Join us to clean up this stretch of the beautiful black water Withlacoochee River.
The river is very low, so be sure to bring a rope for the front of your boat, for dragging through Clyattville-Nankin Shoal and possibly over other rocks along the way.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, November 22, 2025
Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, 6499 Knights Ferry Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.
GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554
Continue readingJoin us at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.
The schedule starts with a parade at 10:30 AM.
There will be music, food, and other vendors.
WWALS members, come help at that WWALS booth!
When: 9 AM, Saturday, November 08, 2025
Put In: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad Street, Alapaha, Georgia 31622
GPS: 31.38103, -83.222412
![[WWALS Booth at Alapaha Station Celebration, Alapaha, Georgia, Alapaha River 2025-11-08]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-08--alapaha-station-celebration/many.jpg)
WWALS Booth at Alapaha Station Celebration, Alapaha, Georgia, Alapaha River 2025-11-08
Update 2025-11-05: After some rather contentious testimony, the Berrien County Commission denied the subdividing request. WWALS videos to come. See also below about the other GORA request.
Here are the minutes from the first two meetings with the Public Hearings for the Cole Livingston proposed subdivision on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Highway, at the Berrien County Planning Commission.
The actual decision will be made this evening, November 4, 2025, at 6 PM, by the Berrien County Commission, at 201 North Davis Street, Nashville, Georgia 31639.
These were received in response to a WWALS open records request, which is at the end below.
![[Minutes of August and September, Berrien Planning Commission, Plus maps, Received 2025-10-21]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-21--berrien-gora-response/many.jpg)
Minutes of August and September, Berrien Planning Commission, Plus maps, Received 2025-10-21
The Minutes are for these Berrien County Planning Commission meetings: Continue reading
Hahira, Georgia, November 4, 2025 — Join experienced naturalist and swamp guide Chris “Turtleman” Adams for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia. There may be bats. That’s at 4:45 PM this Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Chris Adams, aka Turtleman, is a very experienced naturalist and former guide at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. He has often paddled with us at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. He runs the Wiregrass Ecological and Cultural Project, bringing awareness to the heart of the Deep South and showcasing its natural & cultural communities. You’ll enjoy his insights.
This Outing is honoring Veterans, who get free entry.
Gather 4:45 PM, launch 5:15 PM, moonrise 5:39 PM, sunset 5:41 PM, end 6:45 PM, Wednesday, November 5, 2025
We will put in and take out at Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725
Continue readingThis is a nonprofit fundraiser supporting WWALS Watershed Coalition Inc.
It’s for the whole month of November 2025.
You can donate here:
https://www.gagives.org/story/WWALS-GAGIVES-2025
![[WWALS Day of Giving, #GAGIVES 2025, All Month, November 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-02--day-of-giving/fbmany.jpg)
WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.
Many other organizations already promote paddling, swimming, fishing, birding, and other water-related activities hereabouts, as does WWALS for fun and education. WWALS exists to assist positive changes and to resist invasive problems, using strategies such as environmental monitoring and tactics such as outings and events in that advocacy.
Update 2025-11-07: Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek 2025-11-06.
WWALS got a very clean result for the Santa Fe River for Wednesday, and pretty clean for the Alapaha River for Thursday.
Even for Sugar Creek, WWALS got an OK result for Wednesday at the WaterGoat. But Valdosta Utilities again got too-high results upstream on Sugar Creek at Gornto Road and Baytree Road.
However, Valdosta got OK results for the Withlacoochee River Upstream at US 41, and OK downstream at GA 133, plus clean farther downstream at US 84.
So these continuing high Sugar Creek results are still mysterious, especially given no rain to wash residue downstream
No sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in the past week in Georgia or Florida.
No rain is expected for the next ten days.
So I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it. Other than that, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.
Or join us tomorrow (Saturday, November 1) to Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers, Sugar Creek mixed, 2025-10-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-30--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers, Sugar Creek mixed, 2025-10-30
Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results
rainfall
and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results
The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-30: Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers; Sugar Creek mixed 2025-10-30.
WWALS got very clean results for the Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers for Thursday and Wednesday.
Also for Wednesday, a WWALS sample of Sugar Creek at the WaterGoat got lower results than Valdosta’s Tuesday upstream Sugar Creek samples.
I hear there was a water main break upstream on Hightower Creek. Maybe that or something else washed something into Sugar Creek and on out.
As noted yesterday, Valdosta will continue to test Sugar Creek for at least the next two weeks. And the Withlacoochee River for Tuesday both at US 41 (upstream from Sugar Creek) and at GA 133 (downstream).
No sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in the past week in Georgia or Florida.
It might rain Monday. Otherwise the long dry spell continues indefinitely.
So I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it. Other than that, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results
The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-24: Clean Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers and Withlacoochee Downstream; Problem Sugar Creek 2025-10-22.
Two kinds of good news today on the telephone with Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes:
![[Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities, 2025-10-21]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-21--wq/fbmany.jpg)
Sewer System Repairs and Water Quality Testing by Valdosta Utilities, 2025-10-21
Valdosta Utilities is posting updates to on-going projects here:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/administration
You can get there from valdostacity.com via Departments in the main menu, then Utilities, then Administration.
These are basically the slides Jason Barnes presented to the Florida River Task Force on August 14, 2025. Plus updates.
Slide 10 of 11 shows among other things “Remer 30″ Phase 1,” which is to replace the problem stretch of sewer line running to the notorious Wainwright Road manhole. This project has already started. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-31: Agenda: Berrien County Commission 2025-11-04.
Here is the document Della Gladieux gave to the Berrien Planning Commissioners last Thursday, at the Public Hearing about subdidiving on Bradford Road in an agricultural character area.
You can see her present it in this WWALS video:
Continue readingUpdate 2025-10-21: Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems –Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.
The Berrien Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the proposed subdividing on Bradford Road.
However, that only applies to part of what (almost) everybody thought was being considered. It turns out the three lots at the corner of Bradford Road and Old Valdosta Highway were already divided out in October 2024.
Yet there are still many issues of urban sprawl and its costs, stormwater runoff, etc.
The Chairman not only moved to recommend denial, he also said the county should stop approving subdivisions until a Comprehensive Land Use Plan can be drawn up and enforced.
Applicant Cole Livingston and his attorney Danny Studstill said that when the applicant bought the property in an online auction, he understood that all agency permits were already in order. Also, the corner tracts were subdivided before he bought them.
Zoning Administrator Teresa Willis said those corner tracts were heard in the “9-19-24” Planning Commission meeting, and that the subdividing was approved in the October 2024 County Commission meeting. For more about that, see below after the WWALS videos of this October 2025 meeting.
It all still adds up to plopping ten houses in the middle of an agriculture character area, with runoff and recharge issues that affect the neighbors, Gin Branch Creek, the Withlacoochee River, and groundwater down to the Floridan Aquifer.
Chair Parrish Akins clarified that all the previous testimony in the preceding two Public Hearings was still valid. Then he asked for further comment for or against.
Della Gladieux supplied a tome of objections. Continue reading
![[Knights Ferry to Nankin Clean Up, Withlacoochee River, Low Water; bring a rope, Saturday, November 22, 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-22--kf-nankin-cleanup/fbmany.jpg)
![[Paddle with naturalist and swamp guide Chris Turtleman Adams, Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Sunset, and maybe bats at Banks Lake 2025-11-05]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-05--full-beaver-moon-paddle-pr/fbmany.jpg)
![[Clean Alapaha River 2025-10-23, Clean Santa Fe River 2025-10-22, Clean Withlacoochee Downstream & Problem Sugar Creek 2025-10-21]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-22--wq/many.jpg)
![[Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems --Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--della-gladieux-argument-bradford-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[Videos: Public Hearing, Berrien Planning Commission, Bradford Road subdividing, Part already subdivided in 2024, Rest recommended denial 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--bradford-road-subdivision-berrien-planning-commission-videos/many.jpg)