Implications of Declining Ground Water and Water Quality in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin for Survival and Recovery of Federally Endangered and Threatened Marine and Aquatic Species and Critical Habitat in the US Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion—Part 2

The Floridan aquifer system underlies the United States (US) Southeastern Coastal Plain Physiographic Region. Anthropogenic groundwater declines in that regional karst aquifer system, via semi-confining zones, have been documented in published literature for decades. These anthropogenic groundwater declines reduce surfacewater levels and flows, which increases saltwater intrusion and alters the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, in violation of the US Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. Historic groundwater declines from mining and other anthropogenic groundwater withdrawals from this regional karst aquifer system already threaten the survival and recovery of marine and aquatic federally endangered and threatened species, as well as existing and proposed critical habitat for those species within the Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecoregion. Examples of marine and aquatic species and their designated critical habitat adversely affected by groundwater declines in the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin of this ecoregion include the federally endangered south Atlantic Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), and oval pigtoe mussel (Pleurobema pyriforme), as well as the federally threatened Gulf subspecies of the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) and Suwannee moccasinshell (Medionidus walkeri). In 2020, rules were adopted by two federal agencies allowing significant further degradation of the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters that are essential for maintaining federally listed species and their habitat in this Ecoregion. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has acknowledged the harm to these species and critical habitat from mining and additional groundwater alterations, but no comprehensive Areawide Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS), similar to the AEIS required for mining within the Peace River Basin, has been conducted for any of the numerous mining projects that are expanding and proposed within the Greater Okefenokee Swamp Basin to evaluate all indirect and cumulative adverse impacts to all federally listed species.