Monthly Archives: October 2020

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon paddle 2020-10-01

Good turnout for a weekday, and good weather for the first of two Full Moon paddles in October 2020.

[Sunset, moonrise, and paddlers with banners]
Sunset, moonrise, and paddlers with banners

Shelby Miller will lead the second one in October, the Banks Lake Full Hunter’s Halloween Moon paddle 2020-10-31.

Before that, on Saturday October 10, 2020, there’s a big cleanup on the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers and many creeks, in conjunction with Lowndes County and Valdosta.

Don’t forget, coming up on Saturday October 24, 2020, the Third Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia into Florida and Back on the Withlacoochee River.

Three paddlers had already headed out when I took this picture, but the other nine are visible with the WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper banners. Continue reading →

Sewage spills, Suwannee River Basin, Dec. 2019 – Sept. 2020

Rochelle, Ashburn, Tifton, Adel, Moody AFB, Valdosta, and Quitman all spilled sewage into the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia from December 2019 through September 2020. But only one of those spills since December is likely to explain any contamination we’ve been seeing on the Withlacoochee River.

[Little, New, Withlacoochee, Summary, Alapaha River]
Little, New, Withlacoochee, Summary, Alapaha River

Yes, there were also some spills in Florida in the Suwannee River Basin, but those are actually harder to interpret, and they were mostly small, so they will have to wait.

At least Florida lets people sign up for pollution notices by county as they happen. Georgia has no such signup. So I’ve modified the scripts WWALS uses to display changes in the Georgia Sewage Spills Report to also send me an email alert.

Here are the Georgia spills, where, what streams they went into, and how far upstream that was: Continue reading →

Health Advisory, Withlacoochee River, State Line 2020-10-02

Update 2020-10-06 Two or more sources last Tuesday, advisory lifted Monday, Withlacoochee River 2020-10-05.

A Health Advisory was isssued today by Madison and Hamilton Counties, Florida, for fecal bacteria in the Withlacoochee River, apparently based on a too-high water quality test result at the GA-FL line on Thursday (yesterday). As that washes downstream, it’s probably best to avoid the river. Upstream, Valdosta reported a too-high reading at GA 133, and that is probably also washing down the river, so this is not a good weekend for boating.

[Chart, State Line, Swim Guide, Advisory]
Chart, State Line, Swim Guide, Advisory
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida water quality results, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/

You sure can’t tell what’s in Withlacoochee River water by looking at it. Continue reading →

Adel, GA, resolution, Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2018-01-16

Thanks again to the City of Adel for Resolution #18-02 that they passed on January 16, 2018, in support of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

[Resolution and WLRWT Sign]
Resolution and WLRWT Sign

Also in the big image above you see a new sign for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. More on that, later.

For now, note that the sign has the new City of Adel logo on it. That logo and the signed resolution are courtesy of City Clerk Rhonda P. Rowe.

Resolution

The text of the resolution we published at the time.

Here is a signed and executed copy. Continue reading →

Tonight: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon, Banks Lake 2020-10-01

Come out to Banks Lake to night and see the new fishing pier! Then paddle out to see the sun set and the full Harvest moon rise, with bats and maybe ospreys.

[Pier, sunset, moonrise, at Banks Lake]
Pier, sunset, moonrise, at Banks Lake
New fishing pier picture: Lakeland Lanier Chamber of Commerce 2020-09-25.
Sunset and moonrise pictures: Bobby McKenzie 2020-08-03.

This leisurely Sunset and Full Harvest Moon Paddle is the first of two in October 2020.
https://wwals.net/?p=53333

The second is the Full Hunter’s Halloween Moon paddle on October 31, 2020.
https://wwals.net/?p=53647

Also this month, don’t forget the big cleanup on October 10th on three rivers and many creeks, in conjunction with Lowndes County and Valdosta.
https://wwals.net/?p=53557

And the big October event, the Third Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia into Florida and Back!
https://wwals.net/pictures/2020-10-24–boomerang/

Follow the links above for outing details.

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!