Tag Archives: Aquifer

Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed and Estuary, WWALS Webinar 2026-10-19

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Dr. David Kaplan and Dr. Wendy Graham, both of the University of Florida, will present an online WWALS Webinar:

Noon to 1 PM, Monday, October 19, 2026

Register here to attend by zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KPoObaVMRammKk6dKYyI0Q

You can mark going on this facebook event to encourage others to attend:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2165192244412437/

WWALS Events Committee Member Hailey Hall will introduce the speakers, who will speak for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and answers.

The Suwannee River watershed supports one of the world’s largest spring systems, productive estuarine ecosystems, working agricultural and forest landscapes, and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy water resources. Understanding how future changes in climate and land use will affect these interconnected systems is critical for informed management and conservation.

[Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed & Estuary, a WWALS Webinar 2026-08-19]
Farms, Forests, Flows & Fish: Exploring Possible Futures for the Suwannee River Watershed & Estuary, a WWALS Webinar 2026-08-19

This presentation will highlight results from a large interdisciplinary research project that coupled hydrologic, estuarine ecological, and economic models to evaluate a range of plausible future scenarios for the Suwannee River watershed and estuary. Using a landscape-scale groundwater-surface water model, we examined how alternative land-use futures—including agricultural expansion, forest restoration, conservation planning, and urban growth—interact with projected climate change to influence groundwater recharge, river flows, nitrate transport, estuarine water quality, fisheries, and regional economic outcomes.

Rather than attempting to predict a single future, this scenario-based approach explores Continue reading →

Data Center Public Event in Irwinville 2026-07-29

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There’s a public meeting this Wednesday against the Project Arrowhead datacenter in Irwin County, organized by Matt Day.

That’s Wednesday, July 29, 5 PM,
at the Irwinville Community Center, 1937 GA 32.

[Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026]
Data Center Public Event, Irwinville Community Center, Irwinville, GA, 5 PM, July 29, 2026

As a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, WWALS of course does not endorse or oppose Matt Day or any other candidate for office. This post is about the meeting and the issue.

For much more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

Matt Day wrote on facebook, July 25, 2026:

ATTENTION IRWINVILLE, GA…

I am coming to your town next Wednesday and I am bringing two very special guests with me.

These Executives have ran companies that helped some of earth’s biggest construction projects, some of which were Data Centers. They are not the Data Center Developers, but the Construction Companies over the Blue Collar Workers who do the actual building.

These men have agreed to something very few construction firms have had the nerve todo…stop building Data Centers where the Communities are not allowing Citizens to Vote on them coming in. Nor will they Continue reading →

Datacenter Discussion @ Columbia County Commission 2026-07-23

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“Data Center Discussion” is the first item on the agenda for the Columbia County Commission meeting,

5:30 PM, Thursday, July 23, 2026, at the School Board Administrative Complex, 372 West Duval Street, Lake City, FL 32055

The board packet includes 215 pages of related materials, all from Datacenter supporters, except for one by 1000 Friends of Florida. Some of them try to conflate hyper-scale AI datacenters with search and cloud datacenters, while others argue that the growth in AI is inevitable so just go along to get along.

Hint: it’s not inevitable. It’s a bubble that will pop, more likely sooner than later.

[Datacenter Discussion @ Columbia County Commission, 5:30 PM, Thur4sday, 2026-07-23, 372 W Duval Street, Lake City, FL]
Datacenter Discussion @ Columbia County Commission, 5:30 PM, Thur4sday, 2026-07-23, 372 W Duval Street, Lake City, FL

There are several growth projection graphs, all of them wrong.

This one is clearly wrong at first glance, because its forward projection is linear: a straight line.

[Graph: Electricity Consumption at U.S. Data Centers is Expected to More Than Double by 2030 Total electricity consumption by U.S. data centers (terawatt-hours), 2026-01-01 --1000 Friends of Florida]
Graph: Electricity Consumption at U.S. Data Centers is Expected to More Than Double by 2030 Total electricity consumption by U.S. data centers (terawatt-hours), 2026-01-01 –1000 Friends of Florida
PDF

This graph is wrong because it projects a smooth curve. Sure, an exponential curve could be closer to right. See growth curves of the Internet, or of adoption of solar power, smartphones, or PCs.

But in all those historical examples, the exponential growth eventually looked more like an S-curve.

Also note that even if the amount of data produced does grow exponentially, that doesn’t mean that power use or datacenter numbers or sizes must grow like that.

The bubble will pop, sooner, or later, for one or both of two reasons:

  1. Investors will wise up that AI companies have grossly oversold the benefits of their products, and they are failing to produce profits
  2. Someone, probably in China, will leapfrog the current crude stack-computers-in-a-warehouse approach with faster, cheaper, and smaller methods.
Continue reading →

Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River –SRWMD 2026-07-01

The spring I’ve used to illustrate this story is somewhat upstream of Suwannee Springs. It is called Ham1019971, and is a fourth magnitude sulphur spring seen on a WWALS paddle, May 20, 2017. It is not the newly-discovered Ule Spring mentioned in the press release.

Also, Byron Herder, who owns the first-magnitude spring Alapaha River Rise, remarked on facebook, “I found a first magnitude spring on Suwannee during the drought. Bringing state total to 34.”

Speaking of drought, this Tuesday SRWMD will approve a Further modified Phase II Water Shortage Ordinance @ SRWMD 2026-07-14. Nevermind St. Johns River WMD and Southwest Florida WMD went to Phase III months ago.

[Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River --SRWMD 2026-07-01]
Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River –SRWMD 2026-07-01

PR, SRWMD, July 1, 2026, Drought conditions reveal new springs along the Suwannee River; see also WCTV,

LIVE OAK, FLA., JULY 1, 2026 — While ongoing drought conditions have reduced river flows across the region, unusually low water levels have also provided a unique opportunity for Suwannee River Water Management District (District) staff to locate and document several previously unknown springs.

Continue reading →

Further modified Phase II Water Shortage Ordinance @ SRWMD 2026-07-14

Be at their Live Oak HQ by 9 AM for 4. Public Comment, because it’s very early in the agenda for the July 14, 2026, Governing Board Meeting of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

You can talk about anything you like, including the undead Water First North Florida (WFNF) plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin. See https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you can’t go, you can watch it live on YouTube:

https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1759

Three other agenda items are of interest:

7.A. Hydrologic Conditions Report

10. Water Resources Division Updates

11. Public Hearing for Approval of Order Number 26-004, Modified Phase II Water Shortage

[Packet: Further modified Phase II Water Shortage Order, Hydrologic Conditions Report @ SRWMD 2026-07-14]
Packet: Further modified Phase II Water Shortage Order, Hydrologic Conditions Report @ SRWMD 2026-07-14

Wait, didn’t they already approve a Modified Phase II back in April?

Yes, but that one is expiring, so they’re going to extend it through December 31, 2026.

Nevermind St. Johns River WMD and Southwest Florida WMD went to Phase III months ago.

SRWMD is slightly modifying the previous Modified Phase II. Looks like they could have used an editor.

They added this, “5. Add language on micro irrigation since we call it out in the press release.”

Under: Continue reading →

Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD 2026-04-27

Georgia starts to catch up with Florida in drought declarations.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division Declares Drought Response Level 1

On April 27, 2026, after consideration of the drought severity and the water resource impacts, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a state-wide Drought Response Level 1 for public water systems using surface water and/or groundwater. EPD has been closely monitoring drought conditions in Georgia for months, and on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, EPD held conference calls with public water systems to discuss current water supply and EPD’s consideration of issuing a Level 1 drought response. Following the conference calls, the public water systems had three days to submit any additional feedback before EPD could proceed with a drought response declaration.

[Statewide Drought Response Level 1 --GA-EPD, April 27, 2026]
Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD, April 27, 2026

As a result of the Level 1 Drought Response, public water systems must implement a public information campaign including, at a minimum, notice regarding drought conditions and drought-specific announcements in one or more of the following ways: newspaper or online ads, bill inserts, social media, and notices in public libraries. This public information campaign is designed to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies, and the need for water conservation.

Outdoor water use between the hours of 4 PM and 10 A.M. is still Continue reading →

SRWMD apparently does not know what were the 800 alternatives to WFNF 2026-04-24

Does the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) really not know what alternatives were considered before WFNF, and why they were rejected?

Or are they refusing to tell the public?

In either case, how are they representing the people of the Suwannee River Basin about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin?

[SRWMD apparently does not know the 800 alternatives to WFNF]
SRWMD apparently does not know the 800 alternatives to WFNF

Meanwhile, all dozen counties in the Suwannee District signed on to resolutions opposing NFWF by the Rivers Task Force and by the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC).

The members of the Task Force and Council are all elected officials, unlike the boards of the Suwannee and St. Johns River Water Management Districts and JEA, who are promoting WFNF.

For those resolutions and the letters and resolutions by individual counties and the Town of Branford, as well as who you can contact, and a petition, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

On April 15, 2026, I sent SRWMD a public records request for the “over 800 initial alternatives to the four alternatives identified for additional study” to WFNF that were mentioned in a document they sent me. I included, “For each alternative, please include at least a description, along with reasons why it was rejected, and any relevant accompanying documentation.”

Today, April 23, I got a pretty nonresponsive reply, giving no descriptions nor reasons for rejection, with the excuse that, “The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) was not the managing entity for the contracts or investigations referenced in your request.”

The response even spells out that it is nonresponsive, “This is not a full response to your request, and at this time, the District is not aware of additional responsive records in its custody.”

They don’t even say who was the managing entity. I can only guess it was the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). So today I sent SJRWMD a similar public records request.

There is nothing in the SRWMD response that indicates they considered the proposal by Dennis J. Price, P.G., to drill aquifer rehydration wells at overflows of planted pine wetlands.

There is nothing to indicate they looked at any desalination plants other than a few in north Florida.

The actual content of the SRWMD response was two attached spreadsheets, which you can find here: Continue reading →

WFNF discussion on the agenda –Union County Commission 2026-04-20

The agenda doesn’t say much about it, but Water First North Florida (WFNF) is on there:

9. Water First Discussion… Mac Johns

That’s on the for Union County, FL, Board of County Commissioners, 6 PM, Monday, April 20, 2026, in the Board Meeting Room, Union County Courthouse, 55 W. Main St., Lake Butler, FL 32054.

[Water First North Florida discusion on the agenda at Union County Commission, 6 PM, Monday, April 20, 2026]
Water First North Florida discusion on the agenda at Union County Commission, 6 PM, Monday, April 20, 2026

Union County sits between the New River and Olustee Creek on the Santa Fe River, which flows to the Suwannee River.

The county website link for agendas, https://unioncounty-fl.gov/agendas/, gets 404 “Page Not Found”.

But you can find the agenda on the Clerk of Court and Comptroller website. Continue reading →

Datacenter moratorium –Brooks County, GA 2026-02-02

The Brooks County Commission passed a moratorium on datacenters on February 2, 2026.

However, it expires on May 2.

A copy, received today in response to a WWALS open records reqauest, is on the WWALS website.

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

The Little and Withlacoochee Rivers form the east boundary of Brooks County, and Piscola and Okapilco Creeks flow out of it into the Withlacoochee, all above the Floridan Aquifer.

[Datacenter moratorium --Brooks County, GA, Passed February 2, 2026, Expires May 2, 2026]
Datacenter moratorium –Brooks County, GA, Passed February 2, 2026, Expires May 2, 2026

RESOLUTION 26-R-01

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON DATA CENTER FACILITIES IN BROOKS COUNTY TO PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE

WHEREAS, Continue reading →

Lease and operating requirements added to Sheriff’s ICE detention agenda item @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

Update 2026-04-22: Tabled: Sheriff’s lease for an ICE detention center –Bradford County Commission 2026-04-16.

Late yesterday, Bradford County updated the agenda for this evening to add a lease agreement for the Douglas Building and a list of “Mandatory Operational Requirements and Compliance Standards”.

That hardly leaves time for anyone to review properly before this evening.

And there is no mention of either of the other two offers for use of the site discussed last time.

Bradford County should choose one of its other options for the site. And the county should do nothing with the site until FDEP returns results of its contamination examination.

The meeting is 6:30 PM, Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Bradford County Courthouse, 945 North Temple Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091.

[Lease and operating requirements added about Sheriff's ICE detention to agenda packet @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16]
Lease and operating requirements added about Sheriff’s ICE detention to agenda packet @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

This item is still one of the “Reports” in the agenda, not marked ACTION. But the Commissioners could choose to vote on it anyway.

There is no comment by the county attorney in the agenda packet.

There’s also nothing on the agenda about any results of the FDEP contamination study they approved last time, March 7, 2026. That would have to take much longer than nine days, anyway.

As we pointed out last time, Starke has already had sewage spills, and increasing its population by 50% (3,000 inmates on top of 6,000 Starke residents) would risk more spills, on a site that sits between two creeks that go through Lakes Rowell and Sampson into the Sampson River to the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers.

There is some verbiage about that in the lease, and in the “Mandatory Operational Requirements and Compliance Standards: Douglas Building Facility Transition”: Continue reading →