Add endangered fish to the list of concerns about wells that will provide up to 6.6 million gallons of water per day for Hyundai Motor Company’s electric vehicle and battery manufacturing complex in Bryan County.
In a March 8 letter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries division directed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to consider the impact of withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer on two species of federally protected sturgeon.
The request is part of a comment process ahead of EPD’s release this week of draft permits for four proposed wells in Bulloch County.
Potential changes in water temperature and oxygen levels in the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers associated with pumping such large amounts from the aquifer below could harm shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon, both of which are protected under US Endangered Species Act, NOAA said in its letter.
Both species rely on fresh water in the two rivers for spawning, and flow and temperature play a critical role in triggering reproductive behavior, NOAA explained.
“All information available about the populations of both shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon in the Ogeechee River indicates that their numbers are depressed and that they are vulnerable to disturbance,” NOAA said in its letter.
Both species are anadromous, which means they move upstream from the coast to lay eggs and hatch on the rocky shoals of river channels. The so-called river monsters have existed for millions of years and thrived until overfishing, pollution and habitat loss led to their decline.
Shortnose sturgeon grow to a length of 4.5 feet while their Atlantic cousins can reach 14 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds.
Although unfamiliar with NOAA’s appeal, Ogeechee Riverkeeper Damon Mullis said he agreed with the agency’s premise.
“Our overuse of the (Floridan) aquifer has reduced stream flows in the Ogeechee due to natural groundwater springs drying up, and it’s reasonable to assume that Hyundai’s supply wells will exacerbate the issue,” he explained.
That’s because the springs are cooler than the river, so when they flow into the Ogeechee, they help regulate the water temperature. Without that transfer from the springs, the river stays warmer.
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‘Otherwise illegal taking of listed species’
If the wells require federal permits, NOAA can work directly with the appropriate agency to address any concerns about impacts to protected species and their habitats, said NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman Allison Garrett.
But because the state is responsible for environmental permits, NOAA shared its concerns with EPD.
Under the Endangered Species Act, if an action has an “unintended, but unintended” effect on a protected species, it is considered an “inadvertent take.”
In that case, EPD or Bryan and Bulloch counties would be required to apply to NOAA for a permit that would “allow the otherwise illegal take of the listed species,” Garrett explained. “There has not yet been an application for an incidental take permit for this project.”
When asked about the process, an EPD spokesperson questioned the basis of NOAA’s relationship with the agency.
Because a clay-rich 400-foot layer separates the aquifer from the surface, the Floridan has “no hydraulic connection to the Savannah River (or) the Ogeechee River,” said EPD’s Sara Lipps. “No dewatering of the Ogeechee River (or) the Savannah River is anticipated.”
However, this does not address the drying up of the springs that help regulate the temperature of the rivers.
“These are legitimate concerns that NOAA has raised,” said Mullis, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper.
Crossing the border
EPD’s recent release of the long-awaited draft permits for the wells comes two weeks after local agreements were finalized to draw water from the Floridan Aquifer in Bulloch County and send it to Hyundai’s nearly 2,500-acre complex in Bryan County.
Bryan, which is tied to a joint development agreement to supply water for the $7.6 billion manufacturing complex, will go outside the county because it is subject to state withdrawal limits aimed at limiting entry. of salt water in the aquifer near Savannah.
EPD estimates the Floridan’s depth will drop as much as 19 feet near the new wells, and private wells could drop as much as 15 feet.
Bryan and Bulloch commissioners agreed last month to create a fund to help property owners whose wells were affected, with each county initially contributing $250,000. EPD added that the fund “may include contributions from other entities,” but is not alone. Some critics of the project insisted that Hyundai should have helped the effort.
EPD said it will accept comments on the proposed permits until Aug. 20 and will host a public meeting, 6 to 9 p.m., Aug. 13 at Southeast Bulloch High School, 9184 Brooklet-Denmark Road, Brooklet, Georgia.
John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213 or [email protected].
