Daily Archives: October 31, 2023

Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2024-02-24

Update 2024-02-23: Outing CANCELLED due to high and cold water.

Paddle with us 6.58 miles downstream on dark water with one set of shoals. People have reported seeing blue woodpeckers in the area as well as kingfisher and several others.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10:30 AM, end 5 PM, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, 6499 Knights Ferry Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03]
Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03

Continue reading

Iche Nippy Dip Day Swim and Paddle, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Headspring, 2024-01-06

Update 2023-01-03: Cancelled due to predicted inclement weather.

Swim in the Itch head spring, during Iche Nippy Dip Day, the annual first-Saturday-in-January-that-is-not-New-Year-Day dip.

Then join us for a leisurely paddle 4 miles downstream in crystal clear waters with the possibility of seeing manatee, several types of gar and bird species. The launching spot has been recently upgraded to accommodate new ADA standards.

Iche Nippy Dip Day was founded by Earl Kinard (February 20, 1930 – March 27, 2022). He was there when WWALS dipped and paddled on January 4, 2020.

When: Gather 9:00AM (swim), launch 11 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Headspring and Ichetucknee North Launch, Ichetucknee S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, Columbia County.

GPS: 29.98292, -82.76053

[Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04]
Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04

Continue reading

Colossal aggregation of Redeye Chubs 8 years ago –Ken Sulak 2015-08-15

Back in the day—15 Aug 2015—Gilchrist Blue Spring, before the boardwalk and steps were damaged by a storm and removed.

I was there the next day—phenomenal aggregation—not seen again by me since there or elsewhere. Spawning?? Feeding?? The bottom of the run then was carpeted by Hydrilla about 1-2″ high, having been munched to a Hydrilla-turf carpet by Suwannee Cooters which arrived that summer in the hundreds to munch. That changed my mind about Hydrilla removal—maybe better to leave it alone as turtle pasture. I would like to see the chubs and turtles like that again.

[Gozillions of Redeye Chubs! Photo by diver/photographer Danielle Shmalberg from Orlando.] Gozillions of Redeye Chubs! Photo by diver/photographer Danielle Shmalberg from Orlando, Now Danielle Marsh, actually from Gainesville.

Back in 1994-1998 big schools of chubs were present in the Val bed right at the kayak launch at Iche St. Park. These minnows are highly associated with submerged aquatic vegetation, typically living within the Val forest, but have greatly declined in abundance now. Loss of habitat I suppose.

Ken Sulak

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/