Tag Archives: Suwannee Riverkeeper

Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed and Estuary, WWALS Webinar 2026-10-19

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Dr. David Kaplan and Dr. Wendy Graham, both of the University of Florida, will present an online WWALS Webinar:

Noon to 1 PM, Monday, October 19, 2026

Register here to attend by zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KPoObaVMRammKk6dKYyI0Q

You can mark going on this facebook event to encourage others to attend:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2165192244412437/

WWALS Events Committee Member Hailey Hall will introduce the speakers, who will speak for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and answers.

The Suwannee River watershed supports one of the world’s largest spring systems, productive estuarine ecosystems, working agricultural and forest landscapes, and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy water resources. Understanding how future changes in climate and land use will affect these interconnected systems is critical for informed management and conservation.

[Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed & Estuary, a WWALS Webinar 2026-08-19]
Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed & Estuary, a WWALS Webinar 2026-08-19

This presentation will highlight results from a large interdisciplinary research project that coupled hydrologic, estuarine ecological, and economic models to evaluate a range of plausible future scenarios for the Suwannee River watershed and estuary. Using a landscape-scale groundwater-surface water model, we examined how alternative land-use futures—including agricultural expansion, forest restoration, conservation planning, and urban growth—interact with projected climate change to influence groundwater recharge, river flows, nitrate transport, estuarine water quality, fisheries, and regional economic outcomes.

Rather than attempting to predict a single future, this scenario-based approach explores Continue reading →

Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard 2026-09-22

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Hear two experts talk about half an hour of above and underwater pictures and video footage that Ken Sulak and Chris Getlinger captured this past spring.

What better way to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox?

It’s online by zoom, noon to 1 PM, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Register to join the zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o02HNIbuSaOXTx7hP4Sriw

Encourage others to join by marking going on this facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1758099698528493

[Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22]
Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22

Ken Sulak says fall is an appropriate time to talk about sturgeon, because, “Sturgeon spawning this spring was likely a total failure due to the drought and then rapid warming of the river. But 20% of the population, a genetically distinct portion, is adapted to spawn in October-November as the river cools below 25 C. Good time to talk again about sturgeon migration and spawning—and the potential impact of naturally-occurring low river levels, exacerbated by excessive withdrawals.”

Ken Sulak described his video footage:

Over the course of approximately eight weeks, we were fortunate enough to be able to capture the ancient and enigmatic, Gulf sturgeon during their annual spawning migration up the Suwannee River. A journey that takes them up river 120 miles Continue reading →

Data Center Public Event in Irwinville 2026-07-29

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There’s a public meeting this Wednesday against the Project Arrowhead datacenter in Irwin County, organized by Matt Day.

That’s Wednesday, July 29, 5 PM,
at the Irwinville Community Center, 1937 GA 32.

[Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026]
Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026

As a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, WWALS of course does not endorse or oppose Matt Day or any other candidate for office. This post is about the meeting and the issue.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

Matt Day wrote on facebook, July 25, 2026:

ATTENTION IRWINVILLE, GA…

I am coming to your town next Wednesday and I am bringing two very special guests with me.

These Executives have ran companies that helped some of earth’s biggest construction projects, some of which were Data Centers. They are not the Data Center Developers, but the Construction Companies over the Blue Collar Workers who do the actual building.

These men have agreed to something very few construction firms have had the nerve todo…stop building Data Centers where the Communities are not allowing Citizens to Vote on them coming in. Nor will they Continue reading →

Cat Creek Nine Element Plan 2026-05-14

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Here’s a plan to find creek and river contamination and fix it. “This Nine-Element Plan for Cat Creek, HUC 0311020303, facilitates finding and fixing contamination that is getting into the Withlacoochee River upstream from Valdosta, Georgia, from Cat Creek and its feeder creeks in Berrien and Lowndes Counties, Georgia.”

[Cat Creek Nine Element Plan, Find and fix contamination into Withlacoochee River, WWALS, VSU, USDA NRCS 2026-05-14]
Cat Creek Nine Element Plan, Find and fix contamination into Withlacoochee River, WWALS, VSU, USDA NRCS 2026-05-14

Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan Update

This Plan is featured on two pages of the 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update for Lowndes County and the Cities of Dasher, Hahira, Lake Park, Remerton, & Valdosta.

The Lowndes County Commission will vote tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 5:30 PM, on transmitting that update to the state of Georgia.

WWALS is also mentioned a few other places in that Update, such as under Natural Resources, Opportunities & Existing Resources, “WWALS has a water quality testing program that trains people how to conduct water tests following spills.”

And under Natural Resource, Policies, “Lowndes County and the Cities should collaborate with local outdoor groups, such as WWALS, to market and promote local outdoor events and cleanups.”

Executive Summary

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River 2026-07-22

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The Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and the Santa Fe River again tested clean in the results we have for this week.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, before the rains starting tomorrow afternoon.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River, 2026-07-22]
Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River, 2026-07-22

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Paddle Big Shoals to Suwannee Wayside Park, Suwannee River 2026-08-01

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Join WWALS for a 6 mile paddle from Big Shoals State Park to Suwannee Wayside Park in White Springs.

This paddle may not be appropriate for beginners due to the bumpy stretch of low, Little Shoals to navigate through. Be prepared to portage your kayak 400 feet around Big Shoals. If you have light wheels for your kayak, they will be handy for the portage. Wear shoes appropriate for slippery rocks.

Along the way are the remains of Old Godwin Bridge, the outflow of Bell Springs, a second magnitude spring in Columbia County, and Falling Creek, plus some other creeks.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, August 1, 2026

Put In: Big Shoals Tract Launch, From White Springs, travel north on CR 135 to SE 94 Street (Godwin Bridge Road); turn right and follow road to Big Shoals, in Hamilton County, Florida.

GPS: 30.3529705, -82.6879375

[Paddle Big Shoals to Suwannee Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Saturday, August 1, 2026]
Paddle Big Shoals to Suwannee Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Saturday, August 1, 2026

Continue reading →

Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations –Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02

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Cook County, Georgia, was ahead of everybody else in passing a datacenter moratorium, way back on December 2, 2024.

Commissioner Rowe moved to approve a moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations in Cook County. Commissioner Daughtrey seconded the motion; the motion carried unanimously.

[Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations --Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02]
Moratorium on solar farms, AI facilities, and Bitcoin operations –Cook County BOCC 2024-12-02

According to Cook County Manager Randall Lane, the motion itself is the entire text of the moratorium.

He wrote, “It was added to the Agenda by a Commissioner, and it was voted on unanimously to approve until lifted by the Board.”

Cook County is bounded on the west by the Little River, and on the east by the Withlacoochee River and its tributary the New River. Like everywhere else in the Suwannee River Basin, Cook County drinks from the Floridan Aquifer, for home, industry, and agriculture.

The county seat, Adel, on July 6, 2026, passed its own datacenter moratorium.

Adel’s moratorium is two pages compared to Cook County’s one sentence.

Downstream on the Withlacoochee River, the datacenter moratorium that Madison County, Florida, passed on July 23, 2026, is intermediate in length and complexity.

In between, Lowndes County, Georgia, has passed nothing: no moratorium, and no datacenter ordinance.

For much more about detacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters Continue reading →

Datacenter deal proposal: no documents responsive 2026-07-01

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It appears that the rumored Irwin County datacenter tax pre-payment proposal is vaporware, speculation, hearsay.

The response from the Irwin County Clerk on July 21 was:

“I have received your request. At this time, there are no documents responsive to your request.”

[Datacenter deal proposal in Ocilla Star 2026-07-01, no documents responsive, Irwin County Clerk 2026-07-21]
Datacenter deal proposal in Ocilla Star 2026-07-01, no documents responsive, Irwin County Clerk 2026-07-21

That was in response to my open records request of July 19, 2026: Continue reading →

Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2026-08-28

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Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia.

When: Gather 7 PM, launch 7:30 PM, moonrise 8:20 PM, sunset 8 PM, end 9 PM, Friday, August 28, 2026

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, West of Lakeland, Georgia, 7 PM, Friday, August 28, 2026]
Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, West of Lakeland, Georgia, 7 PM, Friday, August 28, 2026

Continue reading →

Adel, GA, Datacenter Moratorium 2026-07-06

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Here is the 180-day datacenter moratorium that the City of Adel, Georgia, passed on July 6, 2026.

[Adel, Georgia, Datacenter Moratorium, 180 days, July 6, 2026]
Adel, Georgia, Datacenter Moratorium, 180 days, July 6, 2026

RESOLUTION No. 26-02

RESOLUTION FOR A MORATORIUM ON THE CONSIDERATION, PROCESSING, AND ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS OF NEW BUSINESS LICENSES, BUILDING PERMITS, OR OTHER APPROVALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR DEVELOPMENT OF DATA CENTERS WITHIN THE CITY OF ADEL

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the State of Georgia provides that the City of Adel enjoys and possesses home rule powers, police powers, zoning/land development powers and the ability to license and regulate certain businesses and occupations within the boundaries of the City; and

WHEREAS, the City of Adel shall have, inter alia, the full power and authority to license, regulate, control, or prohibit all businesses (Adel City Charter, Sec. 26);

WHEREAS, the City of Adel may, in the interest of public health, safety, order, convenience, comfort, prosperity, or general welfare, adopt by ordinance a plan or plans for the districting or zoning of the City for the purpose of regulating the location of trades, industries, apartment houses, dwellings, or other uses of property (Adel City Charter, Sec. 24);

WHEREAS, the City of Adel may define and prohibit nuisances within the corporate limits of said City (Adel City Charter, Sec. 27);

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Adel may enact and revise ordinances to regulate the issuance of licenses and permits for the construction, development, establishment, and operation of data centers within the City;

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Adel find there is a present need to review and revise the ordinances, zoning regulations, land development standards, licensing requirements, and nuisance regulations relating to the construction, location, placement, and operation of data centers within the City;

WHEREAS, data centers are a relatively new and evolving land use consisting of Continue reading →