Watch out for road work on Lakeland Highway across Grand Bay Creek.

Map and Grand Bay Creek Bridge

The Public Notice doesn’t say when the work will start on GA 31 aka US 221 aka Lakeland Highway, but you have 30 days from yesterday to comment. I will ask for a copy of the application. Meanwhile, the Public Notice is below, and here is the gist of it (I added the links):

State Route 31 from State Route 7 to State Route 135
(GPS Coordinates: 30.97284, -83.10488; 30.90854, -83.18506)

…

The proposed project will impact the buffer of Open Water (OW) 4, OW 13, and OW 31. The project will add passing lanes at four sites in two interconnected corridors along State Route (SR) 31 in Lanier and Lowndes Counties. The project will impact the state mandated 25-ft buffer within the Suwannee Watershed (HUC 03110202). The disturbance will cover 5,903 square feet and include discharging of fill and clearing and grubbing to widen SR 31, culvert replacement, and the installation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).

GA 31 is commonly known as Lakeland Highway, and also as US 221.

The coordinates supplied actually put the southwest end of the road work just east of Lightsey Road aka CCC Road in Lowndes County, and the northeast end east of Shiner Pond Road aka Spells Road CR 12 in Lanier County.

Map: Lakeland Highway widening in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT)

OW 4, 13, and 31 presumably are numbered for this particular project. I would guess two of them are Grand Bay Creek and Grand Bay.

HUC 03110202 is the Alapaha River watershed. The road work area crosses Grand Bay Creek at the Lucille M. Norton Bridge.

Grand Bay Creek eastbound Lakeland Highway —Google Streetview

BMPs usually include silt fences and turbidity curtains such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-END) is using at Lakeland Boat Ramp. One would hope the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) would use those, too.

Turbidity curtain and more silt fences 2023-06-20

Grand Bay Creek joins Mud Swamp Creek to form the Alapahoochee River, which flows into the Alapaha River just above Sasser Landing in Hamilton County, Florida.

Map: Context of Lakeland Highway widening in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT)

Public Notice

PDF from GA-EPD’s Public Advisories: Requests for State Waters Buffer Variance.

Public Notice

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION
PUBLIC NOTICE
WATERSHED PROTECTION BRANCH

July 20, 2023
Advisory Issue Date

Lanier & Lowndes Counties
City/County

August 19, 2023
Advisory Close Date

BV-086-23-01
Control Number

State Route 31 from State Route 7 to State Route 135
(GPS Coordinates: 30.97284, -83.10488; 30.90854, -83.18506)

Activity

This notice is issued to inform the public of a receipt of an application for a variance submitted pursuant to a state environmental Law. The public is invited to comment during the 30-day period on the proposed activity. Site plans are available for review and are located in the following EPD office: Watershed Protection Branch File Room, 2 MLK Jr. Drive, SW, West Tower, Balcony, Suite 418, Atlanta, GA 30334. Please contact GORArequest. Water @ dnr.ga.gov to schedule an appointment to review the plans. Since the EPD has no authority to zone property or determine land use, only those comments addressing environmental issues related to air, water, and land protection will be considered in the application review process. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to: EPDcomments @dnr.ga.gov. Comments may also be provided in writing to: Program Manager, Nonpoint Source Program, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Suite 1452 East, Atlanta, GA 30334. The words “Buffer Variance Comment”, including the Control Number shown above, should be placed in the e-mail subject line (if sent via e-mail) or on the top of the first page of written comments to ensure that your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate staff.

Type of Permit Application: Variance to encroach within the 25-foot State waters buffer.

Applicable Law: Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act O.C.G.A. § 12-7-1 et seq.

Applicable Rules: Erosion and Sedimentation Control Chapter 391-3-7

Basis under which variance shall be considered {391-3-7.05 (2)(a-k)}: (a)

Description and Location of Proposed Activity:

The proposed project will impact the buffer of Open Water (OW) 4, OW 13, and OW 31. The project will add passing lanes at four sites in two interconnected corridors along State Route (SR) 31 in Lanier and Lowndes Counties. The project will impact the state mandated 25-ft buffer within the Suwannee Watershed (HUC 03110202). The disturbance will cover 5,903 square feet and include discharging of fill and clearing and grubbing to widen SR 31, culvert replacement, and the installation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).

Name and Address of Permit Applicant: Mr. Eric Duff
Georgia Department of Transportation
Office of Environmental Services
600 W. Peachtree Street, NW, 16″ Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Summary of Rules Requirements for Variance Application:

The application for a variance must include an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan with control measures based on sound conservation and engineering practices which meet or exceed the standards in the “Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia” and which will minimize erosion and deposition of sediments on adjacent lands or into State waters.

For Additional Information Contact: Jacob Kelley, Environmental Compliance Specialist
EPD, Watershed Protection Branch
Non-Point Source Program
2 MLK Jr. Dr. SW, Suite 1462 East
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Telephone: (470) 531-2938

Rules and Contact

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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