Tag Archives: Floridan Aquifer

SRWMD WFNF Open House @ UF IFAS, Live Oak, FL 2026-03-19

Come walk around informational tables about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

That’s the Community Open House by SRWMD, 6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026, at UF-IFAS in Live Oak, Florida. For details see the SRWMD press release below.

Don’t forget the other two WFNF meetings the previous day, Wednesday, March 18, 2026:

Much more about WFNF here: https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf/

The Thursday meeting started as one that SRWMD was going to hold in Jasper, Hamilton County, on February 26.

SRWMD changed it on February 23 to SRWMD HQ in Live Oak.

On March 6, SRWMD changed the location to UF IFAS.

Either on March 6 or by March 10 when I heard about it in the SRWMD Board meeting, SRWMD changed the format from speakers and audience to tables with materials and staff to walk by.

Whether intentional or not, this format change makes it difficult for attendees to hear what other attendees say, or to hear all the answers from SRWMD.

This is why WWALS recommends people take pictures and videos and post them with hashtag #WFNF.

SRWMD PR, March 12, 2026, Water First North Florida Community Open House to take place March 19,

[Water First North Florida Community Open House 2026-03-19, by SRWMD @ UF-IFAS, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, FL 32060]
Water First North Florida Community Open House 2026-03-19, by SRWMD @ UF-IFAS, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, FL 32060

LIVE OAK, FLA., MARCH 12, 2026 — The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) is reminding residents of the upcoming Water First North Florida Community Open House from 6-8 p.m. on March 19.

The event will take place at the UF-IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center — Suwannee Valley, 8202 County Road 417, Live Oak, FL, 32060.

Written public comments will be received at the event. Informational tables will be set up throughout the venue, focusing on specific topics related to Water First North Florida, and allow residents to learn more about each aspect of the project. Experts will be available to answer any project questions that attendees may want answered.

Continue reading →

Call about developer and datacenter give-away bill GA SB 447 2026-03-17

If datacenters are so great, why did their proponents first gut GA SB 34, which would have prohibited datacenters from passing on electric bills to other ratepayers?

And why now are they trying to pass SB 447, which would distort local permitting processes to favor datacenters and developers in general?

Please ask your Georgia statehouse delegation to vote NO on GA SB 447.

SB 447 will be heard this Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in a subcommittee of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment (HNRE) Committee.

It may get voted on there, and then in the full Committee on Thursday.

[Call about datacenter and developer give-away, GA SB 447, in HNRE Tuesday 2026-03-17]
Call about datacenter and developer give-away, GA SB 447

You can find your Georgia House members here:

https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-house/

Or type in your ZIP code here:

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ Continue reading →

Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

Update 2026-03-09: Chance to speak to SRWMD at its Board Meeting, 9 AM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Thanks to Lyric Sloan for a WTXL TV report from the Florida Senate Rules Committee Tuesday.

Environmental advocates are pushing back, warning the plan could introduce contaminants and fails to address what John Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, calls the root cause of declining river flows: over-pumping from the aquifer.

[FL SB 7034 would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin --WTXL 2026-03-03]
FL SB 7034 would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

“It’s a risky project,” Quarterman said. “There’s no evidence that it takes out PFAs for other chemicals or drugs, pharmaceuticals, and right now that plant is under a consent order for exceeding all sorts of limits.”

Quarterman and other opponents argue Jacksonville should instead reduce its groundwater withdrawals or pursue alternative water sources, such as the St. Johns River or desalination.

Keep calling your Florida statehouse members, SRWMD, etc. For who and how, see:

https://wwals.net/?p=69583

And there’s a petition you can sign: https://c.org/8CgGBpLv7r

If you want assistance with how to craft a comment, come to the WWALS Workshop,
5-6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2026,
at the Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064.

https://wwals.net/?p=69575

And don’t forget SRWMD’s own public meeting,
6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026,
at SRWMD HQ 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak FL 32060.

https://wwals.net/?p=69504

Lyric Sloan, WTXL TV, 7:42 PM, Mar 03, 2026, Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: SB 7034 would pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin to stabilize river flows, but critics warn of contamination risks, while supporters believe it could help agriculture,

DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A proposed Florida Senate Bill would allow treated wastewater from Jacksonville to be piped into the Suwannee River Basin in an effort to stabilize water flows in the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

Continue reading →

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

Join us on the radio, talk921.com, at 8 AM tomorrow morning, Thursday, March 5, 2026, to hear about the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper this Saturday.

https://wwals.net/?p=69525

[Radio: talk921.com, 8 AM, Thursday, March 5, 2026, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper]
Radio: talk921.com, 8 AM, Thursday, March 5, 2026, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper

Here’s a facebook event to remind you:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2273100159762397/

Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for the generous grant that makes this paddle free for everyone. Thanks to Paul Deloach and The Langdale Company for river access. Thanks to Paul Batts and Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority for shuttle vans. Thanks to Steve Miller for his 4-wheeler for the takeout. And thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this paddle.

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman may also talk about other current topics such as: Continue reading →

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

Update 2026-03-05: Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03.

The ratifying bill passed its last committee Tuesday for the project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, in the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project.

Next stop, the full Senate, Thursday, tomorrow. Please call or write your Senators; see below for how.

The Senators will likely approve the bill. But the more they hear, the more likely they will advise SRWMD and SJRWMD that it must be clean or not at all, as did Senators Tracie Davis of Jacksonville and Jennifer Bradley, who represents the most affected area of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

See the Florida Channel video of the Florida Senate Rules Committee on March 3, 2026.

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-3-26-senate-committee-on-rules/

At 02:31:00 they took up item 20, SB 7034, and ended up with Yeas 21 Nays 0.

[WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator]
WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator

Next, SB 7034 is on Special Order Calendar for the full Senate for tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, 2026, as “GB by Environment and Natural Resources Ratification of Rules of the Department of Environmental Protection.”

Please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Please be polite but firm.

These are the three Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators: Continue reading →

Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18

Update 2026-03-19: Residents raise concerns over WFNF and Suwannee River –WCTV 2026-03-18.
Much more about WFNF here: https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Update 2026-03-09: Chance to speak to SRWMD at its Board Meeting, 9 AM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Come to a WWALS Workshop to prepare to make public comments.

The workshop will be 5-6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2026,
at the Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064.

[Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library --WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18]
Crafting Effective Public Comments @ Live Oak Library –WWALS Workshop 2026-03-18

Here is a facebook event to remind you, and so you can invite people:

https://www.facebook.com/events/694551033680363/

This workshop is conveniently the day before the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) will hold a public meeting at its Live Oak headquarters on Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

But there are always opportunities to make public comments, written, by telephone, or in person.

When you do, be polite, be brief, be specific, say something different from what everybody else said, tie it to your experience and to evidence, and connect to the larger picture.

All in a memorable way, of course.

As an example, read how the Columbia County Observer wrote up Hailey Hall’s comments on WFNF to the Columbia County Commission on February 21, 2026. Continue reading →

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

Join us on the radio, talk921.com, at 8 AM tomorrow morning, Thursday, March 5, 2026, to hear about the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper this Saturday.

https://wwals.net/?p=69525

[Radio: talk921.com, 8 AM, Thursday, March 5, 2026, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper]
Radio: talk921.com, 8 AM, Thursday, March 5, 2026, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper

Here’s a facebook event to remind you:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2273100159762397/

Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for the generous grant that makes this paddle free for everyone. Thanks to Paul Deloach and The Langdale Company for river access. Thanks to Paul Batts and Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority for shuttle vans. Thanks to Steve Miller for his 4-wheeler for the takeout. And thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this paddle.

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman may also talk about other current topics such as: Continue reading →

Datacenter: recommended approval –Irwin County Planning Commission 2026-02-26

Update 2026-03-02: Datacenter Special Exception Public Hearing @ Irwin County Commission 2026-03-02.

All four Planning Commissioners present voted to recommend approval of the proposed Special Exception for the Data Center near Irwinville, last Thursday, February 26, 2026.

[Datacenter: recommended approval, Irwin County Planning Commission, After many speakers, most against 2026-02-26]
Datacenter: recommended approval, Irwin County Planning Commission, After many speakers, most against 2026-02-26

The next stop is the Irwin County Commission, this Monday, March 2, 2026, at 5:45 PM, in the same location, the Irwin County Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Ga. 31774.

After numerous people spoke against and a few for that item, IC-SE-01-2026, two of the members of the Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission spoke at length about what they had been told or read or saw on a visit to another datacenter, as why they were for it, plus the promise of $20 million a year in tax revenue.

None of that was in the extremely thin board packet. So thin that their staff, Jessica Harris, Irwin County Interim Chief Appraiser, said at the beginning of that item that staff had no recommendation for or against because there was not enough information to go on.

The other two Planning Commissioners said they were for tabling the item due to lack of information.

However, one of the two for the project, Chairman Alan Smith, moved for approval. The other one, Vice Chair Tara Smith, seconded. And the remaining two, Arlinda Murrell and Ms. Walker, reluctantly also raised their hands.

Questions not answered with any documentation continue to include who is the datacenter customer (Google?), where are the specifications for the closed loop cooling water system, and what would those 200-300 high-paying local permanent jobs be doing, that were advertised in the slides for Irwin Forward Tech Park.

The proposed location is on Ponderosa Drive, Irwinville, Georgia 31783, quite near the Alapaha River.

Below are links to each WWALS video of each speaker or topic, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

Most speakers were against the special exception, except for the few noted as for or as part of or attorney for the applicant.

Apologies for any incorrect names. And Continue reading →

WFNF bill in Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

Update 2026-03-04: WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03.

Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.

All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.

[Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin]
Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin

If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Either way, please be polite but firm.

Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee: Continue reading →

Aquifer recharge is needed, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem –Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22

This was an op-ed in the Lake City Reporter, February 19, 2026, by Dennis J. Price, P.G., of Hamilton County, Florida. It’s about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin.

He does not want the Suwannee River Basin to continue to be a giant water tower for Jacksonville, through the Floridan Aquifer. He suggests JEA could get drinking water from the St. Johns River instead of withdrawing it from groundwater.

Of JEA could get on with seawater desalination, as south Florida already does.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Aquifer recharge is needed

To the editor:

Recently the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) proposed a plan to recharge water into our drinking water aquifer, the Floridan Aquifer. The plan is being coordinated with the St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD). Duval County has a private company that supplies almost all the water used in Duval County. With the city of Jacksonville and outlying suburbs using most of that water, the company is the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA). The SJRWMD is the permitting authority that controls the amount of water the JEA can pump. There are practically no restraints placed on the JEA. The amount of water the JEA pumps is enormous, 120 million gallons per day. Growth in Duval County is growing rapidly, extending those suburbs towards and into Baker County.

[Aquifer recharge is needed --Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem]
Aquifer recharge is needed –Dennis J. Price, P.G. 2026-02-22, but Jacksonville pumping is the biggest problem

Our aquifer is in limestone. It is cracked and fissured by several processes that occurred over the past several million years. The amount of cracks and connected fissures determine how fast water can move through the aquifer. The aquifer under Duval County has 2 problems. It doesn’t flow quickly from the north and from the south to the pumps and the Atlantic Ocean on the east is a barrier to fresh water flow. But water does flow easier from west to east, in other words from our direction to Jacksonville. Jacksonville is faced with a water problem. The wells closest to the coast are pulling salt water into the wells. USGS studies from 1990 based on 1980’s data shows that Jacksonville was already pulling water from underneath us and flowing to them. They have begun to move their production wells closer to Baker County. With Jacksonville’s growth, these new wells produce more water and therefore draws down the water in our aquifer.

Continue reading →