Tag Archives: USGS

Revised Hydrogeologic Framework of the Floridan Aquifer System 2016-03

Salt water intrusion inland is worse than you think, including the “Apalachicola salinity feature” up to the GA-FL line and east through Lowndes County, with a special additional brackish Valdosta feature. Central north Florida is an island of fresh groundwater surrounded by entire saline Florida coast around from Alabama plus across to Brunswick, GA, then again from Savannah up past Charleston. South of Lakeland, FL the map is all red for saline.

Figure 53. Estimated altitude of the 10,000-milligrams-per-liter (mg/L) total dissolved solids boundary, southeastern United States.
Figure 53. Estimated altitude of the 10,000-milligrams-per-liter (mg/L) total dissolved solids boundary, southeastern United States.

Apparently using the data preliminarily mapped earlier in the Florida Well Salinity Study, geologists from three states connected the dots in Revised Hydrogeologic Framework of the Floridan Aquifer System in Florida and Parts of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, By Continue reading →

Videos, Valdosta Wastewater and Flood Prevention 2016-10-27

The crowd was very attentive to every word about wastewater and flood prevention, with officials from the City of Valdosta presenting in the first of a new quarterly WWALS speaker series. If you didn’t come, you can see and hear in these videos Henry Hicks about wastewater, Emily Davenport about flood prevention, Tim Carroll about solar power, and Sementha Mathews about how to get more information from Valdosta. WWALS Treasurer and acting Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman opened and closed the meeting.

Each talk had many small but important stories, so we will probably blog more posts about those. Meanwhile, here are the videos: see for yourself! Continue reading →

Valdosta wastewater and flood prevention public meeting by WWALS 2016-10-27

New WWTP, 30.8327808, -83.3283234 Update 2016-10-23: Seen from the air.

Update 2016-10-19: PDF flyer.

Come hear about the $60 million in wastewater fixes Valdosta just finished, what remains to be done, and what they’re doing about flood prevention for the entire Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida. You can ask questions in this first of a new WWALS Quarterly Speaker Series, and the people organizing this work will be there to answer:

  • Henry Hicks, Utilities Director, about wastewater
  • Emily Davenport, Assistant Director of Engineering, about flooding, and
  • Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, about solar power for utilities.

When: 6PM Thursday October 27th

Where: Valdosta City Hall Annex
Multipurpose Room
300 N Lee St.
Valdosta, GA 31601 Continue reading →

Lowndes County to match Valdosta funding for LiDAR flood mapping? 2016-07-11

Valdosta already had an airplane fly over Lowndes County and collect Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for flood mapping. Will Lowndes County step up and match Valdosta on this project that affects everybody in the county (and downstream into Florida)? Valdosta started this LiDAR project in March 2015, and Valdosta fronted the entire cost to get it done, we know because Valdosta Assistant Director of Utilities Emily Davenport and Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll told us at a meeting Valdosta held at the request of WWALS for interested parties downstream in Florida and from as far away as Atlanta.

On the agenda for the 8:30 AM Monday morning Lowndes County Commission Work Session, item 7.d. Continue reading →

Come on down to Staten Road Bridge and paddle the Withlacoochee River to Langdale Park 2016-03-20

Update 2016-03-24: Pictures.

A few potholes never stopped us from paddling! Because potholes Come on down to Staten Road Bridge 9AM tomorrow, Sunday 20 March 2016; follow this link for details. Yes, Langdale Park will be closed, but VLPRA has made arrangements for us to get in. (facebook event, meetup)

Panorama

Staten Road has always been a put-in for carrying boats Continue reading →

Staten Road, Withlacoochee River, water levels, outing 2016-03-20

This Sunday, 9AM March 20th 2016, come paddle from Staten Road Bridge From high water put-in to bridge past Shadrick Sink and under the North Valdosta Road Bridge to Langdale Park! Follow this link for details. Although Langdale Park will be closed, Parks and Rec. will let us in for this event. (facebook event, meetup) Continue reading →

Water Resources of the upper Suwannee River Watershed

Even the trend of sinking groundwater levels hasn’t changed a lot in the Georgia parts of WWALS’ watersheds of the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and upper Suwannee Rivers. Figure 1: Georgia Watersheds Thanks to Tom Potter for the pointer, and we’re inviting someone to talk about this subject at the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Workshop at VSU February 27th, 2016.

WATER RESOURCES OF THE UPPER SUWANNEE RIVER WATERSHED, by Mary M. Davis1 and David W. Hicks2,

1 Ecologist, Continue reading →

Stranded campers rescued from Alapaha River above GA 135 2016-01-16

This is why WWALS recommends filing a float plan, or in this case, a hiking and camping plan. Boaters

WALB News Team, 17 January 2016, Campers rescued from rising floodwater, warning issued,

BERRIEN CO., GA (WALB) – The Berrien County Sheriff is sending a warning to residents to stay off the Alapaha River.

“Its not a good time to be camping out on the river,” said Sheriff Anthony Heath.

Image About 11 a.m. on Sunday, four Berrien County campers had to be rescued after they were surrounded by rising floodwaters. A father, his daughter, son, and son’s girlfriend hiked downstream and set up camp at the Alapaha River bridge near state Route 135, south of Willacoochee.

The VDT says they camped on Saturday, and were found the next day. Terry Richards, Valdosta Daily Times, 19 January 2016, page 8A, Stranded campers réscued, Continue reading →

Sea level gage reports: all USGS gages in WWALS territory in Georgia

All the Suwannee River Basin USGS gages in Georgia just got a new flood level reporting system (except they missed one). Locator Map: Central South Georgia USGS Gages They’ve added a level measurement from sea level, probably not coincidentally about the same as the Florida gages added a level measurement from dry riverbed, so both Georgia and Florida gages now have both measurements. This actually does not affect the WWALS level charts for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail nor for the Alapaha River Water Trail, because those continue to display water levels from dry riverbed. To see this change at all, you have to drill down to the USGS detail pages, for example on the Withlacoochee River at Skipper Bridge Road in Georgia, or near Pinetta, Florida.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Tallahassee, FL, unknown date, Suwannee River Basin Datum Changes in South Central Georgia,

Starting on October 14, 2015, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee and Jacksonville will make adjustments to the reporting method for water level in the Suwannee River System. This includes river gages in the following rivers or creeks: Continue reading →

Typical USGS streamgage costs with example near Okapilco Creek

Update 2021-03-09: The funding cost per gauge has gone up, to $22,500, of which usually the USGS contributes about $900.

How much would it cost to fund the Okapilco Creek gage so it won’t go offline July 31st? 300x342 Pie: Percentages of funding in various activities, in Streamgage Operation and Maintenance Cost Evaluation, by U.S. Geological Survey, for WWALS.net, 1 June 2010 About $13,600/year, more or less, mostly for field and office labor and administration, with only 10% for the field equipment. Since this gage is located in Brooks County, Georgia, the most likely funding body (after USGS itself) would be the Brooks County Commission. Yes, it’s in WWALS watersheds; no, WWALS doesn’t plan to take on funding streamgages. If some funding organization appeared that wanted to pass the funds through WWALS, which is a 501(c)(3) educational institution, that would be possible. But this seems more like a government issue.

Costs

Continue reading →