Category Archives: Springs

Judge tosses Sand Mine Exception because Levy County Commissioners violated their own rules 2024-09-18

A judge today quashed the Special Exception the Levy County BOCC approved for the 3RT Sand Mine.

Craig C. DeThomasis, Florida Eight Judicial Circuit Court Judge, ruled that the county failed several ways to provide notices required by law for hearings and appeal requirements, and failed to do at least two kinds of required studies: traffic and wildlife.

[Florida Judge Quashes 2024-09-18 Levy County 3RT Sand Mine: Lack of Public Notices & Lack of required studies]
Florida Judge Quashes 2024-09-18 Levy County 3RT Sand Mine: Lack of Public Notices & Lack of required studies

This does not mean it’s all over. It does mean the applicant has to start the whole process over, and this time the county has to follow state law and its own procedures. Meanwhile, the opposition is still organized and ready.

The judge did not consider that the mine is in the springshed of Rainbow Springs nor that SWFWMD in issuing an ERP did not consider its own Rainbow Springs BMAP.

The judge noted: Continue reading →

Map of Waterkeeper Florida Territories 2024-09-13

This map was compiled by Waterkeepers Florida, which is an umbrella organization consisting of the fourteen Waterkeepers of Florida: Apalachicola Waterkeeper, Calusa Waterkeeper, Collier County Waterkeeper, Emerald Coastkeeper, Kissimmee Waterkeeper, Lake Worth Waterkeeper, Matanzas Riverkeeper, Miami Waterkeeper, Peace Myakka Waterkeeper, St Johns Waterkeeper, St Marys Waterkeeper, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Suwannee Riverkeeper, and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper.

[Waterkeepers Florida Territories Map plus FDEP Territories and Disaster Map]
Waterkeepers Florida Territories Map plus FDEP Territories and Disaster Map

What’s the different between Waterkeeper, Riverkeeper, and Coastkeeper? Nothing, really: all work for fishable, swimmable, drinkable water in their territories. All are trademarks of Waterkeeper Alliance (WKA) and refer to an organization and to a specific individual who is the spokeperson for the waterbody.

WKA is trying to standardize on Waterkeeper for all new ones. We had to argue to get Suwannee Riverkeeper because all the ones surrounding us are Riverkeepers, and that’s the term people hereabouts know.

The WKFL Territories Map is actually a layer in a WKFL Disaster Map. Other layers include Districts of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Continue reading →

Input solicited for water trail signs and rack cards 2024-09-05

Some of the WWALS water trail signs have been stolen, others shot up, and some places and rivers we never placed any.

Due to generous grants from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) and the Hamilton County, Florida, Tourist Development Council (TDC), we are working up new signs.

After spending many months rationalizing river miles and icons, we solicit your input as we start designing the new signs.

What landmarks or interesting sites do you think should be mentioned on the signs?

Please enter your suggestions here:
https://forms.gle/LTryv7yqdHFd54rq8

[Input Solicited for Water Trail Signs on the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers in Georgia and Florida]
Input Solicited for Water Trail Signs on the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers in Georgia and Florida

The GA-DNR grant funds road signs, which are in a fixed format, at-water signs, which will have details upstream and downstream. They are for:

Follow the links for what we have so far for each of these water trails.
https://wwals.net/water-trails/

The GA-DNR grant also funds rack cards. Continue reading →

Water Protectors Meet and Greet at Ichetucknee Head Springs 2024-09-08

Meet for an hour and then dip in the spring, or tube if you like.

If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition to get a constitutional amendment for Right to Clean Water on the Florida ballot in 2026.
https://wwals.net/issues/right-to-clean-water/

When: Gather 10 AM, launch 11 AM, end 2 PM, Sunday, September 8, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Headspring, at the Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.

GPS: 29.986107, -82.760109

[Water Protectors Meet and Greet, Sunday, 10-11 AM, 2024-09-08, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance]
Water Protectors Meet and Greet, Sunday, 10-11 AM, 2024-09-08, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance

Continue reading →

Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers, 2024-11-30

Update 2024-11-24: Rescheduled due to schedule conflict: Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-02-01.

Join us on a leisurely paddle on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, starting at Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, past many springs, taking out at the US 129 Boat Ramp.

When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, November 30, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.

GPS: 29.986107, -82.760109

[Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2024-11-30, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp]
Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2024-11-30, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp

Continue reading →

Packet: Return of the proposed 2,109-acre rezoning for Planned Unit Development in floodplain –City of Chiefland, FL 2024-08-12

The huge PUD proposed next to Long Pond is back on the Chiefland City agenda for 6PM this evening, mostly in a floodplain, and all in the Manatee Springs Protection Area, upstream from the Suwannee River.

It appears unchanged since it was last heard June 24, and since it got pulled from the agenda for July 8.

[Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property]
Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property

Ironically, at the July 22 City Commission meeting, the Tourism Commission rep. proposed a Dark Sky Ordinance. Which would seem to be the opposite of a 2,109-acre Planned Unit Development with a 50-year plan for residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses, in an area now zoned as Agricultural / Rural Residential. Continue reading →

Cancelled: Allen Ramp to SRSP, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-01

Update 2024-07-30: Cancelled due to too strong flow for the upstream Suwannee Paddle to Suwannee River State Park Ramp.

Come along for this fun 8.44 mile paddle on the Withlacoochee River from Allen Ramp to Suwannee River State Park. There will be beautiful springs to enjoy and several sets of shoals to paddle through, possibly requiring some basic skills. Everyone must wear a PFD at all times on the river and have a bow line for your boat. There will also be an upstream paddle of 1/4 mile from the confluence of the rivers to the ramp at SRSP.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10:30 AM, end 3 PM, Thursday, August 1, 2024

Put In: Allen Ramp, 2726 SW 64th Way Jasper, FL 32052, in Hamilton County, Florida.
From Jasper, travel north on US 41 to SR 6; turn left; travel south on SW CR 141 to SW CR 143; turn right and follow SW CR 143 to SW 64 Way and follow to ramp.

GPS: 30.449167, -83.221328

[Allen Ramp to SRSP, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-01, Double Window Spring, Melvin Shoals]
Allen Ramp to SRSP, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-01, Double Window Spring, Melvin Shoals

Continue reading →

Jobs and Comprehensive Plans at NCFRPC 2024-07-25

I don’t see anything in the agenda about the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force that the NCFRPC reactivated in May after Valdosta’s April sewage spills. Maybe they are meeting separately and have nothing to report yet.

Also, in the statewide metrics of https://thefloridascorecard.org/ I don’t see anything about water: not drinking water, river water, springs, levels, flows, E. coli, nitrates, cyanobacteria, nothing.

But on the agenda are several county Comprehensive Plan updates, so those could be interesting.

[North Central Florida Regional Planning Council 2024-07-25, Metrics, Jobs, and Comprehensive Plans]
North Central Florida Regional Planning Council 2024-07-25, Metrics, Jobs, and Comprehensive Plans

Received this morning:

Council Members, Interested Persons, and News Media,

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 P.M.

Please be advised that there will be a Hybrid Meeting in-Person at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Suwannee Room, 213 Southwest Commerce Boulevard, Lake City, Florida, and via Communications Media Technology for the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council on Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

Continue reading →

FDEP Potable Reuse Workshop 2024-07-15

FDEP has invited all Waterkeepers of Florida to this workshop.

You can attend, too.

[Potable Reuse Workshop 2024-07-15, Florida DEP, Tallahassee and Online, 10 AM EDT]
Potable Reuse Workshop 2024-07-15, Florida DEP, Tallahassee and Online, 10 AM EDT

Workshop Agenda
Monday, July 15, 2024, 10:00 am EDT 
Potable Reuse 

This is a rule development workshop to discuss and receive public input on the development of proposed amendments to portions of Chapters 62-550, 62-555, and 62-610, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), and create a new Chapter 62-565, F.A.C. These amendments and new chapter will create a new set of rules for potable reuse. These changes will simplify and clarify existing rule language and establish requirements for potable reuse. Notices of Rule Development were published in 2023 and 2024. Links to those publications can be found on the Water Resource Management rule development information website.

This meeting is open to the public. DEP is hosting this public workshop in person at Bob Martinez Center, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Room 609, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, as well as virtually via GoToWebinar.  To register for the meeting virtually, please visit the following link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3655798535631207254. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers except a hot spot near the Suwannee River 2024-07-11

Update 2024-07-19: 2024-07-19: Twelve months of Ashburn sewage spills 2024-07-08.

The Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean, except the Santa Fe at Wanamake (Butler) Ramp, a tenth of a mile up from the Suwannee River.

No sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia, Ashburn had yet another spill.

Saturday is supposed to be sunny, and Sunday it might rain late in the day.

So pick a river at a level you like, and happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Or join us Saturday morning for Sasser Landing Alapaha River Cleanup, 2024-07-13.

[Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers 2024-07-11, except a hot spot near the Suwannee]
Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers 2024-07-11, except a hot spot near the Suwannee

The Withlacoochee is in Action Stage at North Valdosta Road (US 41) and upstream, and soon will be at Pinetta. The Santa Fe River is still at rock bottom in several places. Continue reading →