Tag Archives: springs

Madison Blue Spring and Sabal Trail pipeline 2016-11-23

Sabal Trail only barely misses the Withlacoochee River in Florida, even though it no longer crosses over into Madison County. And it’s the same Floridan Aquifer on both sides of the river.

Springs and pipeline, 30.4828540, -83.2577470: The red line is Sabal Trail in Hamilton County. In the foreground in Madison County is Madison Blue Spring on the Withlacoochee River, and the P is Pot Spring farther downstream. The N is Nestle; you’d think they’d care about potential damage to the aquifer from which they suck water.

Springs and pipeline,

Withlacoochee River, pipeline, 30.4591650, -83.2224900: Close enough? Continue reading →

Photographer and U.S. Representative keynote Florida Springs Restoration Summit 2016-09-30

U.S. Congress member Gwen Graham (FL-02) and nature photographer John Moran will keynote the Florida Springs Restoration Summit in Ocala Friday Sept. 30th through Sunday Oct. 2nd at the College of Central Florida.

Gainesville Sun, 8 September 2016, Robert Knight: Fill vacuum in state leadership to fix springs,

The private, non-profit Florida Springs Council was organized by springs’ advocates to Continue reading →

Sabal Trail maps digitized

Update 2016-08-22: Map format updated and other updates moved to the bottom.

These maps show the path Sabal Trail is gouging its fracked methane pipeline through south Georgia and north Florida.

[Sabal Trail maps digitized, 2016-09-17, Thanks to VSU, Prof. Can Denizman]
Sabal Trail maps digitized, 2016-09-17, Thanks to VSU, Prof. Can Denizman

They include comparisons to some geological features, including Okapilco Creek, Withlacoochee River, Suwannee River, Suwannacoochee Spring, Falmouth Spring, the Cathedral Cave System, and numerous karstic features, some of them sinkholes.

This digitization is thanks to Continue reading →

WWALS and Sierra Club

WWALS and Suwannee-St Johns Group of Sierra Club Florida are cooperating on outings now, and Sierra Club Florida is holding a Rural Office opening in October.

Continue reading →

Florida Springs Restoration Summit 2016-09-30 thru 2016-10-02

In two days in Ocala, FL learn how to make meaningful springs restoration a reality FSRS-2016-logo in a series of plenary sessions about current springs science and management and that delve into the agency, advocacy, legal, media, and legislative remedies that can generate meaningful springs restoration and long-term protection.

When: Sept. 30th thru Oct. 2nd 2016

Where: Harvey R. Klein Conference Center
3001 Southwest College Road
Ocala, FL 34474

Who: Organized by the Florida Springs Council, of which WWALS is a member

Register: Continue reading →

USACE refuses Madison County’s request for a Sabal Trail SEIS 2016-07-29

They didn’t even bother to fill in the year on the date, and “File with original letter”. Here’s what the Corps wrote (PDF) in response to Madison County’s request for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) about Sabal Trail.

File with
original letter

DEPARTMENT or THE ARMY
JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS 0F ENGINEERS
POST OFFICE BOX 4970
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32232-0019

July 29, 201

USACE Response to Madison County re Sabal Trail Reply to attention of
Regulatory Division
North Permits Branch
Jacksonville Permits Section
SAJ-2013-03030

Madison Board of County Commissioners
Attn: Mr. Brian Kauffman, County Coordinator
Post Office Box 539
Madison, Florida 32341

Dear Mr. Kauffman:

Please accept this correspondence as Continue reading →

Madison County, FL asks USACE for a SEIS 2016-07-18

This request for a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), mentioning Madison Blue Spring in particular, was sent July 18th or 19th 2016, one copy to each of the Corps addresses. (PDF). That’s the fourth Florida county to make such a request, after Hamilton, Suwanee, and Marion Counties. The Corps already responded to Madison County.

Board of County Commissioners
Madison County, Florida

to express our concerns

Jacksonville Permits Section
U.S.A.C.E. Regulatory Division
Attn: Mark R. Evans,
  Senior Project Manager,
Post Office Box 4970
Jacksonville, Florida 32232

Commander, U.S.A.C.E.,
Savannah District
Attn: Mr. Terry C. Kobs
1104 N. Westover Boulevard, Unit 9
Albany, GA 31707

U.S.A.C.E.
Mobile District Reg. Div.
Montgomery Field Office
Attn: Mr. James S. Cherry II
605 Maple Street
Building 1429 Room 105
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6017

 

Norman C. Bay, Chairman Continue reading →

Bill Gates considered toxic to springs –Dan Hilliard

It’s not the Gates Foujndation: it’s his private investment arm. And Lakeland Sands is not the only LLC shell corp he’s using to buy up land in Suwannee, Hamilton, and Madison Counties, FL In front of a center pivot and Lowndes and Echols Counties, GA; see /issues/corpag/.

Dan Hilliard, Citrus County Chronicle, 31 July 2016, Bill Gates and the death of Florida’s iconic springs,

…while the degradation of South Florida waters receives national attention, contributions of big agriculture — exemplified by operations owned by Bill Gates — to the deterioration of North Florida waters have gone largely unnoticed.

Throughout North Florida, over-pumping of the Floridan aquifer and Continue reading →

SRWMD listens about Sabal Trail easements, chooses unfortunately, yet offers assistance 2016-07-12

Attached are my comments to the SRWMD Governing Board today (July 12th 2016) in regards to the Sabal Trail crossing site over the Falmouth Cathedral Cave System.

I was the first to speak at the public comment period followed by Jim Tatum then Merrillee. Jim and Merrillee echoed my concerns. The three of us set the tone for the meeting! The Board was interested and engaged asking questions to better understand what impacts Sabal Trail poses for the cave system and the District. About Time!


Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Sierra Club Florida speaking to SRWMD 2016-07-12
Photo credit: Our Santa Fe River

Executive Director, Noah Valenstein offered to personally call the ACE to request Continue reading →

Two new reasons for a SEIS: WWALS to USACE, GA-EPD, and FERC 2016-07-08

LiDar Filed Friday as FERC accession number 20160708-5096, http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/file_list.asp?document_id=14476452, “Two new reasons for a USACE Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and a halt to Sabal Trail permits; see also accession numbers 20160708-5089 and 20160708-5088, by WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. under CP15-17.” (PDF) Continue reading →