Continued funding for two river gauges is the only significant decision on a very brief agenda for the Lowndes County Commission 8:30 AM tomorrow morning, and voting 5:30 PM Tuesday Monday, that same evening. One of them used to be funded by Valdosta, which it primarily benefits, but Lowndes County picked up that one back in 2019. The other the county has been funding since 2009; it’s at the same Little River location that at its last meeting the Commission fortunately decided not to close to the public.

There’s a Monday morning Work Session presentation from the Lowndes County Extension Service Office.

The only actual decisions are on yet another beer and wine license, and on funding two USGS gauges, at Folsom Bridge on GA 122 on the Little River west of Hahira, and at Skipper Bridge on the Withlacoochee River north of Valdosta.

Gauge cost, Little River, Withlacoochee River

Lowndes County has been funding $14,200 for the Folsom Bridge gauge since shortly after the big flood of 2009. Note that this the same Little River site that the Commssion in its last meeting decided not to close to the public by not closing Wells Road.

Here are LAKE videos of their October 2012 Work Session and Regular Session on the annual decision to continue funding for the Folsom Bridge gauge. Here’s a LAKE report with links to video of an explanation by Emergency Director Ashley Tye at their 2013 decision meeting on the Folsom Bridge gauge.

Folsom Bridge @ GA 122, Little River, USGS Gauge 02318380.

Back in 2019 Valdosta ceased paying for its part of the Skipper Bridge gauge, apparently because Valdosta discovered that location is not within its city limits, and Lowndes County picked up that cost of $8,300. The rest for Skipper Bridge is paid by USGS ($900) and Florida’s Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD, $5,900).

Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River, USGS Gauge 023177483.

As you can see by the USGS location map, it’s rather ironic that Valdosta is not paying for the Skipper Bridge gauge, since it’s the source of water levels for the USGS Flood Inundation Mapper (FIM), for the Withlacoochee River floodplain from Skipper Bridge to GA 133, which primarily benefits Valdosta.

Valdosta does continue to pay towards the US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River gauge.

$15,400 Little River @ GA 122 + $9,350 Withlacoochee River @ Skipper Bridge Road

This year the Lowndes County costs went up $450 total, to $14,500 for Folsom Bridge and $8,450 for Skipper Bridge.

Below is the agenda. See also the board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, and now on the LAKE website.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-10-25–lcc-packet/

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

1. Call to Order
2. Invocation
3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
4. Proclamation Presentation to Valwood Valiants Volleyball Team
   
5. Minutes for Approval
   1. Work Session – October 11, 2021 & Regular Session – October 12, 2021
      
6. For Consideration
   1. FY2022 Joint Funding Agreement with USGS
      

      Documents:FY2022 Joint Funding Agreement with USGS.pdf

   2. Beer and Wine License – Nehaben Patel of Shree 4946, LLC, DBA Triangle Foods – 4946 US Hwy 41 S, Lake Park, GA
      

      Documents:Beer and Wine License – Nehaben Patel of Shree 4946, LLC, DBA Triangle Foods – 4946 US Hwy 41 S, Lake Park, GA.pdf

7. Reports – County Manager
   1. Lowndes County Extension Office Presentation (Work Session)
      
8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
   
9. Adjournment

-jsq

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