Thanks to Julie Shutters of Golden Triangle R&D for coming down from Sylvester to Valdosta, GA to do Georgia Adopt-A-Stream training for WWALS.
(No, we haven’t forgotten about Florida. We’re just starting with the biggest problem area.)
Karen and Tom Johnson travelled many a time three or four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia, to paddle with WWALS on our outings. Some of us are planning to go to Pine Mountain this Saturday:
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
Memorial Service/Funeral for Karen Toms Johnson:11:00 A.M., Saturday, September 22, 2018.
1st UMC Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Rev. Liza Marler, officiating pastor.
Luncheon to follow with Karen Storytelling emcee’d by T3.
Memorial Service attendees are STRONGLY encouraged to attend the luncheon.
When: Tuesday-Friday 18-21 September 2018
Where: Post your pictures online here.
Here is the obituary Tom wrote for Karen.
We would like to take with us a collage of pictures of Karen and Tom on WWALS outings (or elsewhere). Please post your pictures here (on this blog post, facebook event, etc.) or email them to wwalswatershed@gmail.com.
Here are some examples:
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of
Tom and Karen Johnson, winners, farthest, BIG Little River Paddle Race
29 April 2017.
The Naylor Boat Ramp should finally be complete within a few weeks, said Project Manager Chad McLeod at Monday’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. It will be interesting to see what paddlers report back from that site after yesterday’s paddle starting there as part of the Alapaha Quest to paddle in segments the entire Alapaha River Water Trail.
Status of Naylor Boat Ramp by Chad McLeod in LAKE video @
LCC 2018-09-10
What Chad McLeod said Monday morning, 10 September 2018, transcribed from Continue reading
Regarding rumors that Lowndes County had a spill July 5th, no it didn’t. The spill was July 6th. It was 9,300 gallons of untreated sewage apparently from the same place as the bigger spill last September, which would be on the green line on this map near the green dot at the top, into a drainage ditch that leads to the Withlacoochee River:
VALORGIS Map → Streams Waterbodies plus Utilities Service Areas and Lowndes County Sewer Line.
While that is far fewer gallons than Valdosta spilled in June or in August, Valdosta’s August spill was almost completely treated effluent, while Lowndes County’s was raw sewage. And Valdosta went to some trouble to announce that August spill, to go talk to people about it, and to apologize for it. Lowndes County did none of those things.
And apparently there was a second July spill, according this email received 11 September 2018 from Lowndes County per my request earlier that same day for all Lowndes County spills since Hurricane Irma: Continue reading
Join us at the 37th Annual Hahira Honeybee Festival, at the WWALS booth about water quality testing, water trails, paddle outings, holding poluters accountable, all to make sure that water in our area is swimmable, fishable, drinkable. Come help us spread the water word.
When: 9AM-6PM, Friday and Saturday, 5,6 October 2018
Where: West Main Street, Hahira, Georgia
Volunteer: You can help at the WWALS booth. Sign up on this form or send us email.
You can march with us in the parade: Continue reading
Here’s the agenda for chemical and biological testing training this Sunday. Georgia Adopt-A-Stream trainer Julie Shutters will be giving this six hour course in Valdosta.
Big Gap in Georgia Adopt-A-Stream data for Suwannee River Basin
Please be early so we can start on time and finish at a reasonable hour.
Chemical
1:00 pm – 1:05 pm Welcome
1:05 pm – 2:30 pm Intro to Chemical Monitoring
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Break
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm Field Chemical testing
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm Field Review and test
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm Break
Bacterial
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm Intro to Bacterial Monitoring
(if you’re only doing this part, please come early for it)
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Field Sampling /Lab Demonstration
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Take test
We haven’t forgotten Florida training; that will follow. We’re just starting with training for the biggest problem area for sewage, which is in Georgia in the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha River Basins (Tifton, Quitman, Valdosta, and Lowndes County).
When: 1-7PM, Sunday, September 16, 2018
Where:
South Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC)
327 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601
plus sampling at a nearby river or creek.
Bring: an idea of where you can sample at least monthly, preferably weekly.
Why: Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valdosta, GA, September 13, 2018 — This morning two landowners from Moultrie, Colquitt County, Georgia, and the Bell brothers of a subject property in Mitchell County, Georgia, all settled with Sabal Trail Transmission about payment for easements for a 36-inch natural gas pipeline through their land.
Defendant Jeb Bell said afterwards,
I am extremely unhappy, but such is life.
We fought as good as we could for as long as we could.
The defendants’ attorney Jonathan P. Waters had no comment on the confidential settlement of these cases.
These cases were originally filed by Sabal Trail Transmission against Georgia landowners in March 2016, invoking federal eminent domain supplied to Sabal Trail by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on February 2, 2016. The pipeline has since been built through the defendants’ land with no agreement and no payment.
Defendants’ Attorney Jonathan P. Waters
Judge Clay D. Land, Chief U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Georgia, told the jury afterwards Continue reading
Update 2018-09-13: The outcome.
Attorney Jonathan P. Waters had some new questions this time for the same old Sabal Trail witnesses from last time. The trial continues this morning; see you there.
Gil Norman, Sabal Trail Right of Way Manager, who at $200,000 a year has made more than $1 million off of helping Sabal Trail get easements to “use as we see fit in our absolute discretion.“; Michael Fletcher, Engineering Specialist, who said Sabal Trail put thicker pipe on land that might be developed (so thinner on farmland) and pipe probably would have less top cover under dips between hills; and property appraiser Carl Schultz, who “summarized the summaries” of eleven papers, at least one paid for by a pipeline company.
And different defendants, pictured here going into the building yesterday morning.
Kenneth Gregory Isaacs, Atty Jonathan P. Waters, Daniel L. Dunn (GBA Associates), Hamilton Isaacs
Defendant Jeb Bell brought a 32-inch hoop to illustrate how big Sabal Trail is bigger than that at 36 inches).
When: Continuing 9AM Wednesday morning, September 12, 2018.
Where:
Main Courtroom, Second Floor, U.S. District Court
401 N Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31601
Sabal Trail Right of Way Manager Gil Norman attested that FERC could approve changing Continue reading
Join us for a leisurely paddle at sunset approximately 4 miles around the lake, looking for alligators, bats and birds. This is a leg of the Alapaha Quest, since Banks Lake is in the Alapaha River Water Trail.
When: 7 PM, September 11, 2018 (be on the water promptly by then!)
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the usual personal flotation device (PFD, and you must wear it), boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. For everyone’s safety bring a light for your boat or to put on yourself, such as a glow stick, so that we will be visible to other boats. This will be one night after the new moon. It will be dark once the sun goes down at 7:46PM. Mosquitoes can be bad at the launch, especially after dark, so you may want to bring bug spray, but they are usually not a problem on the water. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Shirley Kokidko leading
a previous Banks Lake paddle, 2018-07-27.
WWALS will have a booth at the South Georgia Pride Festival this Saturday.
We will share information about our programs and activism with the local community.
When: Noon-7PM, Saturday, September 15, 2018
Where: John W. Saunders Park, 1151 River Street, Valdosta, Georgia
Volunteer: You can help at the WWALS booth. Sign up on this form or send us email.
Event: facebook
Waterkeeper Alliance says “we know equality and human rights are intrinsic to environmental values.”
South Georgia Pride is open to the community and family friendly and we invite you to come and visit us there.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
![[Julie Shutters, Ronnie Thomas, Erica McLelland, Shirley Kokidko, Joanne A. Wardell, Gretchen Quarterman, Bobby McKenzie, John S. Quarterman (hat)]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-09-16--wq-training-pictures/20180916_132727.jpg)