Monthly Archives: October 2022

Tifton: Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council 2022-11-02

The Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council (SSRWPC) is gathering information on river conditions, such as water level too high or too low to paddle, and fish habitat information. So if you are an outfitter or other knowledgeable person, you may want to attend, in person or via telephone or teams. Dr. Wei Zeng has already done this for some other RWPCs, and now he is doing it for SSRWPC.

When: Wednesday, November 2, 2022, 9:45 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.

Where: Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Conference Room East, 1392 Whiddon Mill Road, Tifton, GA 31793

[Picture, Map, Public Notice]
Picture, Map, Public Notice

Georgia’s Regional Water Planning Councils They plan, projecting water use, water levels, groundwater, wastewater, population growth or decrease, etc. County Comprehensive Plans typically then include those plans by reference. Unlike Florida’s Water Management Districts, Georgia’s RWPCs have no staff, almost no funding, and no ability to tax nor issue permits. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09

2019 was the last year the Alapaha Station Celebration was held, and WWALS was there for the sixth year running.

[WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Berrien County photographer Wenda Gaile Bailey, WWALS booth]
WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Berrien County photographer Wenda Gaile Bailey, WWALS booth

Yes, it’s back this year, at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail. We will be back there. Stay tuned. WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12. Continue reading →

Forever chemicals contaminate Withlacoochee River in Georgia and Florida 2022-10-18

Update 2022-12-24: PFAS contamination may be much more widespread than previously known 2022-10-12.

Hahira, GA, October 18, 2022 — A first-of-its kind study by Waterkeeper Alliance found 83% of the waters tested across the country, and 100% of tested waterways in Georgia and Florida, were contaminated by dangerous PFAS chemicals.

“The PFAS levels we found in the Withlacoochee River were lower than most sites in the U.S., but there should not have been any,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman. “WWALS is working on ways to do more tests to narrow down likely sources and to see how rain events affect the results.”

[Figure 11: bigger circles indicate more contamination]
Figure 11: bigger circles indicate more contamination

The good news: PFAS levels in four test sites on the Withlacoochee River were among the lowest in the study. Still, there are currently no universal, science-based limits on the various PFAS chemicals and their presence is cause for further investigation. For many PFAS chemicals, the EPA has not set a health advisory limit that would give the public a baseline to determine what amount of PFAS is unhealthy in drinking water. In most cases, the EPA is not doing adequate monitoring for these chemicals, which is why these findings are so relevant and important.

The bad news: Continue reading →

Sunday Trash reporting cleanup, One Mile Branch, Valdosta’s Lee Street detention pond, 2022-10-23

Second chance to learn Click ‘n’ Fix reporting and seeclickfix.com followup at multiple locations in Valdosta. Come to Valdosta’s Lee Street Detention Pond at 2 PM this Sunday, October 23, 2022. Pick up trash and get a Rivers Alive t-shirt!

More people involved will improve public health, quality of life, and eco-tourism, while providing community involvement.

We invite all Valdosta City officials, especially Stormwater Division and Public Works, to come instruct us in how it should be done.

We will start at Valdosta’s Lee Street detention pond (highlighted in the map), where the city recently installed a trash trap it made and later added a net. Since Valdosta from time to time cleans that pond out, there should not be much trash in there.

So we will forage farther afield. In addition to trash, we’re looking for trash cans in parking lots: if they’re not there, they should be according to Valdosta’s own ordinances, so you can report them missing.

[Trash trap, map, Lee St. Detention Pond, Valdosta, GA]
Trash trap, map, Lee St. Detention Pond, Valdosta, GA

Continue reading →

WWALS Boomerang paddle race on Scott James radio 2022-10-18

Suwannee Riverkeeper will talk about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio tomorrow morning, Tuesday, 8:30 AM.

Read all about this race from Georgia into Florida and back again on the Withlacoochee River:
wwals.net/pictures/boomerang2022/

[WWALS Boomerang paddle race, Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio]
WWALS Boomerang paddle race, Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio

Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River 2022-10-16

Update 2023-05-19: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-06-24.

There must be a better way to order pizza.

[Start, chainsaws, pizza, sandbars]
Start, chainsaws, pizza, sandbars

The good news: we did get pizza delivered on the river during the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-10-16. We cleared many logjams. Some of them we had sawed at higher water levels several times before. It seemed like we were a relix rock band doing a greatest hit tour. And at twelve hours we beat our record of taking longer than expected.

Our advice if you want to try paddling this stretch with the water this low (3.6′ or 113.8′ NAVD88) on the US 41 (North Valdosta Road) USGS Gauge?

Don’t.

Not unless you want to drag your boat much of the way. Also, stock up on magnesium and vitamin C for the muscle cramps. Continue reading →

Good water quality 2022-10-13

Update 2022-10-21: Clean water quality, Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Rivers 2022-10-20.

Update 2022-10-18: Forever chemicals contaminate Withlacoochee River in Georgia and Florida 2022-10-18.

Looks good for fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

WWALS downstream water quality results for Thursday on the Withlacoochee were good. WWALS upstream tests were OK. Monday Valdosta upstream results were OK. No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

Valdosta detected something for Wednesday and Friday last week at US 41 and GA 133, when there was no rain. That could have been more contamination coming from Cat Creek and Beatty Branch. Whatever the source, why with no rain?

If we get more rain, WWALS will test upstream and see what we can catch. Continue reading →

One week: WWALS Boomerang paddle race 2022-10-22

One week from now, come paddle from Georgia into Florida and back, Saturday, October 22, 2022. It’s a fun fall event for the whole family, on the idyllic blackwater Withlacoochee River, with one small shoal to make it more interesting. Plus the fastest time gets faster every year.

Today and tomorrow are the last days for the early bird ticket price. That and everything else Boomerang here:
wwals.net/pictures/boomerang2022

Thanks, new sponsors, Ace Electric and promoleaf, plus State Line River Outfitters will supply boats, along with VSU CORE. Thanks again to earlier sponsors, Packaging Corporation of America and Wisenbaker’s Garage. You or your organization can still sponsor to support the advocacy and activities of WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS), an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity.

[Flyer]
Flyer
PDF

Pick up trash before the race and get a Rivers Alive t-shirt. And there are Boomerang tumblers to all the paddlers, Suwannee Riverkeeper Suwannee Bass t-shirts to top winners, and $100 prize for First Place. Or just come for a fresh air morning on a fabulous river.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

WWALS at Brooks County Skillet Fest, 2022-10-15

Update 2023-10-17: Pictures.

Food and fun in a park. Maybe you’d like to help at the WWALS booth.

[WWALS Booth, Skillet Fest]
WWALS Booth, Skillet Fest

When: 9 AM, Saturday, October 15, 2022

Put In: Brooks County Courthouse, 100 Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia 31643

GPS: 30.785667, -83.559660 Continue reading →

Pictures: Brooks County Skillet Festival 2021-10-15

Always fun at the Courthouse in Quitman, at the Brooks County Skillet Festival.

We’ll be back there Saturday, October 15, 2022. Maybe you’d like to help at the WWALS booth.

[WWALS Booth]
WWALS Booth

The Little River and the Withlacoochee River form the eastern boundary of Brooks County, in the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. Continue reading →