Category Archives: NFRWSP

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

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

Come walk around informational tables about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

That’s the Community Open House by SRWMD, 6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026, at UF-IFAS in Live Oak, Florida. For details see the SRWMD press release below.

Don’t forget the other two WFNF meetings the previous day, Wednesday, March 18, 2026:

Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination
Online, 10 AM
https://wwals.net/?p=69639
Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop
5-6:30 PM, Live Oak Public Library
https://wwals.net/?p=69575

The Thursday meeting started as one that SRWMD was going to hold in Jasper, Hamilton County, on February 26.

SRWMD changed it on February 23 to SRWMD HQ in Live Oak.

On March 6, SRWMD changed the location to UF IFAS.

Either on March 6 or by March 10 when I heard about it in the SRWMD Board meeting, SRWMD changed the format from speakers and audience to tables with materials and staff to walk by.

Whether intentional or not, this format change makes it difficult for attendees to hear what other attendees say, or to hear all the answers from SRWMD.

This is why WWALS recommends people take pictures and videos and post them with hashtag #WFNF.

SRWMD PR, March 12, 2026, Water First North Florida Community Open House to take place March 19,

Water First North Florida Community Open House 2026-03-19, by SRWMD @ UF-IFAS, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, FL 32060

LIVE OAK, FLA., MARCH 12, 2026 — The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) is reminding residents of the upcoming Water First North Florida Community Open House from 6-8 p.m. on March 19.

The event will take place at the UF-IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center — Suwannee Valley, 8202 County Road 417, Live Oak, FL, 32060.

Written public comments will be received at the event. Informational tables will be set up throughout the venue, focusing on specific topics related to Water First North Florida, and allow residents to learn more about each aspect of the project. Experts will be available to answer any project questions that attendees may want answered.
Continue reading →

Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18

1 Reply

The Task Force originally formed to deal with Valdosta wastewater is meeting next Wednesday to decide on a resolution opposing WFNF and prefering desalination.

Remember the other two related meetings:

Wednesday, 2026-03-18, 5-6:30 PM
Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064
Crafting Effective Public Comments, a WWALS Workshop
https://wwals.net/?p=69575
https://www.facebook.com/events/694551033680363/
Thursday, 2026-03-19, 6-8 PM
SRWMD WFNF Open House
UF-IFAS N FL REC — Suwannee Valley, 8202 County Road 417, Live Oak, FL, 32060
https://wwals.net/?p=69644
https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/posts/pfbid0AvWGU6Mr5oU65eUzeyYr5sW6hmV4iUZEDPpXgCS5cAaDUghVdKV6JxVXD7nkLLEWl

MEETING NOTICE
MIDDLE AND LOWER SUWANNEE RIVER
AND WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER
TASK FORCE
There will be a meeting of the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force on March 18, 2026. The meeting will be held virtually via communications media technology at 10:00 a.m.
DIAL IN NUMBER: Toll Free 1.888.585.9008
CONFERENCE CODE: 568 124 316

Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18

The resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-01
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER SUWANNEE RIVER AND WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER TASK FORCE OPPOSING THE WATER FIRST NORTH FLORIDA AQUIFER RECHARGE PROJECT AND RECOMMENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE WATER DESALINIZATION PROJECT
WHEREAS, Continue reading →

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

1 Reply

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 →

Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

1 Reply

Update 2026-03-09: Chance to speak to SRWMD at its Board Meeting, 9 AM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Thanks to Lyric Sloan for a WTXL TV report from the Florida Senate Rules Committee Tuesday.

Environmental advocates are pushing back, warning the plan could introduce contaminants and fails to address what John Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, calls the root cause of declining river flows: over-pumping from the aquifer.

FL SB 7034 would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

“It’s a risky project,” Quarterman said. “There’s no evidence that it takes out PFAs for other chemicals or drugs, pharmaceuticals, and right now that plant is under a consent order for exceeding all sorts of limits.”

Quarterman and other opponents argue Jacksonville should instead reduce its groundwater withdrawals or pursue alternative water sources, such as the St. Johns River or desalination.

Keep calling your Florida statehouse members, SRWMD, etc. For who and how, see:

https://wwals.net/?p=69583

And there’s a petition you can sign: https://c.org/8CgGBpLv7r

If you want assistance with how to craft a comment, come to the WWALS Workshop,
5-6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2026,
at the Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064.

https://wwals.net/?p=69575

And don’t forget SRWMD’s own public meeting,
6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026,
at SRWMD HQ 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak FL 32060.

https://wwals.net/?p=69504

Lyric Sloan, WTXL TV, 7:42 PM, Mar 03, 2026, Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: SB 7034 would pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin to stabilize river flows, but critics warn of contamination risks, while supporters believe it could help agriculture,

DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A proposed Florida Senate Bill would allow treated wastewater from Jacksonville to be piped into the Suwannee River Basin in an effort to stabilize water flows in the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.
Continue reading →

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-05: Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03.

The ratifying bill passed its last committee Tuesday for the project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, in the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project.

Next stop, the full Senate, Thursday, tomorrow. Please call or write your Senators; see below for how.

The Senators will likely approve the bill. But the more they hear, the more likely they will advise SRWMD and SJRWMD that it must be clean or not at all, as did Senators Tracie Davis of Jacksonville and Jennifer Bradley, who represents the most affected area of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

See the Florida Channel video of the Florida Senate Rules Committee on March 3, 2026.

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-3-26-senate-committee-on-rules/

At 02:31:00 they took up item 20, SB 7034, and ended up with Yeas 21 Nays 0.

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator

Next, SB 7034 is on Special Order Calendar for the full Senate for tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, 2026, as “GB by Environment and Natural Resources Ratification of Rules of the Department of Environmental Protection.”

Please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Please be polite but firm.

These are the three Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators: Continue reading →

Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18

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Update 2026-03-09: Chance to speak to SRWMD at its Board Meeting, 9 AM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Come to a WWALS Workshop to prepare to make public comments.

The workshop will be 5-6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2026,
at the Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064.

Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18

Here is a facebook event to remind you, and so you can invite people:

https://www.facebook.com/events/694551033680363/

This workshop is conveniently the day before the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) will hold a public meeting at its Live Oak headquarters on Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

But there are always opportunities to make public comments, written, by telephone, or in person.

When you do, be polite, be brief, be specific, say something different from what everybody else said, tie it to your experience and to evidence, and connect to the larger picture.

All in a memorable way, of course.

As an example, read how the Columbia County Observer wrote up Hailey Hall’s comments on WFNF to the Columbia County Commission on February 21, 2026. Continue reading →

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

WFNF bill in Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

4 Replies

Update 2026-03-04: WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03.

Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.

All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.

Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin

If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Either way, please be polite but firm.

Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee: Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Category Archives: NFRWSP

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

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

Dozen Florida Counties Task Force Resolution against WFNF and for Desalination 2026-03-18

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

Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

WFNF bill in Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03