Tag Archives: Alapaha River

Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO) 2026-02-19

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Looks like there is ample room for improvement in the Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22.

https://wwals.net/?p=69496

If anyone sees any creek or river contamination that might be coming from any of these sites (on Paul King Road, Luke King Road, or Whitley Tucker Road), please let WWALS and GA-EPD know.

[Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO), 2026-02-19]
Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO), 2026-02-19

Georgia
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION

Jeffrey W. Cown, Director
Southwest District
2024 Newton Road
Albany, Georgia 31701
229-430-4144

February 19, 2026

Mr. Charles Kincaid, Operator
Caton Farms, LLC
tkincaid1967@gmail.com

RE: Notice of Violation
Caton Farms, LLC
Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO)
Berrien County, Georgia

Dear Mr. Kincaid:

A routine compliance inspection was conducted at the above referenced composting facility by representatives of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division on February 10, 2026. This Notice of Violation is issued to Caton Farms, LLC for deficiencies with regard to the referenced Permit and the Georgia Rules for Solid Waste Management (Rules). The enclosed Compost Class 2 Permit-by-Rule Checklist notes three (3) deficiencies, which are listed below for your review and attention:

Continue reading →

Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22

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Update 2026-02-26: Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO) 2026-02-19.

We have a candidate for what caused the nasty Alapaha River water that Mike Paulk reported on February 16, 2026, at GA 135 south of Willacoochee, Georgia.

https://wwals.net/?p=69417

Somebody from Louisiana owns land in Berrien County at three locations. According to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD), they found “chicken litter, large trees, and soybean material” at a reported site. This was a violation of Georgia Solid Waste rules, especially considering the landowner had no solid waste handling permit.

[Solid Waste Open Dump, Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-02-15]
Solid Waste Open Dump, Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-02-15

One of those locations has creeks running through it a short distance to the Alapaha River. That’s east of Luke King Road, north of Bruce Farm Road, northeast of Enigma, Georgia. See the red outline on this map. Continue reading →

Irwin Forward Tech Park

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Whoever is behind it is making big claims for Irwin Forward Tech Park: $20 million in tax revenue, 200-300 high-paying local permanent jobs, no fumes, limited noise, closed loop water, and no discharge.

This is according to a package of materials somebody sent me that I hear has been circulating in Irwin County.

If all this is true, why aren’t we hearing about it in public?

And where are the references to other places where this has already been done?

[Irwin Forward Tech Park, Irwinville, Irwin County, GA, Claims closed loop water, Limited noise, no discharge]
Irwin Forward Tech Park, Irwinville, Irwin County, GA, Claims closed loop water, Limited noise, no discharge

Remember, the Planning Commission Public Hearing on the special exception is Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6 PM in Ocilla, supposedly moved to the Irwin Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Ga. 31774.

The County Commission meeting is Monday, March 2, 2026, at 5:45 PM.

This is for the proposed site south of Irwinville, west of Ponderosa Drive, east of the Alapaha River.

More details here:

https://wwals.net/?p=69394

Someone has started a change.org petition against this datacenter:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-irwin-county-from-data-centers

And don’t forget the two bills in the legislature right now: Continue reading →

Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16

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In an interview yesterday by WALB TV:

Meanwhile, WWALS Watershed Coalition Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said his own research raises concerns about what large-scale data centers could mean for local water resources and river health.

[Datacenter water use, Irwin County Planning Commission, and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16]
Datacenter water use, Irwin County Planning Commission, and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16

Quarterman said data centers typically require significant water for cooling and large amounts of electricity to operate, which he argues can indirectly affect water resources through increased demand on power generation. He said the Suwannee River Basin and surrounding aquifer systems are closely connected, meaning impacts to surface water can also affect drinking water supplies, agriculture and recreation.

[Whirlpak 2026-02-26 --WALB TV]
Whirlpak 2026-02-26 –WALB TV

Quarterman adds that water levels in some rivers and springs are already low during drought conditions, and he said he worries additional industrial demand could place further strain on natural resources.

See also the datacenter bills in Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, near Alapaha River 2026-02-26.

https://wwals.net/?p=69394

Taylor Lewis, WALB News 10, February 16, 2026, updated 6 PM, 2nd South Georgia county moves to dissolve industrial authority: What it could mean for future data center builds. Continue reading →

Nasty water, Alapaha River, GA 135 2026-02-16

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Update 2026-02-25: Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22.

Update 2026-02-21: Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers, cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers 2026-02-19.

Mike Paulk sent this video of what he saw yesterday at GA 135 on the Alapaha River, south of Willacoochee, Georgia.

[Nasty water, Alapaha River @ GA 135, After big rain, Rose 1 foot in 3.5 hours]
Nasty water, Alapaha River @ GA 135, After big rain, Rose 1 foot in 3.5 hours

He said the river rose a foot in 3 and a half hours, and he’s never seen it look like that.

Here’s the video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1433056248290635

https://youtube.com/shorts/ppVqQc3FRkY

Anybody who has any information, please send it to us.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Sen. Carden Summers tries to amend to weaken GA SB 34 that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills @ GA Sen. Comm. on Regulated Industries and Utilities 2026-02-12

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Update 2026-02-24: Datacenter electricity SB 34 in GA Senate Committee 2026-02-24.

Update 2026-02-17: Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16.

Georgia state Senator Carden Summers, who represents Irwinville, tried last Thursday to “gut” SB 34, which would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills. That’s a bill he co-sponsors.

Sen. Summers represents Irwinville, where a datacenter is planned, with a special exception request to be heard at an Irwin County Planning Commission in Ocilla next Thursday, February 26, 2026.

[Sen. Carden Summers tries 2026-02-12, to amend to weaken GA SB 34, that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills]
Sen. Carden Summers tries 2026-02-12, to amend to weaken GA SB 34, that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills.

He tried a similar amendment a year ago in the same committee, and could not get a second for his motion, according to Dave Williams, Capitol Beat, February 25, 2025. The committee favorably reported SB 34 on February 26, 2025, and apparently its text remains unchanged since then.

Maybe you’d like to ask Sen. Carden Summers why he is a co-sponsor of SB 34 if he doesn’t like what it says?

https://www.legis.ga.gov/members/senate/4971?session=1033
(404) 463-5258
carden.summers@senate.ga.gov

He represents Berrien, Tift, Worth, Crisp, Turner, Ben Hill, Irwin, and west half of Coffee Counties.

If he’s not your state Senator, feel free to contact yours:

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

This is the Senate video of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities on February 12, 2026, about SB 34.

Continue reading →

Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, near Alapaha River 2026-02-26

5 Replies

Update 2026-02-17: Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16.

Update 2026-02-17: Sen. Carden Summers tries to amend to weaken GA SB 34 that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills @ GA Sen. Comm. on Regulated Industries and Utilities 2026-02-12.

Update 2026-02-16: So-called AI hallucinates no matter how good its training data –OpenAI 2025-09-18.

Apparently the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, February 26, at 6 PM, has been moved to the Courthouse. If so, that indicates much interest in this case.

I’m told this datacenter would be for Google, but it doesn’t really matter which big company wants it.

[Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, GA, near Alapaha River, Planning Commission 2026-02-26]
Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, GA, near Alapaha River, Planning Commission 2026-02-26

Datacenters for so-called AI are wasteful misuses of water that could go to agriculture and other uses, and of power that requires more power plants that use more cooling water.

The current alleged artificial intelligence (AI) and especially the current brute-force methods of implementing it will be leapfrogged by something else within a few years, just like expensive computer workstations got leapfrogged by Intel PCs and now everybody has something faster and more capable in their pocket.

https://wwals.net/?p=69238

Why waste our most irreplaceable resource, water, for this? Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12

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Update 2026-02-18: Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17.

WWALS got good river results on the Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers this week, as did Valdosta Utilities on the Withlacoochee.

But new WWALS tester Isis Swartz got too-high E. coli results on the New River at 18th Street in Tifton, Georgia.

We have no new creek test results.

No new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

The weather prediction for Saturday is mostly sunny with rain on Sunday. So if you can find a river with enough water, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream, 2026-02-09-12]
Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream, 2026-02-09-12

Or come with WWALS tomorrow (Saturday), on the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14.

https://wwals.net/?p=69369

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-02-04

Update 2026-02-13: Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12.

WWALS got good river results on the Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers for Wednesday.

Valdosta Utilities also got good E. coli results for the Withlacoochee for Monday.

We have no new creek test results.

No new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia.

But there were two in Florida. The Florida Pollution Notices map is broken again, but WWALS is signed up for alerts so we got them by email. High Springs spilled Monday near the Santa Fe River, and Live Oak spilled Tuesday near the Suwannee River. Both were small spills and not very near any major waterway.

The weather prediction for Saturday and Sunday is warmer and sunny. So if you can find a river with enough water, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

Or come with WWALS tomorrow (Saturday), to find the site of the old Drew Mansion, on Ellaville Hike, Withlacoochee River 2026-02-07.

https://wwals.net/?p=69082

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean Alapaha and Santa Fe, Rivers 2026-02-04, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-02-02]
Clean Alapaha and Santa Fe, Rivers 2026-02-04, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-02-02

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Heather Brasell got a pretty good 333 cfu/100 mL for the Town of Alapaha wastewater plant outflow creek, and 166 for the Alapaha River just upstream from Sheboggy Boat Ramp on US 82, both for Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for Wednesday at Mills Dock, a bit upstream from Poe Springs Ramp, bot a quite clean 66 cfu/100 mL, with 12.8 C air temperature and 16.3 C water temperature.

Withlacoochee River

Valdosta Utilities for Monday (we don’t know why not for Wednesday) got pretty good 320 at GA 133 and pretty clean 100 at US 84, both below the 410 one-time test limit.

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee Rivers 2026-01-28

Update 2026-02-03: High Springs sewage spill, Railroad Ave. near SE Douglas Street 2026-02-02.

WWALS got good river results on Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers for Wednesday, and on the Santa Fe River for Thursday.

Valdosta Utilities also got good E. coli results for the Withlacoochee for Wednesday.

We have no new creek test results.

No new sewage spills have been reported this week in Georgia or Florida. The Florida Pollution Notices map is even finally working!

So if you can it being really cold, and you can find a river with enough water, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee Rivers 2026-01-28, Very cold this weekend, But happy paddling!]
Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee Rivers 2026-01-28, Very cold this weekend, But happy paddling!

Alapaha River

Please welcome back WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner. For Wednesday she a very good 33 cfu/100 mL at both Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach for Wednesday.

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for Thursday at Mills Dock, a bit upstream from Poe Springs Ramp, bot a quite clean 100, with 4.7 C air temperature and 17.0 C water temperature.

Withlacoochee River

Valdosta Utilities for Wednesday got 360 at GA 133 and 50 at US 84, both below the 410 one-time test limit.

WWALS tester Suzy Hall for Wednesday got a perfect zero (0) for State Line Boat Ramp, aka Mozell Spells.

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →