A fine fall day with diving and landowners at Arnold Springs, Old Clyattville Road Bridge, exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, Horn Bridge, and Mozell Spells (State Line Ramp): on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS Watershed Coalition, Suwannee Riverkeeper. Thanks to all who came to paddle from as far as two hours from Gainesville, Florida and four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Blue-green Arnold Springs water meets tea-colored Withlacoochee River water.
The Quitman Gauge (US 84) read 2.17 feet (85.67 NAVD88), which was slightly above our recommended low level, and just fine for Arnold Springs. Here are some pictures and a Google Map. A few videos will follow.
This part of the outing was all in Georgia, but we paddled downstream from Florida to get there; see previous post about tires and trash cleaned up at Nankin Boat Ramp, swimming and diver tales at McIntyre Spring, a creek, karst, shoals, and rapids, into Florida and back to Georgia all downstream, Valdosta Railway Trestle, and Madison County Four Freedoms Trail.
These are some of our many favorite spots on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.
Watch wwals.net for more outings are they are announced, or see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. We have outings at least once a month.
Yay, 14:50:21,, Arnold Springs 30.6412291, -83.3364876
One of only six second magnitude springs in Georgia, Arnold Springs at Withlacoochee River mile 29.06 is about two and a half miles below McIntyre Spring at mile 31.46; see previous post.
Photographer getting ready, 14:50:22,, Arnold Springs 30.6412291, -83.3364876
Photographer in water, 14:53:47,, Arnold Springs 30.6410963, -83.3365979
Margaret likes it, 14:56:27,, Arnold Springs 30.6410950, -83.3365980
Spring water, 14:56:36,, Arnold Springs 30.6410404, -83.3370198
Movie: Diver coming up, 15:27:16,, Arnold Springs 30.6410400, -83.3370200
Diver looking down, 15:00:04,, Arnold Springs 30.6412325, -83.3367841
Movie: Ripples, 10:44:42,, Arnold Springs 30.6412325, -83.3367841
Spring water meets river, 15:11:21,, Arnold Springs 30.6410600, -83.3366000
Spring down into river, 15:11:43,, Arnold Springs 30.6410631, -83.3365822
Green yellow red, 15:11:45,, Arnold Springs 30.6410633, -83.3365825
Blue-green spring water, 15:12:46,, Arnold Springs 30.6411465, -83.3367514
Clear spring water, 15:13:01,, Arnold Springs 30.6410851, -83.3367726
Spring bank, 15:13:04,, Arnold Springs 30.6410851, -83.3367726
Green canoe, green water, 15:16:26,, Arnold Springs 30.6410533, -83.3366343
River water eddying into spring water, 15:16:31,, Arnold Springs 30.6410533, -83.3366343
Spring water, river water, 15:16:42,, Arnold Springs 30.6410533, -83.3366343
Gully, 15:26:39,, Woods 30.6414324, -83.3359659
Path, 15:26:56,, Woods 30.6411700, -83.3364300
River, 15:27:15,, Woods 30.6411700, -83.3364300
River more, 15:27:16,, Woods 30.6412100, -83.3363600
At spring, 15:35:06,, Landowners 30.6411076, -83.3367886
Boaters, 15:35:08,, Landowners 30.6411076, -83.3367886
Canoe heading out, 15:35:50,, Landowners 30.6411076, -83.3367886
Canoe from spring into river, 15:36:07,, Landowners 30.6411076, -83.3367886
Gretchen and a landowner, 15:40:18,, Landowners 30.6410820, -83.3367979
Gretchen and the bridge, 15:58:11,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404700, -83.3314800
Not much but a few posts left of Old Clyattville Road Bridge.
Path on bank, 15:58:50,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404300, -83.3313100
Right Bank, 15:58:52,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404436, -83.3312789
Post, 15:58:57,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404300, -83.3311900
Posts, 15:58:59,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404200, -83.3311600
Post2.0, 2017:10:14 15:59:00,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404100, -83.3311600
Post2.1, 15:59:02,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404100, -83.3311500
Post2.2, 15:59:04,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6404000, -83.3311400
Post 2.3, 15:59:05,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6403900, -83.3311300
Post 2.4, 15:59:06,, Old Clyattville Road Bridge 30.6403800, -83.3311200
Karst outcrop, 16:04:26,, Olympia Bend Plantation 30.6426900, -83.3287200
Usually you’ll hear this place as Olympia Bend Shooting Range. If you paddle by in June or July, look for the Halberdleaf Rosemallow. Each flower blooms only one day, and they were all bloomed out when we went by in October.
Movie: Reflections on karst, 14:50:22,, Olympia Bend Plantation 30.6427000, -83.3287200
Climbing fern, 16:09:42,, Olympia Bend Plantation 30.6433900, -83.3263500
Flat rocks and trail, 16:10:39,, Olympia Bend Plantation 30.6430884, -83.3256647
Movie: Flat rocks, 13:26:06,, Olympia Bend Plantation 30.6430885, -83.3256640
In distance, 16:27:44,, Horn Bridge 30.6364900, -83.3160200
Also known as GA 31 Bridge or the new Horns Ferry Bridge.
With ghost ship, 16:27:57,, Horn Bridge 30.6363800, -83.3157700
Close ship, 16:28:55,, Horn Bridge 30.6359842, -83.3153110
Cypress, 16:29:21,, Horn Bridge 30.6359928, -83.3150264
Gretchen and ghost ship under bridge, 16:32:34,, Horn Bridge 30.6355513, -83.3126804
Right bank, 16:32:39,, Horn Bridge 30.6356448, -83.3125767
Under bridge, 16:32:41,, State Line Ramp 30.6356448, -83.3125767
State Line Ramp, also known as Mozell Spells (local people), or Madison Highway Boat Ramp (VLPRA), or GA 31 Ramp (SRWMD), or CR 145 Bridge Launch (FDEP).
Boats approaching, 16:32:50,, State Line Ramp 30.6355579, -83.3125709
Getting out, 16:34:42,, State Line Ramp 30.6355648, -83.3112632
Up the ramp, 16:34:45,, State Line Ramp 30.6355811, -83.3112766
Want some help?, 16:34:46,, State Line Ramp 30.6355578, -83.3112079
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
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Google Map
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