Category Archives: Law

Suggested additional sections for Irwin County datacenter ordinance –WWALS 2026-03-17

This is what I sent to Irwin County before their Public Hearing on a draft datacenter ordinance.

As you may recall, the datacenter proposed near Irwinville and the Alapaha River was withdrawn by applicant at the Irwin County Commission meeting on March 2, so there was nothing for the Commissioners to vote on at that time. But they are prudently working up a datacenter ordinance.

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters/

Dear Irwin County,
Please permit me to compliment you on the draft data center ordinance.
I especially like that it permits only closed loop cooling systems.

May I suggest that it could benefit by some additional sections, perhaps like those in the attached model ordinance.
Specifically sections like those on: Continue reading →

Pictures: SRWMD WFNF Open House, UF IFAS, Live Oak, FL 2026-03-19

Update 2026-03-25: NAQA’A Desalination Plant in Umm Al Quwain, U.A.E. 2019-07-09.

Many people were disappointed in the informational tables about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

For much more about WFNF, see

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Pictures: SRWMD WFNF, Open House, UF IFAS, Live Oak, FL, Thursday, March 19, 2026

WCTV’s subhead is incorrect about the Community Open House by SRWMD, 6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026, at UF-IFAS in Live Oak, Florida:

“This project wouldn’t happen until 2039”

According to their own schedule, many parts of WFNF are already happening, such as the three-year consultant wetland pilot study and siting study funded by SJRWMD in November 2025. The first pipes would start going in in 2028: “Transmission Mains to Wetland.” Pipes to recharge facilities, i.e., those in the Suwannee Basin, would start going in in 2032. It’s only the final complete turn on of the entire project that might not start until 2039. Continue reading →

WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat 2026-03-23

We aim to clear a wide and deep enough passage for canoes, kayaks, and jon boats. Sometimes we will clear more if it’s obviously going to just fall back into the passage, or if it will be a problem at a different water level. But we remove only what we must.

We leave most of the rest as habitat for fish, turtles, otters, birds, and other wildlife. Shade, eddies, pools, and general variation in river flow result; all good for wildlife. You may notice that experienced fishers often cast near woody debris for this reason.

WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat, 2026-03-23

As a reminder, to join WWALS on any river outing you must listen to the safety lecture and sign the insurance waiver. Every person in a boat, no matter their age or size or experience, must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Here are more than 50 examples of WWALS chainsaw cleanups:

https://wwals.net/outings/chainsaw-cleanups/

You can see plenty of habitat beyond where TJ is sawing in this picture. Continue reading →

Town of Branford Resolution against WFNF 2026-03-01

Branford is at the mouth of the Santa Fe River, and downstream of the Ichetucknee River, both of which Water First North Florida (#WFNF) purport to help.

For more about WFNF, including the other local and regional government opposition, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Town of Branford, Resolution against WFNF 2026-03-01, Water First North Florida, JAX treated wastewater

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-003
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF BRANFORD, FLORIDA, OPPOSING THE FIRST NORTH FLORIDA (WENF) PIPELINE PROJECT AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED; REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM PENDING INDEPENDENT STUDY; AND DIRECTING TRANSMITTAL TO STATE OFFICIALS
WHEREAS, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Suwannee River Water Management District approved elements of the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project in November 2025, which includes a proposed approximately 90-mile pipeline to transport highly treated reclaimed water from facilities in the Jacksonville metropolitan area to wetlands within the Suwannee River Basin for purposes of aquifer recharge; and
WHEREAS, the project is estimated to cost between $1.0 and $1.1 billion, including approximately $400 million in funding from JEA, and proposes to recharge the Floridan Aquifer with more than 40 million gallons per day; and Continue reading →

Letter against WFNF to SRWMD –Suwannee County Commission 2026-03-17

“Hubris.” That’s what the Suwannee County Commission is going to call SRWMD’s WFNF project to pipe treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin.

Hubris is excessive pride or self-confidence: arrogance.

The Titanic is a classic example: the unsinkable ship went down.

The Suwannee County Commissioners meet at 5:30 PM, tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 218 Parshley Street Southwest, Live Oak, Florida, 32064.

Letter against WFNF, to SRWMD: Hubris –Suwannee County Commission, 5:30 PM 2026-03-17

Much more about WFNF here: https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf/

Here’s the text of the letter, from page 75 of the agenda packet:

Suwannee County
Board of County Commissioners
224 Pine Avenue, 2^nd Floor, Live Oak, Florida 32064
Franklin White, Chairman.
March 17, 2025[sic]
Hugh Thomas
Executive Director
Suwannee River Water Management District
9225 CR 49
Live Oak, Florida 32060
Re: Suwannee County’s Objection to Water First North Florida Project
Dear Mr. Thomas,
As a unanimous board we are writing to you — individually, as County Commissioners and on behalf of all the citizens of Suwannee County—to voice our strong objection to proceeding with the Water First North Florida Project.
Continue reading →

Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance –Irwin County Board of Commissioners 2026-03-17

Update 2026-04-20 Signed Irwin County Datacenter Ordinance 2026-04-06.

Update 2026-03-27: Videos: Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance –Irwin County Board of Commissioners 2026-03-17.

Irwin County is holding a Public Hearing about a Data Center Ordinance
tomorrow, March 17, 2026, at 6 PM,
in the Irwin County Administration Building, 225 East Fourth Street, Ocilla, Georgia.

Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance, Irwin County BOC, 6 PM, March 17, 2026

https://wwals.net/?p=69660

Here is the Public Notice and the draft ordinance.

Linked in a popup on https://irwincounty-ga.gov:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Irwin County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on March 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Irwin County Administration Building, located at 225 East Fourth Street, Ocilla, Georgia and March 30, 2026 at 5:45p.m in the Irwin County Courthouse, located at 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Georgia. The purpose of these hearings are to receive public comments regarding the following matter:

Review Data Center Ordinance
Continue reading →

Irwinville Data Center Withdrawn by Applicant, Irwin County Commission 2026-03-02

Here’s a reason to stay until the end of a County Commission meeting.

A proposed data center ordinance was read at the March 2, 2026, Irwin County Commission meeting, according to correspondence between the former data center applicant’s attorney and the Irwin County Attorney.

It was not on the agenda. I’m guessing they read it under

13. NEW BUSINESS
a. APPROVE APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION TO ZONING FOR DATA CENTER

Tomorrow in Ocilla there is a a Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance –Irwin County Board of Commissioners 2026-03-17.

https://wwals.net/?p=69663

Irwinville Data Center, Withdrawn by Applicant 2026-03-02, Irwin County Commission, and Developments of Regional Impact (DRI)

I got the attorney correspondence by asking in an open records request for the applicant withdrawal letter that staff read at the Public Hearing on March 2.

First, that withdrawal letter.

Then a document on Developments of Regional Impact (DRI).

Then a couple of maps labeled as Concept Site Plan with the name for the project as Ocilla DC.

Finally, there are images of the rest of the document the County Attorney sent in response to a WWALS open records request. The entire PDF document he sent is on the WWALS website. Continue reading →

Trash trap, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-02

Three different trash trap companies have quoted for a Withlacoochee River location just upstream from Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and downstream from US 41, North Valdosta Road.

Two have looked at another Withlacoochee River location just downstream from GA 133, in Troupville Park, where VLPRA briefly owns both sides of the river.

Trash trap sites, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-02, Langdale Park below US 41, Troupville Park below GA 133

The Langdale Park location is about 28 feet across the river, and would require a 50-foot trap.

That location is very convenient, because the access road goes right there.

I sent quotes for this location by two trash trap companies to the City of Valdosta in 2023. A catch is that these locations are not in the City of Valdosta. Continue reading →

Call about developer and datacenter give-away bill GA SB 447 2026-03-17

If datacenters are so great, why did their proponents first gut GA SB 34, which would have prohibited datacenters from passing on electric bills to other ratepayers?

And why now are they trying to pass SB 447, which would distort local permitting processes to favor datacenters and developers in general?

Please ask your Georgia statehouse delegation to vote NO on GA SB 447.

SB 447 will be heard this Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in a subcommittee of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment (HNRE) Committee.

It may get voted on there, and then in the full Committee on Thursday.

Call about datacenter and developer give-away, GA SB 447

You can find your Georgia House members here:

https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-house/

Or type in your ZIP code here:

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ Continue reading →

Phase II Water Shortage and Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

Update 2026-03-10: SRWMD livestreams its meetings on YouTube. This one will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdoI5qrgXQ

There is nothing on the SRWMD Board agenda about Water First North Florida (WFNF) for 9 AM this Tuesday, March 10, 2026. But there are several items related to that scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

If you can, please do go to the SRWMD meeting and speak. Don’t forget these other meetings:

Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

The SRWMD agenda for tomorrow has a Public Hearing about declaring a Phase II Severe Water Shortage. That declaration is watered down, with few actual requirements. Although not as much as the Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage already declared by SJRWMD, which appears to eliminate all mandatory water restrictions.

Also on the SRWMD agenda, perhaps ironically, are

a “Water Conservation Month Proclamation” and
a “Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation”.

And of course the monthly SRWMD Hydrologic Conditions Report, which will detail how bad the drought is.

Plus you never know what will be presented in “WATER RESOURCES, Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director, 9. Water Resources Division Updates.” Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.