Thanks to all who participated, this webinar turned into a
45-minute online town hall, after the
the two-minute introduction by WWALS Treasurer Sara Squires Jones
and the 32-minute slide presentation by Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
Many questions were asked about
s the plan by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to pipe output from the JEA Buckman wastewater treatment plant into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, to recharge springs and rivers.
We now know much more about why JEA wants to do this,
especially thanks to Joe Squitieri, Rick Lanese, and Hailey Hall.
The slides are on the WWALS website in
PDF
and
PowerPoint.
The slides are slightly updated to clean up a few glitches and especially
to add four slides about what JEA gets out of this project.
Images of each slide are below.
Notes on the Q&A are at the end of this post,
and you can see and hear for yourself in the video.
Please remember to
Ask for explanations or to stop the projects.
Come hear some questions about
SRWMD and SJRWMD’s billion dollar plan to pipe treated wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin.
The Suwannee River Basin in Florida is downstream from Valdosta’s wastewater spills.
Should it also be downstream from Jacksonville?
That’s the plan by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to pipe output from the JEA Buckman wastewater treatment plant into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, to recharge springs and rivers.
But what about the PFAS forever chemicals, drugs, and artificial sweeteners wastewater plants do not remove?
Since Jacksonville withdraws more groundwater than anything else in the affected area,
why not have JAX limit its own withdrawals?
Maybe by seawater desalination, like California, Texas, and south Florida already do?
Come hear these and many more questions, such as eminent domain for that 60-plus-mile pipe,
who would pay, and effects on tourism.
Thanks to UGA Professors Jaivime Evaristo (isotope data) and Todd Rasmussen (water levels) for reviewing their two lines of evidence that the Okefenokee Swamp leaks through the underlying limestone into the Upper Floridan Aquifer.
This webinar explains their recent scientific paper on this subject.
Note that this means that nearby water withdrawals draw more water down from the Swamp into the Aquifer.
This paper is more incentive to pass Georgia House Bill 561 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining, at least on its east side.
Georgians, please ask your statehouse delegation to pass HB 561.
Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends and relatives to do the same.
Here’s how to contact Georgia Statehouse members:
Hahira, Georgia, January 12, 2026 —
For thirty years it was suspected that the Okefenokee Swamp leaks water into the groundwater from which we all drink.
Now we have much stronger evidence, that the Swamp leaks not a little but a lot of water into the Floridan Aquifer.
At noon by zoom this Thursday, you can watch
the UGA professors who published it explain that evidence.
They will also mention some consequences, such as nearby water withdrawals
pull more water from the Swamp into the Aquifer.
Lead author Prof. Jaivime Evaristo will explain the isotope evidence.
Prof. Todd Rasmussen will explain the water level evidence.
This paper is more incentive to pass Georgia House Bill 561 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining, at least on its east side.
Georgians, please ask your statehouse delegation to pass HB 561.
Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends and relatives to do the same.
Here’s how to contact Georgia Statehouse members:
UGA Professors Jaivime Evaristo (isotope data) and Todd Rasmussen (water levels) review
two lines of evidence that the Okefenokee Swamp leaks through the underlying limestone into the Upper Floridan Aquifer, and nearby water withdrawals draw more down.
This WWALS Webinar by zoom at noon will explain their recent scientific paper on this subject.
This paper is more incentive to pass Georgia House Bill 561 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining, at least on its east side.
Georgians, please ask your statehouse delegation to pass HB 561.
Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends and relatives to do the same.
Here’s how to contact Georgia Statehouse members:
History Instructor Vickie Everitte
conducted
a historical exploration of Georgia’s Wiregrass Region
and the complex stories of survival, resistance, and adaptation that unfolded there after the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson.
WWALS Board Member Janet Martin gave a brief introduction to this WWALS Webinar.
Questions and answers were at the end,
including a distinguished guest.
Native American and Passageways to Freedom within the Wiregrass Region1
As settlers moved south of the Oconee River, drawn by the land’s
economic promise, waves of migration and militia efforts reshaped
the landscape—and the lives of the Native American families
who called it home. Through rivers, streams, and the vast Okefenokee
Swamp, Indigenous people found ways not only to endure but to carve
out paths of freedom and self-determination amid the U.S. Indian
Removal Policy of the 1830s.
Drawing from original correspondence between settlers, militia, and
Georgia’s governors in Milledgeville, this presentation reveals how
waterways became corridors of escape and survival. As Everitte
reminds us, “Swamps are places on the margins — as much,
they are places of transition, opportunity, and challenge.”2
Veronica Kelly-Summers, a dedicated Visitor Services Manager with
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge,
talked about the Okefenokee Swamp, its history, significance, places to go, things to do, and what’s next,
in this largest and best-preserved freshwater wetland in the U.S.
The Swamp is the headwaters of two rivers: the St. Marys that forms the border between Georgia and Florida,
and the Suwannee, which flows through Georgia and the Florida state song.
Here is the WWALS video of Veronica’s webinar, from noon-1 PM, Thursday, September 11, 2025:
https://youtu.be/pvLU8wPLsZc
The WWALS
campout at Floyd’s Island
in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp
has unfortunately been cancelled due to low water.
So you can watch Veronica’s presentation instead.
WWALS Board Member Janet Martin gave a brief introduction.
In questions and answers at the end,
Veronica elaborated on what it means
for the Okefenokee NWR to become a World Heritage Site:
more visibility, more visitors, but no additional federal funding.
Veronica Kelly-Summers is a dedicated Visitor Services Manager with
over 15 years of experience in protecting natural resources and
connecting people with nature. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s
degree in forestry from Southern Illinois University with a focus on
forest recreation and wildlife habitat management. Her career with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken her to eight national
wildlife refuges from the woods and swamps of southern Illinois to
the Loess Bluffs of Iowa and Missouri, the Florida Everglades, and
she’s now stationed at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in
Georgia. She works closely with staff and partners to provide
leadership and strategic direction for the Visitor Services program
including managing visitor facilities and recreational opportunities
for camping, boating, interpretation, environmental education,
special events, outreach, hunting, fishing, managing volunteers, and
much more. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her
husband, Jacob, and their pets, a yellow lab named Charlie and a
spicy tuxedo cat named Tino.
Join us for a fascinating historical exploration of Georgia’s Wiregrass Region and the complex stories of survival, resistance, and adaptation that unfolded there after the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson.
Native American and Passageways to Freedom within the Wiregrass Region1
As settlers moved south of the Oconee River, drawn by the land’s
economic promise, waves of migration and militia efforts reshaped
the landscape—and the lives of the Native American families
who called it home. Through rivers, streams, and the vast Okefenokee
Swamp, Indigenous people found ways not only to endure but to carve
out paths of freedom and self-determination amid the U.S. Indian
Removal Policy of the 1830s.
Drawing from original correspondence between settlers, militia, and
Georgia’s governors in Milledgeville, this presentation reveals how
waterways became corridors of escape and survival. As Everitte
reminds us, “Swamps are places on the margins — as much,
they are places of transition, opportunity, and challenge.”2
Discover all that Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has to offer in our upcoming presentation focused on things to see and do around the 407,000-acre national wildlife refuge. From camping under the stars to paddling scenic water trails, the refuge is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Learn about wildlife watching ethics, areas for hiking and biking, guided boat tours, overnight excursions, hunting and fishing opportunities, and so much more. Whether you’re seeking outdoor adventure or a peaceful connection with nature, this presentation will showcase how Okefenokee has something for everyone.
Veronica Kelly-Summers is a dedicated Visitor Services Manager with
over 15 years of experience in protecting natural resources and
connecting people with nature. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s
degree in forestry from Southern Illinois University with a focus on
forest recreation and wildlife habitat management. Her career with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken her to eight national
wildlife refuges from the woods and swamps of southern Illinois to
the Loess Bluffs of Iowa and Missouri, the Florida Everglades, and
she’s now stationed at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in
Georgia. She works closely with staff and partners to provide
leadership and strategic direction for the Visitor Services program
including managing visitor facilities and recreational opportunities
for camping, boating, interpretation, environmental education,
special events, outreach, hunting, fishing, managing volunteers, and
much more. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her
husband, Jacob, and their pets, a yellow lab named Charlie and a
spicy tuxedo cat name Tino.
![[Leaf Area Index and Forest Water Yield, Dr. Matthew J. Cohen, WWALS Webinar 2026-05-28]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-05-28--leaf-area-index-and-forest-water-yield/fbmany.jpg)
![[Video: Jacksonville Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar, online by zoom 2026-02-12]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-12--jax-wastewater-into-suwannee-basin-video/fbmany.jpg)
![[Jacksonville Treated Wastewater into Suwannee Basin, WWALS Webinar 2026-02-12, Questions by Suwannee Riverkeeper]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-12--jax-wastewater-into-suwannee-basin/fbmany.jpg)
![[Video: Okefenokee Swamp leaks into the Floridan Aquifer, peer-reviewed evidence, WWALS Webinar 2026-01-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-15--okefenokee-into-aquifer-webinar-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Okefenokee Swamp leaks into the Floridan Aquifer, WWALS Webinar 2026-01-15, Prof. Evaristo & Rasmussen]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-15--okefenokee-into-aquifer-webinar/fbmany.jpg)
![[Geography of Opportunity, by Vickie Everitte, a WWALS Webinar, 2025-12-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-11--geography-of-opportunity-webinar-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Okefenokee Swamp by Veronica Kelley-Summers, a WWALS Webinar by Zoom, 2025-09-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-09-11--okefenokee-swamp-webinar-video/fbmany.jpg)
![[Geography of Opportunity in Georgia's Wiregrass Region, by History Instructor Vickie Everitte, a WWALS Webinar, Noon-1 PM by zoom, 2025-12-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-11--geography-of-opportunity-webinar/many.jpg)
![[Explore the Okefenokee NWR, Veronica Kelley-Summers, a WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Thursday, September 11, noon-1 PM]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-09-11--okefenokee-swamp-unique-headwaters/many.jpg)