Monthly Archives: February 2024

Clean rivers and creek 2024-02-14

Update 2024-02-24: Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers and Franks Creek 2024-02-21.

Update 2024-02-22: Valdosta Boone Drive and Knob Hill small sewage spills 2024-02-20.

We got good results for Wednesday for the Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and Franks Creek.

Valdosta’s recent upstream Withlacoochee River results through Wednesday are good.

Rain is predicted for this weekend, through Saturday. But if there is not much rain, paddling Sunday should be OK. If you like high water, since the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers are up from previous upstream rains. The Santa Fe River is coming back down. The Suwannee was never especially high.

WWALS has two outings coming up on Saturday, February 24, 2024: the morning paddle from Knights Ferry to Nankin on the Withlacoochee River, and the evening Full Snow Moon paddle on Banks Lake.

And of course don’t forget that Saturday, March 2, is the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle from Langdale Park to Troupville on the Withlacoochee River. That one is free, thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power.

Chart, Clean Franks Creek and Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers 2024-02-14, Map

No sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in the past week.

But one was reported in Georgia. Ashburn had a spill of 3,000 gallons of raw sewage into Ashburn Branch, which flows into the Little River. Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Snow Moon Paddle, 2024-02-24

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, just west of Lakeland, Georgia.

When: Gather 5:30 PM, launch 6 PM, moonrise 6:45 PM, sunset 6:27 PM, end 7:40 PM, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

FB: Banks Lake and painting –Julie Bowland, February 5, 2023

Continue reading →

Video: Paddles through Time: Historical and Archaeological Sites of the Withlacoochee River of South Georgia and North Florida –Tom Baird, WWALS Webinar 2024-02-15

Tom Baird, archaeologist of Tallahassee, Florida, gave the second WWALS Webinar, this one about the history and archaeology of the Withlacoochee River in Georgia and Florida.

“Tom talked about arrowpoints, fish weirs, spears, atlatls, mounds, missions, wood mills, and ghost towns, as well as current threats to the Withlacoochee River and archaeological opportunities,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Paddles Through Time by Tom Baird

Tom Baird is an education consultant who has previously worked as a high school teacher, community college instructor (oceanography and microbiology), director of a science and environmental center, supervisor of science (K-12) in Pasco Co., FL, Director of Science (PreK-12) in Pinellas Co. FL, Principal of a math/science/technology magnet high school in Pinellas Co., FL, and director of a National Science Foundation program.

Tom was introduced by WWALS President Sara Jay Jones, who received a copy of Tom’s book during the webinar. Continue reading →

Paddles through Time: Historical and Archaeological Sites of the Withlacoochee River of South Georgia and North Florida –Tom Baird, WWALS Webinar 2024-02-15

Update 2024-02-16: Video.

Tom Baird, archaeologist of Tallahassee, Florida, will give the second WWALS Webinar about the history and archaeology of the Withlacoochee River in Georgia and Florida.

“Tom will talk about arrowpoints, fish weirs, spears, atlatls, mounds, missions, wood mills, and ghost towns, as well as current threats to the Withlacoochee River and archaeological opportunities,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Paddles Through Time by Tom Baird

Facebook event to encourage others to join the webinar:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1121650522602694/?ref=newsfeed

But you still need to register at the zoom link for the webinar.

Tom Baird is Continue reading →

GA-EPD issues draft permit for TiO2 strip mine near the Okefenokee Swamp 2024-02-09

Update 2024-02-21: Okefenokee bills, Georgia legislature 2024-02-21.

Updated 2024-02-12: Today GA-EPD updated its Public Notice to day 60 days (instead of 30 days) for the public comment period. So that appears to mean the revised final comment date is April 9, 2024.

Four years after the original application, and two weeks after publishing the miners’ revised mining plan, GA-EPD has published a draft permit for the strip mine for titanium dioxide too near the Okefenokee Swamp.

You have 30 60 days from today, February 9, 2024 to comment to GA-EPD:
twinpines.comment@dnr.ga.gov

There will be an online zoom public meeting at 6PM on March 5, 2024.
https://gaepd.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ff7nrdELQPOr0DaPwfxK3A

You can encourage the Georgia legislature to pass legislation to prevent more such mines:
https://www.gawater.org/okefenokee-swamp

And it’s a safe bet that if GA-EPD approves the final permits, lawsuits will fly.

TPM Saunders Mine Site Layout and WWALS Aerial from January 10, 2021

Two weeks ago GA-EPD published the Twin Pines Minerals (TPM) Revised MLUP and Associated Documents.

Today, GA-EPD published Continue reading →

Three clean rivers 2024-02-07

Update 2024-02-16: Clean rivers and creek 2024-02-14.

We got good results for Wednesday for the Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers.

Valdosta’s Monday upstream Withlacoochee River and Three Mile Branch results were too high after the Sunday rain. Thanks to Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes for the Valdosta Wednesday results at GA 133 (OK) and US 84 (bad). He promises those and the US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Wednesday results will be on valdostacity.com website next week.

No rain is predicted for this weekend.

In the past week, no sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River from US 84 to the state line, but other than that, happy fishing, paddling, and swimming this weekend.

Chart, Three Clean Rivers, Map 2024-02-07

Or join us tomorrow (Saturday) for Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle or Sunday for Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup. Continue reading →

Pictures: Santa Fe River and springs, Waterkeepers Florida –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson 2024-02-08

Update 2024-02-17: Many more Pictures: Waterkeepers Florida, Santa River and springs 2024-02-08.

The fifteen Waterkeepers of Florida gathered on the Santa Fe River Thursday to see springs, parks, and submerged aquatic vegetation.

Well, eleven of them. And we also saw a wood stork, an anhinga, a hawk, buzzards, and many turtles.

Banners, Springs, Santa Fe River, Waterkeepers Florida 2024-02-08

No manatees, though, despite the best efforts of expert guide Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of the outfitter Rum138 and Our Santa Fe River (OSFR).

We were going to put in at Rum Island, but that county park was closed, it turns out to install the ostentatious swimming barrier you see pictured. So we put in at Merrillee’s house; thanks Merrillee.

We paddled into Gilchrist Blue Spring, Ginnie Springs, and many others.

Many more pictures later; these are some Merrillee sent.

As you can tell by the banner picture I took, WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper organized this outing.

-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/

Continue reading →

Berrien County, GA, Okefenokee resolution against the proposed strip mine 2024-02-06

Thanks to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners for passing a resolution supporting the Okefenokee Swamp and opposing the strip mine for titanium dioxide proposed by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC.

Please contact your Georgia statehouse members and ask them to protect the Okefenokee Swamp:
https://www.gawater.org/okefenokee-swamp

Ask your Georgia state Senator to sponsor a bill in the Senate:
https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-senate/

Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends and relatives to do this.

Berrien County Resolution No: 24-002 2024-02-06

The Berrien County Resolution

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River, and Okefenokee Swamp on Scott James radio talk921.com 2024-02-02

We also talked about the future Troupville River Camp and Nature Park, in addition to defending the Okefenokee Swamp from a proposed stripmine, chainsaw cleanups, and the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, which will go around the river frontage of the pending Troupville Park.

This was Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman on the Scott James radio talk show on talk921.com, Friday, February 3, 2024. I referred to him as Mayor, because Scott James Matheson is also the Mayor of Valdosta, Georgia.

We also prominently mentioned Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter.

And Helen Tapp, from whom the county in December 2022 bought the 71 acres from Helen Tapp down to the Little River Confluence to add to the 44 acres already owned by Parks and Rec to combine for the proposed park.

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River, Okefenokee Swamp, and Troupville River Camp and Nature Park on Scott James radio talk921.com 2024-02-03

Here is a WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QwydpvXE-C4BTMUQqv4yfCg&si=CLMEdlCi8TM3d_Q6 Continue reading →

Trash at Mayday Landing Hotchkiss Road Landing on the Alapaha River 2022-02-03

At ~~Mayday Landing on Howell Road~~ Hotchkiss Road Landing a WWALS member saw the beautiful Alapaha River in ~~Echols~~ Lanier County.

But she also saw trash.

ARWT Access

That’s a shame for such a conveniently located spot, a mile upstream from Naylor Boat Ramp and 12 miles downstream from Burnt Church Landing, with many beaches and small rapids in between, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

I will try contacting ~~Echols~~ Lanier County to see if they have a cleanup crew.

If not, maybe WWALS can organize a cleanup there. Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.