Monthly Archives: June 2017

Water higher than two years ago, Sullivan to Madison Blue, Withlacoochee River, 2017-06-24

Two years ago the water level was 41.27 feet and today it’s 42.56 at the USGS Madison (FL 6) gage, so the Withlacoochee River is fine for today’s WWALS outing from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring; follow the link for details. Also WWALS Outings Chair Phil Hubbard visited the put-in and the take-out yesterday, and reports the water is fine.

Here are some pictures from the same route two years ago, 24 October 2015.

Onwards

We won’t see as many rapids today since with the water more than a foot higher we’ll float over some of those shoals, but we’ll see some, and many springs. Bring swimming clothes and also trash bags, because every outing is also a cleanup.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Hard data on lack of need for Sabal Trail –SeekingAlpha

An analyst on a leading stock blog confirms what we’ve been saying for years: there is no need for Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline. Instead, Sabal Trail is taking gas away from FGT and Gulfstream. The article does not mention all those LNG export operations right where this pipeline chain goes. It does get to the heart of what even FPL admits:

“The challenge is natural gas in Florida faces growing competition from residential, commercial and utility scale solar resources as well as power forecasts that are revising lower despite a growing population and customer counts….”

You can help fight Sabal Trail even now that its gas is on, and reform FERC so we don’t get any more pipeline boondoggles.

Sabal Trail taking gas from FGT and Gulfstream

BTU Analytics, SeekingAlpha, 20 June 2017, Sabal Trail Adding Pipeline Capacity But Not Demand, Continue reading

Clean water is a fundamental right –Delaware Riverkeeper Network vindicated in court

Courts in other states should affirm or institute the “sea-change” the Pennsylvania Supreme Court just upheld:

PEDF vs. Pennsylvania, J-35-2016 “…the people’s rights to clean water and air and the preservation of a healthy environment are on par with our other fundamental rights and freedoms…”

Delaware Riverkeeper Network, press release, 20 June 2017, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Environmental Rights in Milestone Case,

Delaware Riverkeeper Network [logo]

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2017

Contact: Jordan Yeager, Attorney, Curtin and Heefner Law Firm, 267.898.0570
Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, 215.369.1188 x 102

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Environmental Rights in Milestone Case

Continue reading

Florida may require licensing of paddle boats and boards

Here’s a bad idea that doesn’t seem to die: making people pay to register non-motorized boats in Florida.

Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 29 January 2017, Florida may require licensing for kayaks, canoes, paddle boards,

USCG Vessel ID Sticker
No registration or permit needed for this U.S. Coast Guard Vessel ID Sticker

A citizens panel assembled by state-boating authorities will meet in Orlando on Wednesday to explore what could become a path to adopting registration and fees for small boats powered by humans, wind and currents.

“That sounds like Continue reading