The telogia creek water quality improvement project will reduce water quality degradation within telogia creek subbasin through a combination of GIS data analysis and implementation of site-specific…

The Telogia Creek Water Quality Improvement Project is a $2,100,000 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service on March 10, 2025. This 5-year project, funded under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (CFDA 15.658) program, aims to reduce water quality degradation within the Telogia Creek subbasin through GIS data analysis and on-the-ground restoration activities. Key goals include improving surface water and aquatic habitat quality by restoring eroding stream channels, establishing riparian buffers, upgrading unpaved road crossings, and enhancing hydrologic connectivity. These efforts will mitigate threats like habitat degradation and non-point source pollution, benefiting freshwater resources and federally listed aquatic species in the lower Ochlockonee River watershed.

The telogia creek water quality improvement project will reduce water quality degradation within telogia creek subbasin through a combination of GIS data analysis and implementation of site-specific restoration activities. The purpose of the project is to improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, and pollutant loading and improving habitat stability and natural flow regimes. State of florida water quality assessment within the telogia creek subbasin indicated that fecal coliform bacteria and dissolved oxygen are impairment concerns and nitrogen concentrations are increasing. Project goals are to improve surface water and aquatic habitat quality by implementing a variety of on-the-ground activities such as restoring eroding stream channels, establishing riparian buffers, improving unpaved road crossings, and restoring hydrologic connectivity. These restoration activities will reduce non-point source inputs into the system and mitigate threats such as habitat and water quality degradation. Ultimately, the project will benefit freshwater resources, including federally listed aquatic species, within the lower ochlockonee river and estuarine and marine resources within the larger ochlockonee BAY watershed.