Category Archives: River

Replace WFNF with desalination and rehydration of SJRWMD wetlands –Ken Sulak 2026-04-02

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Ken Sulak sent this food for thought about Water First North Florida (WFNF). I’ve added a few links.

Synopsis of JEA twofold water problem & potential rational solutions to be considered in lieu of WFNF:

Maintext:

  1. Provide sufficient freshwater to meet 120-160 MGPD demands of urban area of 1.6 million population,
  2. solve the need to treat and discharge 40-50 MGPD of sewage wastewater as per beneficial use requirements of 2021 Senate Bill 64.

Subtext:

  1. Do something wise and cost effective in the context of volume and flow restoration to offset the current JEA ~120 MGPD withdrawal of Floridian Aquifer groundwater from the Suwannee River basin. Note that 40 MGPD return does little to truly offset the ~120 MGPD current withdrawal rate. Also, after evaporative and transpiration losses in the created marshes, the real volume that would be returned to the subterranean aquifer would be more like 35 MGPD.
  2. Simultaneously do something equally wise and appropriate and compliant with SB 64 – using JEA Buckman plant treated effluent for created marsh depuration and discharge locally within the St. Johns WMD, which has its own longstanding serious aquatic recharge needs due to JEA withdrawals lowering the water table within district.

    [Replace WFNF with desalination and rehydration of SJRWMD wetlands --Ken Sulak 2026-04-02]
    Replace WFNF with desalination and rehydration of SJRWMD wetlands –Ken Sulak 2026-04-02

A logical cost-effective solution to 1A: construct a 150-200 MGPD desalination plant on the lower St. Johns River—at cost of comparative modern reverse osmosis plants elsewhere in the world ~$1.0-1.5 billion (close to the probably underestimated construction cost of the WFMF 90 mile pipeline). Pipeline operation and 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 →

Petition: Data Center Due Diligence 2026-03-31

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We the undersigned insist on the following:

No datacenters without at least transparency, a datacenter ordinance, due diligence, public hearings, closed-loop cooling, siting away from waterbodies and neighborhoods, a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) study, and a bond in case of premature closing.

The petition:

https://c.org/9FndqzS4dq

[Petition, Lowndes County, GA: Data Center Due Diligence, Withlacoochee River, Mud Swamp Creek]
Petition, Lowndes County, GA: Data Center Due Diligence, Withlacoochee River, Mud Swamp Creek

  1. Local governments need to pass a moratorium on datacenter applications until they have a comprehensive datacenter ordinance.
  2. Local governments need to pass good data center ordinances before considering any application.
  3. Local governments need to do their due diligence, with independent third-party evidence, not just believe what data center companies tell them.
  4. Local governments need to initiate a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) study for any datacenter of sufficient size.
  5. State governments need to prohibit data centers and electric utilities from passing on power costs to other ratepayers.
  6. Local, state, and national governments need to stop passing tax rebates and other favoritism for an industry owned by billionaires.
  7. All needs to be with continual citizen input.
  8. With all the local business parks, no datacenter should be next to a waterbody or a neighborhood.

Everyone needs to consider that the so-called artificial intelligence (AI) industry may be a bubble and putting too many eggs in one basket for jobs and tax revenue is not prudent when the bubble may pop at any time.

For much more information, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

 -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/

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

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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 →

Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek 2026-03-21

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The Withlacoochee River water level was too low for our original plan to launch the WWALS jonboat from Troupville Boat Ramp, around the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River.

So we put a WWALS canoe in at the railroad trestle downstream from Sugar Creek, and paddled downstream.

The goal was the same: to remove deadfalls and debris to permit passage of canoes, kayaks, and jon boats.

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

https://wwals.net/?p=69810

[Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek, 2026-03-21]
Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek, 2026-03-21

Next: join us tomorrow, 9 AM, Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Langdale Park Boat Ramp. We will paddle upstream and down with chainsaws, and Trails4Valdosta will walk along the riverbank.

https://wwals.net/?p=69784

Here are some video clips from March 21:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/25692852150393984/

https://youtu.be/92fO_L0lRfU

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWckvF_CLWB/ Continue reading →

Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-03-26

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The rivers look clean in the test results we have: New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers.

No new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

Come join us tomorrow, Saturday, for Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea Trail 2026-03-28.

https://wwals.net/?p=69636

Or Sunday, for Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-03-29, in conjunction with Trails4Valdosta, who will be cleaning up along the river banks.

https://wwals.net/?p=69784

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

[Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Happy paddling, 2026-03-26]
Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Happy paddling, 2026-03-26

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 →

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

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Here are WWALS videos of the first Irwin County Commission Public Hearing about a Data Center Ordinance, on March 17, 2026.

The next Public Hearing will be March 30, 2026 at 5:45p.m in the Irwin County Courthouse, located at 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Georgia.

The third and last Public Hearing will be April 6, 2026, before the Irwin County Commission meeting, presumably also at 5:45 PM and at the Courthouse.

[Videos: Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance --Irwin County BOCC, 2026-03-17]
Videos: Public Hearing about Datacenter Ordinance –Irwin County BOCC, 2026-03-17

Among the many good points brought up by citizens at the March 17 Public Hearing were the need for much more due diligence, tuning the ordinance to prevent specific harms, enforcement of the ordinance, as well as specific concerns of cost of wells, water levels, water quality, vegetative buffers, waste disposal, air quality, noise levels, wildlife, electric power, property values, agriculture, the Alapaha River, and limits on the size of any datacenters.

Despite a persistent rumor, the Irwin County Commission definitely did not vote on the previous datacenter application, because the applicant withdrew the application, so there was nothing to vote on.

See also 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 →