Delineation of Spring Protection Areas

These figures tell the story of springsheds in a coastal lowland karst plain such as much of the Suwannee River Basin. Maybe you already know all this, but if you don’t, these pictures may help make sense of Springsheds and Water Withdrawal Permits in the Suwannee River Basin.

Fig. 11_1: Groundwater Basin

A spring is fed from a ground-water basin.

Fig. 11_1: Groundwater Basin

Fig. 12_1: Springshed Protection Area

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Springsheds and Water Withdrawal Permits in the Suwannee River Basin

This figure for Florida water withdrawal permits in the Suwannee River springsheds shows by far the largest blue dots for the biggest withdrawal permits in Hamilton County at the location of the PCS Phosphate mine.

Fig. 4: Principal springsheds (red lines) + consumptive use permits (dots sized by withdrawal rate), Florida portion of Suwannee River springshed.

Fig. 4: Principal springsheds (red lines) + consumptive use permits (dots sized by withdrawal rate), Florida portion of Suwannee River springshed.

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PCS Phosphate Mine 2016-10-22

W across PCS Phosphate Mine, 30.4429360, -82.7851800 Is this what you want Bradford, Union, and other counties in Florida to look like? I wonder what effect this phosphate mine had on the much lowered water level of White Springs, or the Suwannee River?

The PCS Phosphate mine in Hamilton County near White Springs and Jasper spread under our Southwings plane while surveying the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline 22 October 2016. On board were Southwings pilot Roy Zimmer, photographer Dominick Gheesling, Jim Tatum of Our Santa Fe River, and John S. Quarterman of WWALS. Here are pictures by Jim Tatum, a few videos by John S. Quarterman, and a Google map showing the locations. Continue reading

What is Sabal Trail up to at Pilgrim’s Pride and Suwannee River? 2017-03-20

Following up on Cody Suggs’ pictures of pipeline dug up at Pilgrim’s Pride, I found a flock of glow-shirts inspecting a fancy new pipeline sign. Remember, where Sabal Trail goes through Pilgrim’s Pride property is right next to at least two large sinkholes and on top of the world-famous miles-long Falmouth Cathedral Cave System that feeds the Floridan Aquifer from which we all drink. They were also across US 90 and the railroad, and then at the Suwannee River HDD site in Suwannee County, Florida. Here are many pictures, a video playlist, and a Google Map.

Red and white trucks on US 90 at Pilgrims Pride 30.3726492, -83.1553016

Red and white trucks on US 90 at Pilgrims Pride

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PHMSA Pipelines in Suwannee County, Florida

Here are updated maps of the two big pipelines in Suwannee County (before Sabal Trail): SONAT and FGT, feeding Duke’s Suwannee River Power Plant and Pilgrim’s Pride, from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency (PHMSA) Public Map Viewer that shows where the main pipelines go, county by county.

Pipelines, Suwannee County, FL

PHMSA says there are only two main pipelines in Suwannee County, one east-west across the top, and one north-south and then over into Columbia County.

pipelines-suwannee-county-fl

Here’s an older version from January 2016 before PHMSA changed their map viewer: Continue reading

Videos: Coal Ash meeting in Valdosta @ WWALS 2017-03-01

The Georgia legislature did nothing but appoint a study committee, but you can see why they should do more, in these WWALS videos of the coal ash meeting in Valdosta that was organized by Rev. Deacon Leeann Culbreath of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). Thanks to Rev. Floyd Rose for the venue at Academy of Excellence on Lee Street.

The Valdosta Daily Times covered this meeting, but did not mention the local landfill, which was a major topic of my presentation, as you can see in my slides. The Mayor of Valdosta disclaims any control over that landfill and the Lowndes County Commission expressed no interest. Nevermind both city and county governments have Continue reading