP7DSRd4L7pzP3dKCwYLz158gjBKNCHh8SLQKPMiv1ByQc25wHmg9l

Assuming the Commissioners pass this at their 6 PM Monday meeting, Union County will become the seventh county (plus the Town of Branford) to pass a letter or resolution against Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin.

For which counties, the Task Force and NCFRPC resolutions that represent all 12 counties in the Suwannee District, and who you can contact, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[Packet: WFNF opposition to SRWMD @ Union County BOCC, 2026-05-18]
Packet: WFNF opposition to SRWMD @ Union County BOCC, 2026-05-18

See Agenda, Regular Meeting, May 18, 2026, 6:00 P.M.

https://union-clerk.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2026/05/14144906/5.18.26-Regular-Meeting-Packet-Web.pdf

Union County Board of County Commissioners
15 Northeast 1st Street, Lake Butler, FL 32054 * Phone: 386-496-4241 * Fax: 386-496-4240

Ms. Virginia Johns, Chair

Suwannee River Water Management District

9225 CR 49 Live Oak, Florida 32060

Re: Opposition to the Water First North Florida Project

Dear Ms. Johns:

Union County joins with its fellow members of the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochie River Task Force, as well as the numerous counties, municipalities, and citizen groups who who have all expressed concerns about, and opposition to, the proposed Water First North Florida Project. In the apparent rush to implement this project, local governments have gone uninformed and local voices in opposition have been largely ignored until just recently. We are grateful for legislative intervention that has, for the time being, stayed the execution of this project, but we remain alert to the potential for it to re-commence in the future and therefore wish to express our opposition.

It has long been understood by the scientific community that Continue reading →

Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping –Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09

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Published with permission, here is what Dr. Bob Knight ferreted out from USGS and the WMDs about groundwater pumping.

You’d think they would publish this information, but since they didn’t, WWALS is.

These slides (PowerPoint or PDF) don’t say anything about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the WMD and JEA plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin, but this is the groundwater background to WFNF.

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse --Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09]
Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse –Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09

He sent these slides to various environmentalists on May 9, 2026, with this note. I asked him later in person if he minded WWALS publishing. He said go ahead.

All

Attached is an updated summary of Florida groundwater wells, permits, and reported extraction quantities from the Floridan aquifer. All data were provided by the water management districts and the USGS. But the summaries of those reams of data are my work and may not be complete and accurate in all cases. Surprisingly, the WMDs have differing data bases and few detailed summaries of these data. For now, I believe these may be the best data summaries out there. Historically (up to 2015) Richard Marella formerly with USGS reported a lot of Floridan aquifer detailed/summary data every five years. That important contribution ended in 2015 and there is no sign that it will be picked back up by the state or the USGS.

The inconvenient truth is that all groundwater extractions reduce spring flows and that data analysis indicates that the ratio is almost one to one. Measured spring flow reductions closely mirror these reported pumping totals and differ widely from groundwater flow model estimates.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Bob

Continue reading →

More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill 2026-02-25

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Update 2026-05-19: SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation 2026-05-15.

Vigilance, please!

Yesterday, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, we heard from Florida State Senator Corey Simon that “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”

That’s good news, as far as it goes. And it wouldn’t have happened without all of you who have opposed it.

But it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings, and the SRWMD Governing Board said nothing about this that same morning. I was there and spoke against WFNF along with about half a dozen other people.

Nor have any of SRWMD, SJRWMD, or JEA said anything since that I’ve seen. And what happened yesterday did nothing to repeal huge financial support for WFNF by JEA and SJRWMD.

So please don’t stop now. Keep on speaking to cities, counties, the state, members of Congress, and the unelected boards that are pushing WFNF: SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, plus the Jacksonville City Council.

For much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417]
More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417

We also heard yesterday from Florida State Representative Chuck Brannan that: Continue reading →

Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer –WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11

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Update 2026-05-21: Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20.

This is what I sent to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) yesterday about the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) application for the Project Arrowhead datacenter in Irwin County, Georgia.

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer --WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11]
Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer –WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11

Continue reading →

WFNF Canceled? 2026-05-12

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Update 2026-05-13: More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill 2026-02-25.

Florida State Senator Corey Simon posted this letter on his facebook page about 1 PM today, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The Madison County Florida Board of County Commissioners also posted it.

[WFNF is being canceled 2026-05-12, FL State Senator Corey Simon; What does this mean: in its current form?]
WFNF is being canceled 2026-05-12, FL State Senator Corey Simon; What does this mean: in its current form?

Well, I hope that formerly “done deal” is undone.

A catch: a single state Senator does not have the power to undo it.

Another catch: nothing was said about this at the SRWMD Governing Board meeting this morning.

And a third: “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”

Does that mean some parts of it are canceled? Which parts? For example, is SJRWMD cancelling its three-year consultant contract involving wetland siting and pipeline routing?

So, cautious optimism.

And many thanks to Senator Corey Simon, who has long made it clear he opposes WFNF, for example at the SRWMD and SJRWMD dog and pony show at UF IFAS on March 19.

But I will be making some inquiries with SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, and Sen. Simon’s offfice.

SENATOR COREY SIMON
3rd District

May 12, 2026

Subject: Update on the Water First North Florida Project

Dear Neighbor,

I want to provide you with an important update regarding the Water First North Florida Project.

After careful review and continued conversations with local leaders, water experts, property owners, and concerned citizens across North Florida, the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form. While the need to address low water levels in our aquifer remains very real, it has become clear that this proposal is not the right path forward for our communities at this time.

Protecting North Florida’s water supply is one of the most important Continue reading →