Tag Archives: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Proposed EPA Water rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes some new rules to clarify Clean Water Act protection. Some people and organizations have concerns about that, and the EPA has now responded to those concerns. Comment periods are still open for you to provide input directly to EPA about the proposed rule.

Here’s the EPA’s Waters of the United States Proposed Rule. EPA says clarification of the Clean Water Act was requested by a broad range of state, tribal, and local government agencies and elected officials and NGOs, ranging from AASHTO to the National Association of State Foresters. One of the two examples EPA cites of state enforcement problems is on the Flint River in Georgia:

Recreation in Lake Blackshear, Georgia

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Study before Levee –Tim Carroll

Comment on facebook 10 May 2014 and he told me the same by telephone.

It is clear a full watershed wide study must be completed before any decisions can be made. As established in this first study—The City of Valdosta is the recipient-not the origin- of the flood waters. While it confirms what we already knew, my job is to try and keep the ball rolling forward. Engage congressional leaders, secure funding and find long term, sustainable solutions that benefit all communities within the watershed basin. A levee by itself is not the answer.
–Tim Carroll

This was a comment on Videos: Flooding study by Army Corps of Engineers @ VCC 2014-05-06, which was about the initial study that was confined to Valdosta, and in which the Corps proposed a levee at the mouth of Sugar Creek, above the Withlacoochee River. To their credit, the Corps were clear that they also want a long-term watershed-wide study (they want to do the entire Suwannee River drainage area), and one of the main conclusions of the initial study was:

This report established that there could be Federal interest in pursuing future flood management risk studies undre other USACE authorities.

-jsq

May WWALS Board Meeting at the Gaskins Forest Education Center

Board meetings are open to the public. Board members are listed in www.wwals.net.

Draft Agenda
WWALS Board of Directors
7:00 PM Wednesday May 14 2014
at the Gaskins Forest Education Center,
3359 Moore Sawmill Rd,
Alapaha, GA 31622
Gate opens at 6PM.
  1. Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions
  2. Speaker: Heather Brasell may say a few words about the Gaskins Forest Education Center.
  3. Agenda Review: Additions and Changes
  4. Review and Approval of Minutes
    1. 16 April 2014 Board meeting minutes
  5. Past Meetings and Events Continue reading →

Flooding charts: Withlacoochee and Little Rivers

Related to the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail and the double USACE flooding study presentation tonight in Valdosta, here are river level charts upstream and down on the Little River, Okapilco Creek, and the Withlacoochee River related to a new USGS flood-tracking chart. In the example charts on the right, you can see the Little River peaked days ago at Tifton and yesterday at Hahira.

The Withlacoochee River peaked yesterday at US 41. while downstream it’s going up at US 84, and barely starting up at Pinetta (click on the above chart example for the rest). Right now you can see all that in the charts below. If this works, you’ll see something different later, because you’ll see current charts whenever you refresh this page.

Update 2016-05-31: See sea level gage reports.

Update 2016-04-27: graphs from water.weather.gov and some WRWT Safe Water Levels.

Update 2014-11-04: Simplified gage formatting.

Update 2014-11-03: That works, and see also Alapaha River water levels.

Tifton Gauge, Little River at Upper Ty Ty Road, near Tifton, GA, Tift County, GA (02317797)

Highest safe 3.9 feet, 271 NAVD. Lowest boatable 0.1 feet, 267.2 NAVD.

Adel Gauge, Little River near Adel, GA, Cook County, GA (02318000)

Highest safe 7.9 feet, 181 NAVD. Lowest boatable 2.2 feet, 175.3 NAVD.

Hahira Gauge, Little River at GA 122, near Hahira, GA, Lowndes County, GA (02318380)

Highest safe 11 feet, 144 NAVD. Lowest boatable 4.25 feet, 137 NAVD.

Skipper Bridge Gauge, Withlacoochee River at Skipper Bridge Road, near Bemiss, GA, Lowndes County, GA (023177483)

Highest safe 10.7 feet, 131 NAVD. Lowest boatable 2.3 feet, 122.6 NAVD.

Valdosta Gauge, Withlacoochee River at US 41 near Valdosta, GA, Lowndes County, GA (02317755)

Highest safe 12.7 feet, 123′ NAVD. Lowest boatable 5.7 feet, 116′ NAVD.

Okapilco Creek Gauge, Okapilco Creek at GA 333, near Quitman, GA, Brooks County, GA (02318700)

Quitman Gauge, Withlacoochee River at US 84, near Quitman, GA, Brooks County, GA (02318500)

Highest safe 10.5 feet, 94 NAVD. Lowest boatable 2.0 feet, 85.5 NAVD.

Pinetta Gauge, Withlacoochee River near Pinetta, FL., Madison County, FL (02319000)

Highest safe 12.5 feet, 59 NAVD. Lowest boatable 6.0 feet, 52.5 NAVD.

Madison Gauge, Withlacoochee River near Madison, FL , Madison County, FL (02319300)

Highest safe 10.0 feet, 50 NAVD. Lowest boatable 0.1 feet, 40.1 NAVD.

Lee Gauge, Withlacoochee River near Lee, FL, Madison County, FL (02319394)

Highest safe 44.0 feet, 44 NAVD. Lowest boatable 29.5 feet, 29.5 NAVD.

315x535 WRWT, in Withlacoochee River Water Trail gauges, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 8 June 2015

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Flooding study presentations by Army Corps in Valdosta 6 May 2014

Received today. -jsq

Good afternoon Mr. Quarterman,

As requested, the date for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) presentation will be on May 6th to Mayor/Council at the work session which begins at 5:30 pm. The City will also have a meeting with the residents and businesses in the USACE project / study area that same night at 6:30 pm at the City Hall Annex – Multipurpose Room.

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Request participation in watershed planning –WWALS to Corps

Unanimously approved 10 July 2013 by the WWALS board (PDF).

From:
WWALS Watershed Coalition
3338 Country Club Road #L336
Valdosta, GA 31605
wwalswatershed@gmail.com
www.wwals.net
10 July 2013

To:
Jeffrey S Morris
Savannah District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
100 W Oglethorpe Ave
Savannah, GA 31401
Jeffrey.S.Morris@usace.army.mil

Cc:
Mayor John Gayle
City of Valdosta
P.O. Box 1125
216 E. Central Ave.
Valdosta, GA 31603-1125
jgayle@valdostacity.com

Greetings from the pocosin swamps and blackwater river floodplains of central south Georgia! Continue reading →

Watershed meeting organized by Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) didn’t know there was a large water problem hereabouts, but now they do, and they want to take a watershed-wide approach, from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico, including both surface water and aquifer issues, perhaps starting with redrawing FEMA’s flood maps, and maybe even including once again funding the state water council.

Thursday 11 April 2013 there was a rather large governmental meeting organized by USACE in response to the City of Valdosta’s request of 11 March 2103. Yesterday, Valdosta City Council District 5 Tim Carroll sent the appended list of attendees, augmented by a conversation with him on the phone just now. We know little else, because no media or private citizens were invited.

  • USACE Savannah office: Jeff Morris, Georgia Silver Jackets Coordinator and Beth Williams, Hydraulic Engineer
  • USACE Jacksonville office: David Apple, Chief, Watershed and Restoration Planning Section
  • GADNR: Christopher Hill and Tom Shillock, GAEPD Floodplain Management Unit
  • GEMA: Dee Langley, Planning Program Manager and Terry Lunn, Director, Hazard Mitigation Division
  • GEMA: Gary Rice – Regional Field Coordinator
  • USGS: Brian McCallum, Supv. Hydrologist/ADir and Keith McFadden, Physical Scientist
  • FEMA Region 4: Susan Wilson, CFM, Floodplain Management and Insurance Branch Chief and Janice Mitchell, Insurance Specialist and Lender Compliance

Those state and national agencies were brought by:

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