Update: 4610-foot explored cavern under McIntyre Spring.
Blue Spring between Quitman and Valdosta has been known since the settling of Brooks County, when it was used as a reference point in building roads starting in 1859. Here’s an early 20th century report, with a much later picture postcard (probably not the same building) and location map.
A Preliminary Report on the Underground Waters of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, State Geologist, Continue reading
Lime Run Spring is a 1st magnitude spring located in Suwannee River State Park. The Spring is the end point of the Falmouth Cathedral Cave System, one of the longest known underwater cave systems in the world. The Sabal Trail pipeline is proposed to cross over the cave and under U. S. 90 and CSX railroad all at the same point. Collapse of the cave roof is a distinct possibility at this point. We cannot allow Sabal to jeopardize this natural wonder.
Chris Mericle
See also: Continue reading
Commissioners from counties on both sides of the Suwannee River saw the sinkholes and big oaks and pines directly above and near where
Sabal Trail proposes to bore under Suwannee River State Park and the River,
led by WWALS board member and Hamilton County resident Chris Mericle,
assisted by Debra Johnson of SpectraBusters, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Our Santa Fe River (OSFR), and others from as far away as south Florida.
All but one of the Suwannee County Commissioners were there, and he had a good excuse.
They also saw Falmouth Spring, which is part of a cave system which Sabal Trail claims is 100 feet deep. Both county commissions meet Tuesday March 1st; see below for details.
WWALS videos to come now posted.
You can see Continue reading
Everyone from the Atlanta Journal-Constition to the Palm Beach Post to the
Ocala StarBanner
considers the EPA letter to FERC
to be of great significance.
WWALS agrees, and has filed a motion to ask the judge to take notice in WWALS v. Sabal Trail & DEP.
§ 373.414 Florida Statutes, begins:
(1) As part of an applicant’s demonstration that an activity regulated under this part will not be harmful to the water resources or will not be inconsistent with the overall objectives of the district, the governing board or the department shall require the applicant to provide reasonable assurance that state water quality standards applicable to waters as defined in s. 403.031(13) will not be violated and reasonable assurance that such activity in, on, or over surface waters or wetlands, as delineated in s. 373.421(1), is not contrary to the public interest. However, if such an activity significantly degrades or is within an Outstanding Florida Water, as provided by department rule, the applicant must provide reasonable assurance that the proposed activity will be clearly in the public interest.
Not just “not contrary to the public interest”. For an Outstanding Florida Water applicant (Sabal Trail) “must provide reasonable assurance that the proposed activity will be clearly in the public interest.” The Suwannee River is an Outstanding Florida Water. And the EPA letter is pretty good evidence that Sabal Trail did not provide such reasonable assurance.
Filed October 30, 2015 4:43 PM Division of Administrative Hearings (also PDF on WWALS website): Continue reading
Withlacoochee River
More Hardee Spring and another spring on that same outing.
The ant continues against the dinosaur this morning!
When: 10 AM Tuesday 20 October 2015
Where: Hamilton County Board of Commissioners Chambers,
207 NE First Street
Jasper, Florida 32052
What: WWALS v. Sabal Trail & FDEP
Defending the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers, the Floridan Aquifer, the Florida Springs Heartland, and our water, land, and air
against the invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline
Remember: Continue reading
Until December 11, 2015, you can still complain to USACE and GA-EDP about Sabal Trail’s proposed fracked methane pipeline under the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers, Okapilco Creek, and other rivers and streams in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
See the
new Joint Public Notice datestamped October 09 2015,
and the
previous public notice to which it refers.
Don’t forget WWALS v. Sabal Trail & DEP in Jasper, Florida starting Monday 19 October 2015. More on the WWALS website.
-jsq
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Continue readingNot sure why FSI didn’t put this on their website, but here it is, both PDF and HTML below.
-jsq
FLORIDA SPRINGS INSTITUTE REQUESTS COMPREHENSIVE GROUNDWATER NITRATE SAMPLING IN ALACHUA AND GILCHRIST COUNTIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dr. Robert Knight
Director,
Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute
386-462-1003August 28, 2015, GAINESVILLE, FL — On Thursday, Dr. Robert Knight, Director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute called for a comprehensive, area-wide groundwater nitrate sampling effort by state and local governments, especially in the karst areas of Alachua and Gilchrist counties. Dr. Knight’s call for action comes after Continue reading
The Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline route went through
this area, and the new route is only slightly to the north.
There are springs all over this area.
The same karst limestone underlies the Withlacoochee River
in Georgia, where the river already leaks into the aquifer north
of Valdosta.
A pipeline anywhere in the karst limestone containing the
Floridan Aquifer is a very bad idea.
Profit for Sabal Trail, FPL, or Spectra Energy is no excuse for
risking our drinking water.
SRWMD PR 4 December 2014, Falmouth dye trace reveals unknown connectivity,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LIVE OAK, FL, December 4, 2014 — The District and Florida Geological Survey introduced dye into Falmouth Spring On September 4th, in hopes of learning which other springs were connected to the known Falmouth Cathedral Cave System. Two days after the dye was release the dye appeared in two springs previously not known to be connected, Ellaville and Suwannacoochee.
Continue reading