A gate, a tire, and bags of trash cleaned up at Nankin Boat Ramp, on the Withlacoochee River, and at Four Freedoms Trail, on our November 16, 2019 Withlacoochee River cleanup and paddle. Plus plenty of shoals, a sunken boat, a creek, McIntyre Spring, cypress knees, and skinned shins, all ending up at the old railroad trestle.

Three in a row

Our destination was the old railroad trestle, just past which is the takeout onto the Four Freedoms Trail in Madison County, Florida.

We made it

Parallel trash retrieval missions for a gate and for a tire at Nankin Boat Ramp, under the bridge for Clyattville-Nankin Road.

Elizabeth goes for the tire, 09:57:07, 30.6749427, -83.3941542

Mounds of trash at Nankin Boat Ramp. Thanks to Lowndes County Public Works for agreeing to come pick it up.

Take One

We’ll come back for this sunk boat when the river is lower than its gunwales, so we can try bailing and floating it. Thanks to Suzy Sparkman Hall (pictured) for suggesting this cleanup outing, partly because of this boat.

Sun Bass, 12:00:27, 30.6712100, -83.3915400

And we’ll reprint and replant the WWALS metal signs for hte Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. Thanks to Dan Phillips for planting those signs before, and for leading this expedition.

Closeup posthole, 09:05:02, 30.6749427, -83.3941542

Yes, plenty of shoals.

Boat going around, 13:17:17, 30.6568460, -83.3705540

Clyatt Mill Creek, which comes by Clyattville, was running fast.

Coming down fast, 14:14:35, 30.6537400, -83.3626800

The creek water made quite a contrast with the river water.

Creek water meets river, 14:15:19, 30.6539368, -83.3625671

McIntyre Spring was not very visible, because the river came up in recent rains.

Update 2021-06-17: Actually, the US 84 Quitman gauge was at 1.95′ (85.45′ NAVD), which was lower than the previous time we came here, but apparently the rains had muddied the river water.

Thanks to Bret Miller and NWXpeditions for loaning a boat to a new family of paddlers.

Boats in spring, 14:43:04, 30.6416200, -83.3662100

Thanks to Cindy Colwell, GIS, Madison County, Florida, for getting us permission to take out at Four Freedoms Trail.

With Cindy Colwell

Many more pictures are on the WWALS website:

• by John S. Quarterman, mostly on the river
• by Gretchen Quarterman, on land; also on facebook.

On facebook:

• by Gretchen Quarterman
• by Suzy Sparkman Hall

And there’s a google map of pictures along the way.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

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