Monthly Archives: March 2018

WWALS at Suwannee Spring Reunion at the Music Park 2018-03-22-25

Come down to the Suwannee River with Suwannee Riverkeeper, listen to music, and talk about the rivers and the aquifer, outings and advocacy, education and fun. If you want to come all four days, we have a deal with camping if you help out at the WWALS booth. If you want to help just one day, we have a way for that, too.

When: March 22-March 25, 2017

Where: Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95th Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32060

Event: facebook, meetup

What: Suwannee Spring Reunion, featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quartet, Donna the Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, Big Cosmo, Suwannee Spirit Kids, and Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus.

WWALS banner, Thursday

It looks like all but four of the acts from last year Continue reading

Little River Fest 2018-04-14

Back for the third year: the WWALS booth at Little River Fest, on the border Little River between Colquitt and Cook Counties. Georgia, in the heart of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

When: 9AM to 4PM, Saturday, April 14, 2018

Where: Reed Bingham State Park,
542 Reed Bingham Rd.
Adel, Ga 31620

Event: facebook, meetup

Festival Banner, Animals

Two years ago, Continue reading

Pictures: Little River Fest 2017-03-25

Not too crowded, and fun, Little River Fest at Reed Bingham State Park on the border Little River between Colquitt and Cook Counties, in the heart of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT). We’ll be back in 2018.

Dave and Bret, WWALS booth

Continue reading

Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest scheduled

The First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest is scheduled! Soon song submissions will open. And you can still help plan it.

Song Submissions: Starting soon (date to be announced) through Sunday May 13
Finalists will be announced Saturday May 19, 2018.

The Contest: 1-5PM, Saturday, June 23, 2018

Where: Community Center, Cedar Key, Florida, with food and beverages

What: Finalists will play, sponsors will be acknowledged, and judges will award prizes.

Event: facebook, meetup

Anna, Teri, Eileen, jsq, (Mike), Scotti, Sara, 29 North
Clockwise from left: Anna, Teri, Eileen, jsq, (Mike), Scotti, Sara.

What to submit: Lyrics and sound (mp3) about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, or pond in the Suwannee River Basin (except not the Santa Fe River nor creeks, sinks, etc. on it, because it has its own contest). Nature, people, or events, are all Continue reading

Call Florida House today to stop bad springs amendment 2018-03-01

Update 2018-03-02: The amendment was withdrawn, thanks to all of you who called!

They’re going to vote tomorrow (Friday), so call today or very early tomorrow and ask your state rep to vote against Amendment 246447 by Rep. Ingoglia on HB 1149. That amendment would force septic tanks to be installed near springs while putting off useful actions for years during further “review” and “study”.

Contact numbers for them are here: http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

Or here are all the ones in the Suwannee River Basin listed on a web page.

2015 onsite sewage final report
Illustration from the “2015 final report written as part of the study originally authorized in Specific Appropriation 1682 of chapter 2008-152, Laws of Florida”.

On House Bill 1149, a general environmental regulation bill, Rep. Blaise Ingoglia (R-35) this afternoon introduced Amendment 246447 which includes for example:

(3) As part of the pilot program, the department, in coordination with the Department of Health, must:

(a) Review and build upon Continue reading

WWALS Booth at Cedar Key Arts Festival, 2018-03-24-25

Dave and Louise Hetzel will staff the WWALS booth at a big event in a small town in the Suwannee River Estuary, Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, 2018.

Cedar Key Arts Festival

When: 10AM-5PM Saturday, March 24, 2018
10AM-4PM Sunday, March 25, 2018

Where: downtown Cedar Key, Florida

Event: facebook, meetup

WWALS member Anna White Hodges, who arranged a site for the WWALS booth, says: Continue reading

Push the Florida fracking ban through 2018-03-01

WWALS joins Florida Sierra Club in asking you to this link push the Florida Fracking ban through to a vote:

Senate Bill 462— Advanced Well Stimulation Treatment by Senator Dana Young (R-Tampa)—has passed two committees and has one to go — but there are no more scheduled meetings. Its companion House Bill 237 by Rep. Kathleen Peters (R-Treasure Island) has not even been heard in its first committee.

But there’s still time — leadership can schedule more meetings or bring the bills to the floor for a vote.

Follow this link for a convenient form to send email to your Florida statehouse member.

WWALS is a member of Floridians Against Fracking

Floridians Against Fracking logo

Fracking and drilling associated with fracking for oil and natural gas poses a direct and immediate threat to the drinking water, air, food, health, wildlife, climate, and economy of communities across Florida….

What are the tenets of the coalition?

Continue reading

Coal ash dewatering bill HB 879 passed 169:3 on crossover day 2018-02-28

On the very last possible day, the Georgia House passed the coal ash dewatering bill, HB 879, 169:3 (with 2 not voting and 6 excused), yesterday, on crossover day (after which bills cannot move from the Georgia House to the Senate).

Thanks to every Georgia House member from the Suwannee River Basin for voting for GA 879: Patty Bentley (District 139), Buddy Harden (148), Ed Rynders (152), Clay Pirkle (155), Dominic LaRiccia (169), Penny Houston (170), Jay Powell (171), Sam Watson (172), John Corbett (174), John LaHood (175), Jason Shaw (176), Dexter Sharper (177), and Jason Spencer (180). Thanks to all the WWALS members who contacted any of them.

Plant-bowen-ash-pond,
Georgia Power Plant Bowen Ash Pond Dewatering Plan, found on GA-EPD Coal Ash Pond Dewatering Plans.

Despite the hard work of the Georgia Water Coalition, HB 880, “Solid waste management; safe disposal of coal ash in municipal and commercial solid waste landfills”, never made it out of Continue reading