Skywater Partnership
The Skywater Partnership is a collection of stakeholders including two professional hydrologists, a hydrobiologist, a key biological and hydrologic technician,Flint Riverkeeper, county officials, the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, local growers, the Water Planning and Policy Center at Albany State, and private industry working towards building the resilience of the spring and surrounding spring shed.
There is strong evidence that a reduction in water usage from a portion of the Floridan Aquifer within the springshed during peak periods of water demand will improve the flows and be able to sustain the habitat year-round, thus preserving the public value of the historic waterway.
Radium Springs outflow
Radium Springs— Georgia’s largest known natural spring— is one of nearly 20 named springs that emerge from the Floridan aquifer in southwestern Georgia which support Flint River flows.
Formerly flowing at up to 70,000 gallons per minute, the springs first ceased to flow in the early 1980s, now known to have been caused by combinations of rainfall deficits and pumping from the Floridan aquifer for a combination of agricultural and industrial uses in proximity to the springs. Droughts are a natural part of climate cycles in the region, but Radium was never documented to cease flowing during major droughts prior to the 1980s. Now, Radium Springs is documented to cease flowing even during the drier portions of wet years, including 2022.
Our Approach
Skywater Partners
“Radium Springs is a remarkable local asset and a living part of our community’s natural heritage. Its waters have shaped this place for generations, creating a rare landscape where ecological value, beauty, history, and community identity converge. Investing in conservation means protecting more than springflow—it means safeguarding a defining piece of our local ecology and ensuring that future generations can experience the natural wonder, wildlife, and sense of place that make Radium Springs unique.”