Monthly Archives: March 2020

Zero E. coli at Nankin and State Line, Withlacoochee River 2020-03-29

Update 2020-04-06: Rain and dirty Withlacoochee River again 2020-04-02

A clean river is what we like to see, and the most recent bacterial tests show the Withlacoochee River clean. You can help us keep determining when it is clean.

[Downstream]
Photo: Suzy Hall, Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, Downstream, Sunday, March 29, 2020.

We haven’t seen this in more than three months: zero (0) cfu/100 mL E. coli at multiple landings on the Withlacoochee River:

[Zero E. coli, Nankin, State Line]
Zero E. coli, Nankin, State Line
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida data, see wwals.net/issues/testing/.

Madison Florida Health Department get zero at CR 150 (near Sullivan Launch) last Thursday, and only Continue reading →

Song submissions open April First (no fooling!): Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Update 2020-04-01: Here is the entry form.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (see also PDF)

Song submissions open April First (no fooling!): Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Hahira, Georgia, March 30, 2020 — Bigger and with a new venue, the Turner Center for the Arts, the Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest seeks songs. Submissions open Wednesday, April 1, 2020, yes, no fooling!

[Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]
Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

“Georgia Beer Co. is back as our top-tier sponsor, which helps us get these new songs about our rivers, swamps, springs, and sinks,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Finalists will play at the Contest, 6-9 PM, Saturday, August 22, 2020, judges will judge, at the Turner Center for the Arts, 527 N Patterson St, Valdosta, Georgia, 31601. There will be food and a cash bar, as you watch and listen, and you can browse the artworks at the Turner Center. There will also be a kayak raffle and a silent auction, as well as a range of buttons, stickers, hats, notecards, signs, shirts, and posters for sale: this is a fundraiser for WWALS Watershed Coalition.

Photo: Sara and Scotti Jay for WWALS, of Kyle Chamberlain and David Rodock playing Alapaha Laphogs at the 2019 Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Photo: Sara and Scotti Jay for WWALS, of Kyle Chamberlain and David Rodock playing Alapaha Laphogs
at the 2019 Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

“I heard so many good things about last year’s Contest when I was in Newfoundland, that this year I’m the organizing committee chair. I’m thrilled at how well it’s all coming together,” said Tom H. Johnson, Jr.

So you’ll know what you’re supporting, there will be talks about WWALS advocacy, from water quality testing to opposing pipelines and mines and plastic water bottles, to promoting water trails and a Troupville River Camp.

“It’s a fun time for a worthy cause!” said 2018 winner and 2019 headliner Laura D’Alisera, scribe for the organizing committee.

Submissions can be songs about any Continue reading →

WWALS online store: cards, hats, stickers, raffle, membership

Update 2022-08-09: Plus Suwannee Riverkeeper Suwannee Bass t-shirts, with WWALS logo on the back!

Can’t get your WWALS stickers, hats, or cards at a festival booth? No problem! WWALS has a new online store where you can get all sorts of things that look good and support our stewardship and advocacy: https://wwalswatershed.square.site/

[Storefront]
Storefront

Click on the green “Shop now” button to see the items.

Click on any item to order. Then use the cart to review, and pay like in most online stores. We will ship your order to you.

For example, the WWALS notecards are perfect for sending paper messages to all those friends and relatives you can’t visit right now. Each package of note cards has eight beautiful note cards, on high quality paper, each with an envelope.

Note Cards: Swamps and Springs
Note Cards: Swamps and Springs

In addition to the Swamps and Springs shown above, there are packages with themes of Withlacoochee and Little Rivers, Alapaha River, and Suwannee River.

[Note Cards]
Note Cards

Explaining the note cards, here is WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman at the virtual WWALS booth in the woods: Continue reading →

Soon at last: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2020

Update 2020-03-30: Song submissions open April First (no fooling!): Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Stay tuned for a press release about the Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest! Song submissions will open April 1, 2020 (no fooling!), for the Contest, in which Finalists will play for the Judges and You, Saturday, August 22, 2020.

From last year, here’s headliner Laura D’Alisera finishing up her set.

Gone at Last --Laura D'Alisera and Patrick
Photo: Sara and Scotti Jay for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.,
of Laura D’Alisera and Patrick playing Gone at Last, by Paul Simon,
in Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2019.

Laura won the first Contest in 2018, and came back to Continue reading →

Hagan Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2020-03-26

The water was a bit high at the Withlacoochee River Hagan Bridge Landing, east of Hahira on GA 122.

[2020-03-15]
2020-03-15

On Sunday, March 15, the Skipper Bridge USGS Gauge showed about Continue reading →

Hamilton, Madison Counties Health Lift Advisory for the Withlacoochee River 2020-03-26

2020-03-31: Zero E. coli at Nankin and State Line, Withlacoochee River 2020-03-29.

Received 6:57 PM 26 March 2020. For the data on which this decision was based, see Cleaner downstream with no rain 2020-03-24.

[03.26.20-Withlacoochee-River-Lifted-Hamilton-Madison-0001]
03.26.20-Withlacoochee-River-Lifted-Hamilton-Madison-0001
PDF

March 26, 2020

HEALTH OFFICIALS IN HAMILTON,
MADISON COUNTY LIFT ADVISORY FOR
THE WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER

Contact: Continue reading →

Cleaner downstream with no rain 2020-03-24

Update 2020-03-26: Hamilton, Madison Counties Health Lift Advisory for the Withlacoochee River 2020-03-26.

Suzy Hall’s Sunday testing at State Line Boat Ramp started the good news this week.

So WWALS can continue testing, WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman just bought another case of Petrifilm, to the tune of $753.25. That’s a big buy for a tiny nonprofit such as WWALS. You can help.

[Suzy Hall retrieving test bucket at State Line Ramp 2020-03-22]
Suzy Hall retrieving test bucket at State Line Ramp 2020-03-22

The Withlacoochee River is clean this week, and even Okapilco Creek is cleaner than it sometimes is.

[Clean Sunday through Tuesday]
Clean Sunday through Tuesday
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida data, see wwals.net/issues/testing/.

At State Line Boat Ramp, Suzy Hall for WWALS, the City of Valdosta, and Madison Health all got Continue reading →

Gone virtual: Banks Lake Full Pink Moon Paddle, 2020-04-08

Update 2020-04-08: Shelby Miller will be livestreaming on the facebook event at 7:15 PM for an hour. Bobby McKenzie will be there in the raffle kayak. You can stay home and watch.

Due to the virus pandemic, WWALS is cancelling the next Full Moon Paddle at Banks Lake, formerly scheduled for sunset, Wednesday, April 8, 2020, with that lunar-monthly series to resume later.

But we have livestreams, videos, and online events, as well as outings and events planned for months from now, while WWALS advocacy continues. You can help.

Shelby Miller will livestream from Banks Lake at the originally-scheduled date and time for the Banks Lake Full Pink Moon Paddle, so you can see as if you were there.

[Sunset behind paddlers]
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, Sunset behind paddlers, Banks Lake, 2020-02-09

It probably would be possible to hold this Full Moon Paddle, since there is no shuttle so no cramming into vehicles, people could put their boats in one by one, and on the lake everybody is far apart, but we’re not going to do that.

Lakeland and Lanier County have declared a 9PM curfew, as I believe have Nashville and Adel, Georgia, in Berrien and Cook Counties, and there is a case confirmed in Clinch County. Lowndes County and all its cities have issued a “voluntary” stay-home order prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people, as has the state of Georgia. Madison County, Florida, similarly is trying for no groups of 10 or more. While some of these orders currently expire on April 6, don’t be surprised if they get extended.

WWALS does not want to provide any opportunity for anybody to violate any of those things.

So, please stay home and help stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it causes.

We’re not postponing this outing: we’re cancelling. Whenever the curfews and the like are clear enough, we will resume our series of lunar-monthly WWALS Full Moon Paddles on Banks Lake.

While you’re home, please post your pictures and videos of your outings on lakes, rivers, creeks, swamps, springs, etc. Here are some from the Full Storm Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, February 9, 2020.

[Paddlers golden in sunset]
Paddlers golden in sunset

Feel free to get a ticket to the WWALS kayak raffle of an Emotion Stealth 11 Sit-On-Top Kayak with Carlisle Paddle.

WWALS Kayak Raffle 2020-07-12

You can attend some of our virtual events, such as Continue reading →

Videos: WWALS Booth 2020-03-21

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman had a great idea of setting up the WWALS booth in the woods (with gnats and mosquitos), since we can’t take it to festivals right now.


[Welcome to the booth]
Welcome to the booth

She says, “Welcome to the booth. Unfortunately because we are quarantined, we can’t have the booth out anywhere, and y’all can’t come to visit us even if we were out somewhere, but we thought we could give some information and have our educational information available for you for however long you are at home.” Stay tuned for more episodes!

Postponed: Eighth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race

Due to the pandemic of the novel Coronavirus, and to help prevent the spread of the virus-caused disease COVID-19, WWALS and FORB are postponing the Eighth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race (BLRPR), until a date to be announced later.

Anyone who has bought a BLRPR ticket and wants a refund, let us know. Otherwise, all tickets will remain valid at the eventual rescheduled date and time.

If Georgia state parks are open at the originally scheduled date and race start time of 9:30 AM, Saturday, April 25, 2020, one or two WWALS members will livestream from the BLRPR site and race course; six feet apart, of course. Stay tuned for details.

[Closer]
Closer

For more Continue reading →