Monthly Archives: July 2015

Naylor Boat Ramp on schedule by Lowndes County

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter says the Naylor Boat Ramp is on schedule for completion this fall, provided the Georgia Department of Natural Resources returns the appropriate permits.

At last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Sesssion, WWALS president John S. Quarterman displayed the Alapaha River Water Trail brochures, pointing out the Naylor Boat Ramp on the map. He, ok, I, asked what was the status of that project that Lowndes County is building with SPLOST funds.

Nobody answered in the public meeting, but afterwards Continue reading →

Update: Sabal Trail Pipeline, Alapaha, Suwannee, and Withlacoochee Rivers, WWALS Outing 2015-08-15

Update 2015-08-14: Now plus Five Holes caves at Suwannee River State Park!

This flag marks where Sabal Trail plans to drill under the Suwannee River, pictured today by Chris Mericle, who also pictured a number spraypainted on a tree and remarked:

I know it is a small thing but, it is this lack of respect for nature that we will be forced to endure if this pipeline is permitted.

With FL DEP proposing to issue a permit for Sabal Trail, let’s go investigate, and have some fun at the same time.

First we’ll look at the Alapaha Rise, which is where some of the water that disappears from the Alapaha River at its sinks comes back up out of the Floridan Aquifer. To get to the Rise we paddle upstream on the Suwannee River, then Continue reading →

WWALS adds Upper Suwannee as territory

The Upper Suwannee River is new to the WWALS Mission. WWALS Watershed Coalition, a WATERKEEPER® Affiliate, applied in July to WATERKEEPER® Alliance to add that new territory, which was approved 15 July 2015.

Three years ago when WWALS was forming, we decided not to include the Upper Suwannee at that time, because we wanted time to solidify WWALS as an organization in its smaller territory of the watersheds of the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers and all their tributaries. Even then, we put the S in WWALS so it could be redefined to mean Suwannee, so our acronym would expand to Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwannee River watersheds.

WWALS now asks Waterkeeper to add Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 to WWALS territory.

HUC is United States Geological Survey (USGS) jargon for Hydrologic Unit Code. Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 is everything from the Withlacoochee Confluence upstream that drains into the Suwannee River. This 2720 square miles: Continue reading →

Clarified WWALS mission

This clarification of the WWALS Mission was adopted by the WWALS Board at its 8 July 2015 Board Meeting:

300x376 WWALS Rivers (small), in WWALS Rivers, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 25 July 2015 WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the
Withlacoochee,
Willacoochee,
Alapaha,
Little, and Upper
Suwannee River
watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

For what each of those terms means, and how they relate to the Goals for 2015 adopted at the same meeting, see Explanation.

To help WWALS accomplish these goals to further its mission, you can join WWALS today!

-jsq

2014-2015 WWALS Annual Report

The Annual Report for 2014-2015 that was accepted by the WWALS membership at the Annual Meeting in June 2015 is now online.

Also online are the previous two Annual Reports. Taken consecutively, they show three years of accomplishment.

2012-2013 Annual Report

The first Report noted: Continue reading →

AJC video: Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties

Most people are opposed to the Sabal Trail pipeline, as the Colquitt County landowner says. Drilling in our fragile karst limestone “could potentially carry any contamination down into our groundwater source”, as VSU Geology Prof. Don Thieme says. Why should we risk that for profit for companies from somewhere else and no benefit for here?

Atlanta Journal Constitution, Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties, Continue reading →

Tonight: Hamilton County Commission and FL DEP Sabal Trail permit

TONIGHT in Hamilton County, 6 pm:

FYI….pipelines are a direct result of fracking in our country. The Suwannee and Santa Fe River is faced with this destructive transport system.

Hamilton County already wrote and voted in favor of supporting a statewide ban on fracking. I do not see them being in favor of a pipeline cutting through their community for gas infrastructure. BUT, we’ll see after tonight. If you can attend this meeting or share this with others who may, that would be good to be a part of the discussion.

Please share this: FL DEP to issue permit trusting Sabal Trail to prevent leaks into the Floridan Aquifer.

Hamilton Co. BOCC is taking up this issue tonight at their regular meeting. The meeting starts at 6pm at the courthouse. This is not on the agenda, so it will be discussed at the end of the meeting and public comment may not be allowed.

Chris Mericle

Florida lists WWALS for Alapaha River Water Trail

The Florida Department of Greenways and Trails now links to WWALS for the Alapaha River Water Trail. Chris Mericle, who negotiated this for WWALS, says:

This action will shine a brighter and wider light on WWALS, anyone searching the Greenways and Trails website and clicks on the ARWT will be directed to WWALS.

Follow the link to see.

We’re also looking for pictures Continue reading →

FL DEP to issue permit trusting Sabal Trail to prevent leaks into the Floridan Aquifer

Canada’s National Energy Board just ordered Spectra Energy to fix chronic corrosion and leak problems after numerous fines, as did U.S. PHMSA before, yet 300x194 Horizontal Directional Drilling, in Suwannee River crossing, by Sabal Trail Transmission, for WWALS.net, 10 July 2015 Florida’s DEP plans to trust Spectra to build the Sabal Trail pipeline on top of our Floridan Aquifer, drilling under the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers.

This in the Notice of Intent to Issue Sabal Trail Transmission of 10 July 2015 sounds good without that context: Continue reading →