Monthly Archives: May 2025

Chemours wants Army Corps permit to mine TiO2 on SRWMD land, Bradford County, FL, Santa Fe River Basin 2025-05-13

Update 2025-05-16: More about Spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL 2024-01-31.

Chemours wants to mine on SRWMD land in Bradford County, FL, upstream from the Santa Fe River, on Double Run Creek which already had a tailings wastewater spill last fall.

You’ve got 30 days to comment:

The Jacksonville District will receive written comments on the proposed work, as outlined above, until June 12, 2025. Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to John Fellows at john.p.fellows@usace.army.mil. Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Attention: John Fellows, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, FL 33610. Please refer to the permit application number in your comments.

That’s permit application number SAJ-2019-00480 (JPF).

[Chemours Army Corps application to mine TiO2 on SRWMD land, Bradford County, FL, Santa Fe River Basin 2025-05-13]
Chemours Army Corps application to mine TiO2 on SRWMD land, Bradford County, FL, Santa Fe River Basin 2025-05-13

Many of us complained back in 2019 about SRWMD allowing Chemours access through SRWMD property, but in 2021 SRWMD claimed it had no choice.

[SRWMD parcels, Bradford County Property Appraiser 2019-10-17]
SRWMD parcels, Bradford County Property Appraiser 2019-10-17

Now it’s not just access, it’s actual mining. So what does conservation mean to the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD)? Or to its parent the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)?

Here’s the problem: Continue reading

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting 2025-05-18

WWALS Board Member Gee Edwards will preside over this rescheduled WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited to this regular business meeting.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

[WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Agenda, 2025-05-18]
WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Agenda, 2025-05-18

When: 6 PM, Sunday, May 18, 2025

Where: Online via zoom, registration required:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/y9PpPZZ4SD6Bt2xJhkH3LA

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Pictures: Okefenokee Outing 2014-11-22

A decade ago, a year after WWALS formed, charter board member Bret Wagenhorst led us from Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo, Georgia, up the Suwannee River and its Middle Fork in the Okefenokee Swamp.

We saw birds, fish, gators, and Possumhaw aka Swamp Holly, Ilex decidua.

[Okefenokee Swamp Outing, Stephen C. Foster SP, Suwannee River, Fargo, GA 2014-11-22]
Okefenokee Swamp Outing, Stephen C. Foster SP, Suwannee River, Fargo, GA 2014-11-22

That phone with its bad lens eventually took a swim in a river and I got a better one. Continue reading

Pictures: Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-03-14

It was perfect weather to see the sun set and the moon rise.

One person flew a thousand miles to paddle on Banks Lake at the Full Worm Moon.

Thanks to Kimberly Godden Tanner for organizing this one.

[Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, 2025-03-14]
Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, 2025-03-14

Join us tomorrow for Full Flower Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-05-12.
https://wwals.net/?p=67005

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading

Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-09

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room near Lakeland, Georgia.

When: Gather 7:30 PM, launch 8 PM, moonrise 8:52 PM, sunset 8:20 PM, end 9:30 PM, Saturday, August 9, 2025

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

[Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, Saturday, August 9, 2025]
Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, Saturday, August 9, 2025

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Full Buck Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-07-10

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Buck Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room near Lakeland, Georgia.

When: Gather 7:45 PM, launch 8:15 PM, moonrise 8:59 PM, sunset 8:39 PM, end 9:45 PM, Thursday, July 10, 2025

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

[Full Buck Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, Thursday, June 10, 2025]
Full Buck Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA, Thursday, June 10, 2025

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Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-06-11

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Strawberry Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room near Lakeland, Georgia.

When: Gather 7:30 PM, launch 8 PM, moonrise 9:25 PM, sunset 8:36 PM, end 10 PM, Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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

[Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Alapaha River Water Trail, Wednesday, June 11, 2025]
Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR, Alapaha River Water Trail, Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-08

Update 2025-05-14: Sugar Creek Sewage Bypass, Valdosta Utilities 2025-05-14.

We don’t know how clean Sugar Creek is this week, because Valdosta Utilities is now beyond the four weeks GA-EPD requires followup testing after a major spill.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

The chance of rain predicted rises as the weekend goes on.

Until it rains, the rivers are all pretty low.

So go early before the rains, go downstream where there’s water, and happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Withlacoochee River, No sewage spills, Maybe rain soon 2025-05-08, Paddle early this weekend]
Clean Withlacoochee River, No sewage spills, Maybe rain soon 2025-05-08, Paddle early this weekend

Or join us Monday evening for Full Flower Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-05-12.
https://wwals.net/?p=67005

For more WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

Withlacoochee River

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Official Guidance on HB 1205 –FL RTCW 2025-05-09

A new law causes much disturbance in collecting petitions for a Florida Right to Clean Water (RTCW).

Florida House Bill 1205 imposes numerous restrictions on gathering petitions to get a state constitutional amendment on the ballot, including substantial monetary and other penalties for not following this new law to the letter.

It was signed by the governor on May 2, 2025, so it is law now: Chapter No. 2025-21.

Here is guidance from the organizers of the RTCW campaign.

[FL RTCW Guidance 2025-05-09]
FL RTCW Guidance 2025-05-09

Florida Right to Clean Water
Official Guidance on HB 1205 as of 5/9/25:
(Updates will be posted on FloridaRightToCleanWaterorg/updates) Continue reading

Okefenokee Floyd’s Island Campout, Suwannee River, SCFSP, 2025-11-01-02

Pending reservations, Paddle 9 miles upstream on the Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp for primitive camping on Floyd’s Island. Paddle back the next day.

You must RSVP on meetup to get a spot (clicking Going on the facebook event does not count as an RSVP).

Meetup RSVP will become possible once we get a camping permit.

This is the farthest you can get from any road in Georgia, with very dark sky.

You can camp inside the century-old Hebard Cabin, or in your tent or hammock outside.

Yes, you will see gators, and probably other wildlife.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end All Day, Saturday, November 1, 2025
Launch 9 AM, End 1 PM, Sunday, November 2, 2025

Put In: Stephen C. Foster State Park Ramp, 17515 GA-177, Fargo, GA 31631. From Fargo, travel south on US 441 to CR 177; turn left and travel to Stephen C. Foster State Park, in Charlton County.

GPS: 30.826833, -82.361333

[Floyd's Island Campout, Okefenokee Swamp, Suwannee River, Saturday & Sunday, 1-2 Nov. 2025]
Floyd’s Island Campout, Okefenokee Swamp, Suwannee River, Saturday & Sunday, 1-2 Nov. 2025

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