Tag Archives: Suwannee River

What you can do about WFNF, slides –Suwannee Riverkeeper 2026-04-02

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Here’s the WWALS video of me speaking and my slides. Basically, there are much better ways to rehydrate wetlands, springs, and rivers in the Suwannee Basin, such as Jacksonville can desalinate seawater. And there are other places JEA can send its treated wastewater in the St. Johns Basin.

[What you can do about WFNF --Suwannee Riverkeeper 2026-04-02, You can help with better solutions]
What you can do about WFNF –Suwannee Riverkeeper 2026-04-02, You can help with better solutions

To stop this project, we need a groundswell of public opposition such as stopped golf courses in state parks. You can help.

For who you can contect, and a petition you can sign, plus more information about WFNF, including all the city, county, and regional letters and resolutions against, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

For the rest of the speakers, see Continue reading →

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting 2026-04-12

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Here is the draft agenda and the zoom parameters for the WWALS Quarterly Board meeting Sunday evening, April 12, 2026.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89308028204?pwd=VmwyMzVTMVR6WGJxbUFUSlFXWFRWQT09

WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting

When: 6:00 PM, Sunday, April 12, 2026

What: The usual board business.

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1630092761633059/

[Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, By zoom, 6-8 PM, 2026-01-11, Advocacy, outings, events, Board, Staff, and Committees]
Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, By zoom, 6-8 PM, 2026-01-11, Advocacy, outings, events, Board, Staff, and Committees

Here is the agenda (see also Continue reading →

WFNF approved as part of NFRWSP –SRWMD 2025-11-12

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Here is what the SRWMD Board approved on November 12, 2025, regarding Water First North Florida (WFNF).

Please note three things.

  1. Although I’ve heard some people say the SRWMD Board only approved studies of the feasibilty of the plan, not WFNF itself, nothing in the agenda or the memorandum says that. Nothing in the minutes, either.
  2. These SRWMD materials are similar to those for the SJRWMD Board meeting of the same day, but they do not include an Order approving any of this, they say nothing about hiring a consultant, and they do not include the related RFQ (Request for Qualifications) for the consultant.
  3. Neither WFNF nor its long name appears in the SRWMD agenda item nor the staff memorandum on what the board was to approve. In the agenda, this item is:
    “WR Page 1 26. 2025 Implementation Strategy for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs”

    Water First North Florida first appears in the Table of Contents of the “2025 Implementation Strategy for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs” for its page 12.

[WFNF approved as part of NFRWSP by SRWMD, November 12, 2025]
WFNF approved as part of NFRWSP by SRWMD, November 12, 2025

On page 69 of the SRWMD board packet for November 12, 2026:

SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
MEMORANDUM

TO: Governing Board

FROM: Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director, Water Resources

THRU: Hugh Thomas, Executive Director

DATE: October 30, 2025

RE: 2025 Implementation Strategy for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs

RECOMMENDATION
District staff recommend the following Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers related actions:

  1. Approve the 2025 Implementation Strategy for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs (LSFIR) Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs) (hereafter the 2025 Implementation Strategy); and
  2. Approve an Addendum to the 2014 Recovery Strategy for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs Minimum Flows and Levels (hereafter the 2014 Recovery Strategy) to include the water supply development, water resource development, and water conservation projects identified in the 2025 Implementation Strategy; and
  3. Approve an Addendum to the 2023 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (hereafter the First Addendum to the 2023 NFRWSP), to include the water supply development, water resource development, and water conservation projects identified in the 2025 Implementation Strategy.

BACKGROUND Continue reading →

Videos: A roomfull against WFNF at SCRP, Live Oak, FL 2026-04-02

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An overflow-capacity room full of people heard about the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin: Water First North Florida (WFNF).

They did not like it.

[Videos: A roomfull against WFNF at SCRP, Live Oak, FL, 2026-04-02]
Videos: A roomfull against WFNF at SCRP, Live Oak, FL, 2026-04-02

Six people stood up front to speak, and many in the audience had questions. Larry Sessions speaking for himself (he’s also on the SRWMD Board), Franklin White speaking for himself and as a Suwannee County Commissioner, Dennis J. Price, P.G., asking SRWMD to resume evaluating his proposal to drill recharge wells at overflows of forestry ditch wetlands, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman about what you can do, Joe Squitieri, wastewater professional, about Florida statutes give JEA until 2039 to deal with its wastewater, and Adam Collins, an engineer from Live Oak, who said we’ve been complacent long enough.

This was Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Live Oak City Hall, in the monthly meeting of the Suwannee County Republican Party (SCRP).

For much more about WFNF, including a petition and how to contact your appointed and elected officials, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Here are WWALS videos of each speaker, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

In the interests of getting these videos posted in a timely manner, I’m not including much commentary about what went on. See for yourself. Continue reading →

Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council at Okefenokee Swamp Park 2026-05-06

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Despite the name, SSRWPC also includes part of the St. Marys River Basin, as well as the Satilla and Suwannee Basins, including of course the Alapaha, Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Little, and New Rivers, with much concern about groundwater including the Floridan Aquifer.

Here is the public notice:

[Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council at Okefenokee Swamp Park, 2026-05-06]
Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council at Okefenokee Swamp Park, 2026-05-06

Georgia Water Planning

Notice:
Suwannee-Satilla
Regional Water Planning Council Meeting

Announcement Date: March 31, 2026

To All Interested Persons and Parties:

The Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council will hold its next meeting at the following date, time, and location:

Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Registration: 9:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
Meeting: 10:00 A.M. – 2:30 P.M.

Okefenokee Swamp Park
5700 Okefenokee Swamp Park Road
Waycross, GA 31503

For additional information Continue reading →

Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2023-03-24

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A pullquote:

Finally, the Board must note the utter disrespect that has been shown to the Board and citizens of Hamilton County.

[Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2026-03-24]
Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2026-03-24

For much more about this project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Hamilton Rivers, facebook, March 31, 2026, Public Statement: Water First North Florida Project,

To address recent questions and speculation, the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners wants to be clear:

On March 24, 2026, the Board unanimously voted to formally oppose the proposed Water First North Florida Project.

We remain committed to protecting the citizens and natural resources of Hamilton County.

— Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners

Here is that letter from Hamilton County to SRWMD: Continue reading →

Song Submissions open April 1st –Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2026-03-31

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Hahira, Georgia, March 31, 2026 — Send in your song starting April First, no fooling! You can send songs until August 12, 2026, for the Ninth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

[Entry Form Banner 2026 SuwRK Songwriting Contest Trim]

Entry form: https://forms.gle/fihLNVC2xbD1SXBB6

Finalists will be selected by the organizing committee, and will perform their songs at the WWALS River Revue sit-down fundraising dinner. That will be Saturday, September 12, 2026, 5-9 PM, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club, 6100 4-H Club Road in Lake Park, Georgia 31636.

There will be food, drink, speakers from Georgia and Florida, a silent auction, and the music of a headliner before the Songwriting Contest Finalists play.

“More fun than you can have anywhere off the water!” said WWALS Board member Scotti Jay.

We like songs about issues, nature, history, fun on the water, or community, or whatever tickles your fancy.

For the first time we’re including the Santa Fe River Basin. We used to exclude that Basin, because Our Santa Fe River (OSFR) had a songwriting contest for it. OSFR is not doing that anymore.

Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, who invented that contest, will do one next year by Rum 138, her outfitter. But she recommends WWALS include the Santa Fe Basin in our Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, “As a result of JEA wanting to send treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, give us your best songs.”

If you don’t know what she’s referring to, see: Continue reading →

WFNF at Suwannee County Republican Party, Live Oak, FL 2026-04-02

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Update 2026-04-02: Videos: A roomfull against WFNF at SCRP, Live Oak, FL 2026-04-02.

Come hear about the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin: Water First North Florida (WFNF).

Thursday, April 2, 2026, Live Oak City Hall, 101 White Ave SE, Live Oak, FL 32064-3340.

Optional informal social time at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7pm.

According to the facebook event by the Suwannee County Republican Party:

This Thursday, April 2nd, come discuss the Water First North Florida project, with SRWMD Board Member Larry Sessions, Suwannee County Commissioner Franklin White, geologist Dennis Price, and WWALS/Suwannee Riverkeeper Executive Director John Quarterman.

Our County Commission and those of all the surrounding counties have passed resolutions opposing the project, as has the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.

So: What do we do now? Who will decide, and how can we influence future decisions? Come be part of the discussion.

https://www.facebook.com/events/819236594498207

[WFNR @ SCRP, 5:30 PM, April 4, 2026, Live Oak City Hall, 101 White Ave SE, Live Oak, FL]
WFNR @ SCRP, 5:30 PM, April 4, 2026, Live Oak City Hall, 101 White Ave SE, Live Oak, FL

That’s a bit of hyperbole about “all the surrounding counties,” since we have not yet heard from Hamilton, Lafayette, or Gilchrist. However, Madison and Columbia have passed resolutions, along with Suwannee County.

Update 2026-04-01: Hamilton County has been heard from:
Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2023-03-24
https://wwals.net/?p=69937

For the complete set, and much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Larry Sessions represents the Upper Suwannee Basin and was reappointed June 2022 to the Governing Board of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD). Continue reading →

NAQA’A Desalination Plant in Umm Al Quwain, U.A.E. 2019-07-09

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Update 2026-03-26: Added more examples and a table.

WFNF is five times more expensive per million gallons per day than a modern Middle East seawater desalination plant. And twice as expensive as more expensive than an Australian one. Plus taking more than twice as long to build.

WFNF does nothing to reduce Jacksonville’s groundwater withdrawals. Seawater desalination could eliminate them.

And brine disposal is not just a problem: it’s an opportunity to extract minerals for profit.

For much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Five years ago in Arab News, July 9, 2019, UAE to build $900m desalination plant with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power,

“Plant in Umm Al-Quwain will produce 150 million gallons of water per day”

[NAQA’A Desalination Plant, Umm Al Quwain, U.A.E., 150 mgd potable water, $0.82 billion U.S.D.]
NAQA’A Desalination Plant, Umm Al Quwain, U.A.E., 150 mgd potable water, $0.82 billion U.S.D.

Now, in 2026, It’s operational: NAQA’A Desalination Plant in Umm Al Quwain. Continue reading →

Madison County calls for a moratorium on WFNF 2026-03-25

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Update 2026-03-26: “Good afternoon! During their regular meeting last night, the Madison County Board of County Commissioners approved the attached Resolution to express their opposition to the Water First North Florida pipeline project. We appreciate your service to rural communities and your continued support of Madison County.” —Madison County Manager Sherilyn Pickels

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

On its agenda for tomorrow evening, Madison County will call for a moratorium on 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

[Madison County calls for a moratorium on Water First North Florida, 2026-03-25]
Madison County calls for a moratorium on Water First North Florida, 2026-03-25

Received from Rick Davis this afternoon, “Here is a link for the Resolution from Madison County to be considered at our March 25 Commission meeting at 6pm.”

https://madisoncountyfl.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/378b10b9-874b-4072-b297-088c2e4a46e2

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-03-25

A RESOLUTION OF THE MADISON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN MADISON, 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, Continue reading →