Monthly Archives: November 2014

Canoeing Guide to the Alapaha River c. 1979

Here’s a different guide to the Alapaha River from the one WWALS previously received; this one is courtesy of John Leonard, Executive Director of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). The Alapaha River Water Trail WWALS is currently developing is merely a continuation of this more than three decade old Alapaha Canoe Trail.

John Leonard said that when he started at the predecessor of the SGRC in 1980, calls came in frequently asking about water levels on the Alapaha River. It took him a while to realize why: the Alapaha River Trail had been written up in Southern Living! He did not have Continue reading →

TDC Letter of support for Alapaha River Water Trail from Hamilton County, FL

First a $250 check, then a letter of support, from the Hamilton County, Florida Tourist Development Council (TDC). WWALS thanks TDC!

In this picture taken at the 26 October 2014 Dead River Sink Outing Continue reading →

Sabal Trail on GWC Dirty Dozen: contamination, sinkholes, aquifer –WCTV

WCTV’s Winnie Wright interviewed VSU’s Don Thieme, and VSU’s Can Denizman navigated her to the the Cherry Creek sinkhole site for part of her report about the Withlacoochee River in Georgia Water Coalition Dirty Dozen 2014 Item 9 as threatened by the Sabal Trail pipeline. Sabal Trail’s Andrea Grover is “disappointed” in being on the Dirty Dozen; does she also find it “hard to believe” like Sabal Trail’s well-documented eminent domain threats?

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 26 November 2014, Sabal Trail Pipeline Environmental Concerns Cited In Annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ Report, Continue reading →

Organizational Meeting for Alapaha River Water Trail 2014-12-13

WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation
3338 Country Club Road #L336
Valdosta, GA 31605
17 November 2014

Re: Alapaha River Water Trail

Dear Neighbor,

You are invited to an organizational meeting for the Alapaha River Water Trail by WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS). This updates and slightly extends the old Alapaha Canoe Trail from the 1970s, with new map, brochure, and website in the making.

When: 1-4PM Saturday December 13th 2014
Where: Continue reading →

Suwannee River Basin

About waterbodies beyond WWALS Watersheds in the same Suwannee River Basin. This material will be updated in the Basin page.

South Georgia, north Florida

Upper Suwannee River

Continue reading →

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the Alapaha River Water Trail –Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce in the center of the Alapaha River Water Trail sent a very nice letter of support that connects the dots between water recreation, education, and economy.

VALDOSTA – LOWNDES COUNTY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Leading Businesses.
Leading Communities.

November 5, 2014 Continue reading →

Dirty Dozen, sinkhole, aquifer, drinking water, and corrosion –WWALS to FERC about Sabal Trail

“There is no reason anyone in WWALS’ watersheds should accept any risk for the profit of Williams Company, Spectra Energy, and FPL, when any need for the Sabal Trail pipeline is unproven, and in any case the pipeline does not serve anyone in Georgia.”

Filed with FERC 15 November 2014, and appeared in FERC’s ecomment system 17 November 2014 (PDF).

WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
3338 Country Club Road #L336
Valdosta, GA 31605
15 November 2014

VIA ELECTRONIC FILING
Ms. Kimberly Bose
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20426

Re: Southeast Market Pipelines Project,
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC Docket No PFl4-1-000
Williams Transco Hillabee Expansion Project, LLC Docket No PFl4-6-000

Dear Ms. Bose,

I applaud FERC for getting Sabal Trail to move off of the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, Florida. However, the same karst limestone geology underlies the same Withlacoochee River and the Floridan Aquifer in Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia, and WWALS Watershed Coalition continues Continue reading →

Alapaha River Sink 2014-11-11

Deanna Mericle posted on facebook 11 November 2014,

Chris and I hiked the riverbed of the Alapaha River and found the other sink!

Other as in different from the Dead River Sink. Continue reading →

Rivers go underground at the Cody Scarp

The Alapaha River goes underground because the underlying karst limestone rises in what’s called the Cody Scarp, which runs across north Florida. Other rivers that go underground there include the Little Alapaha River and the Santa Fe River. The Withlacoochee River does not go underground, but it does sprout Madison Blue Spring.

Source: Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, vol. 123, no. 3-4, p. 457.

Here’s a cutaway diagram of how all that works underground: Continue reading →

Coastal Plain Chapter, Georgia Native Plant Society, 2014-11-15

Plants in our watersheds and along our waterways affect everything from water flow to absorption to water quality to esthetics. This Saturday there’s a conference about that near the Alapaha River.

Annual Meeting, Coastal Plain Chapter, Georgia Native Plant Society,

November 15, 2014 Continue reading →