A happy day when we can report good news for our rivers and springs. Such was today when Suwannee River Water Management District, working with Columbia County and Lake City, formally finished the Ichetucknee Springshed Water Quality Improvement Project.
This project treats wastewater from Lake City on a sprayfield on Sisters Welcome Road, with the combined benefits of recharging the aquifer through wetlands and removing up to 77,000 pounds of total nitrogen. This greatly reduces the nutrient loading in the river.
This is the largest constructed treatment wetland in the Suwannee River Water Management District and adds up to 1.58 million gallons per day in aquifer recharge.
Wetland Solutions Inc., run by OSFR advisor Bob Knight, provided consultation for this project, which began construction on October 15, 2015.
OSFR commends the Suwannee River Water Management District, the City of Lake City and Columbia County for funding this project which is a step forward in cleaning up our rivers and springs.
Several state and local dignitaries were in attendance, including Sen. Bill Nelson, politicians Ted Yoho and Elizabeth Porter, Bucky Nash and Scarlett Frisina of the Columbia County Commissioners. Others in attendance were Robert Bridges of the Lake City Reporter, representatives from the Ichetucknee State Park, Valerie Thomas and Jerry Krummrich from Four Rivers Audubon Society, Debbie Segal, from Alachua Audubon, your historian representing OSFR, and many others from DEP and other agencies.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
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