– May 29, 2024 –
Good morning! We’ve been thinking a lot about water lately and have our first installment of an ongoing series about water in Coastal Georgia. We also had news of a surprising sighting on Little St. Simons over Memorial Day weekend. It was something tall, pink and never before seen in Georgia. Give up? Read on.
Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org
Water, water everywhere
Water defines Coastal Georgia. Salt and fresh water flow abundantly here. The rain falls in buckets. But also abundant and growing are the stresses on our water, including the more than 6 million gallons a day required for the new Hyundai electric vehicle plant. With that demand and the controversies it’s stirring top of mind, The Current took a look at some water basics. Read the FAQ here.
We started with a focus on the northern part of the coast. That’s not to say we won’t be heading south. We will. It’s just that the issues facing each area of the coast differ and we didn’t want to, well, muddy the waters. If this first set of questions prompted you to wonder about a water issue, please let us know what you want to know. We intend to add to the FAQ.
Better than yard decor
Little St. Simons naturalist Adam Weber marked a first on Saturday when he photographed four American flamingos on the island. The tropical and subtropical birds had never before been recorded in Georgia.
“Since that time, the birds have remained in the area around Myrtle Pond and have been easy to view from the North Tower,” Scott Coleman, the island’s ecological manager, wrote in an email. He’s been arranging trips for volunteers and conservation partners to come out and see the birds, “assuming the birds decide to stick around for a bit.”
Coal ash revisited
How to safely get rid of toxic coal ash — what’s left after coal is burned to produce electricity — has bedeviled Georgia and neighboring states for years. Georgia Power has a plan in place but it may be getting new scrutiny after the EPA rejected Alabama’s plans, as Georgia Recorder’s Jill Nolin reports.
Georgia Power’s cleanup plan includes the “capping in place,” of nine coal ash ponds, a process that involves removing water from the pit before installing a cover to protect it from rain. Environmental groups warn this method doesn’t properly protect groundwater.
Credit: Grant Blankenship/ GPB News
Watch out for shorebirds
Georgia’s beaches provide a nursery ground for shorebirds. That includes the least tern, which this time of year scrapes out a nest in the sand for 2-3 eggs at a time. Ground-nesting shorebirds like these are especially vulnerable when dogs and people visit their beaches. That’s just what happened over Memorial Day weekend on Ogeechee bar, Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Fletcher Smith suspects. The results were disastrous, as The Current’s Mary Landers reports in an article that includes a video with tips to avoid disturbing these feathered beachgoers.
Also noted
- Interested in a gator hunt? The Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers quota hunts for alligators, feral hogs on Ossabaw Island, deer, dove and other species. About 30,000 people applied to hunt gators last year. Sign up begins June 1. Learn more at this link.
- Speaking of alligators, Chatham County police officers captured one in a suburban Savannah neighborhood last week and released it in the wild, as their video shows.
- NOAA’s Hurricane Center released its prediction for the Atlantic season last week. The good news: We haven’t had a named storm yet, giving 2024 a later start than most recent years. The bad news: NOAA expects a busy season of 17-25 named storms. Be prepared with a hurricane kit and a plan to evacuate. And if you can, look out for a neighbor who needs help with these tasks. Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.
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FAQ: How much do you know about your water?
As Hyundai increases demands on water supplies, learn about where the Savannah area gets its water and how the supply is regulated and protected.
What EPA decision on Alabama coal ash cleanup means for Georgia
Georgia environmental advocates say they hope the Biden administration’s recent decision to deny Alabama’s application for a state-run coal ash disposal will have implications for Georgia Power.
Beachgoers and their dogs threaten nesting shorebirds
Over Memorial Day weekend, at least two shorebird chicks died and seven eggs were lost after beachgoers and their dogs disturbed the remote colony.
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