12 + 4 boats and about 18 paddlers went even faster down the Alapaha River than we expected: six hours on the water between GA 168 and GA 122, including a lunch stop. That’s about 3 miles per hour on a chilly morning and a fine breezy warm day. And there were bon-bons and kumquats!
WWALS banner at lunch stop; picture by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS.
Lots of native vegetation, no invasive species, some birds (buzzards, ducks, heron, flycatcher, cardinals), no animals on the land or in the water. People fishing at Lakeland said they didn’t even get a nibble. I did see a few fish beds below a creek confluence.
The water level was about 9.25 feet on the Alapaha, GA gage and about 10 feet on the Statenville gage, which puts it towards the high end of the WWALS recommended levels for the Alapaha River Water Trail.
Below are many pictures and a google map showing where they were taken. See also the facebook albums by Gretchen Quarterman, Bret Wagenhorst, and Shawn Michaels.
See the WWALS Calendar for more WWALS outings and events.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Pictures
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for WWALS.
Moonrise CR 76 @ GA 135, 31.1624875, -83.0876177
Moonrise among trees, 31.1624875, -83.0876177
Berrien Beach Landing @ GA 168, 31.1572337, -83.0400049
Silhouette waiting for shuttle return, 074026 31.1572337, -83.0400616
Shade and sun, 31.1572337, -83.0400616
Heading downstream in the lingering fog, 31.1557268, -83.0404113
Berrien Beach, 31.1553272, -83.0403347
Longleaf pine and boats 31.1422653, -83.0357925
Gretchen photographing 31.1419444, -83.0355556
Movie: Looking around (4.5M), 31.1279975, -83.0397930
Red maple 31.1279975, -83.0397930
Does this go through? 31.1275887, -83.0402208
Movie: A bit narrow, but yes it goes through (5.5M), 31.1275887, -83.0402208
Phil and a field, 31.1212420, -83.0448810
Phil, bluff, field, 31.1202161, -83.0460034
Saw palmetto, 31.1202650, -83.0459875
Log sticking out of the water 31.1202650, -83.0459875
Spanish moss 31.1202650, -83.0459875
More palmetto 31.1202650, -83.0459875
Movie: So slow theyre behind me, says Gretchen (4.0M), 31.1202650, -83.0459875
Movie: Pan around (11M), 31.1223801, -83.0578571
Deanna and Chris Mericle 31.1223801, -83.0578571
Boats behind 31.1149381, -83.0563344
Movie: Bluff (5.8M), 31.1284686, -83.0395834
Bluff with blocks 31.1080834, -83.0596195
Blocks highlighted 31.1080707, -83.0596088
Oaks at bluff 31.1080707, -83.0596088
Does this one go through? 31.0712414, -83.0530099
Yes, it did 31.1018567, -83.0604886
Movie: Paddling (3.1M), 31.1018567, -83.0604886
Beach with tipi 31.0958944, -83.0588516
Phil around some brush 31.0945983, -83.0595318
Phil again 31.0945983, -83.0595318
Tangled limbs 31.0945983, -83.0595318
Yellow tannin water 31.0946142, -83.0595327
Orange tannin water 31.0946142, -83.0595327
Red tannin water 31.0946142, -83.0595327
Tannin water and beach 31.0917208, -83.0624208
House on stilts 31.0896196, -83.0647137
House with beach 31.0896084, -83.0646488
Beach with structure 31.0886527, -83.0637307
Structure on beach 31.0886939, -83.0636685
Beach and fancy paddle 31.0884656, -83.0635215
Lunch on the beach by Gretchen Quarterman 31.0884656, -83.0635215
WWALS banner by Gretchen Quarterman 31.0884656, -83.0635215
Palmetto 31.0869872, -83.0613816
Movie: Behind and ahead(15M) 31.0869872, -83.0613816
Planted pines 31.0874663, -83.0610453
Palmetto and planted pines 31.0874663, -83.0610453
Movie: Bend in the river(3.8M) 31.0874663, -83.0610453
Red roof 31.0896196, -83.0647137
House 31.0896196, -83.0647137
Bluff, house, and birdhouse 31.0836279, -83.0577607
Bluff downstream of house 31.0836279, -83.0577607
Bluff to beach 31.0836279, -83.0577607
Bluff with deadfalls 31.0836797, -83.0568327
Onwards again 31.0836797, -83.0568327
Palmettos, and a sycamore? 31.0776920, -83.0546910
Movie: Green boat (6.3M), 31.0776920, -83.0546910
Beach in front of pines 31.0762963, -83.0537024
Beach -0 31.0762963, -83.0537024
Beach again 124530 31.0762963, -83.0537024
Gnarly limbs 31.0762963, -83.0537024
House, stilts, stairs 31.0760954, -83.0531062
House, pipes in water 31.0760954, -83.0531062
Joining trees 31.0760954, -83.0531062
House front 31.0762963, -83.0537024
Happy red paddler 31.0741667, -83.0513889
Bend to the left 31.0743367, -83.0519545
Movie: Birds singing (3.4M), 31.0743367, -83.0519545
Boaters over beach 31.0740575, -83.0542926
Framed by tree limbs 31.0735429, -83.0532801
Tannin 31.0722900, -83.0529684
Tannin shore 31.0722900, -83.0529684
Movie: Bend to the right (7.8M), 31.0722900, -83.0529684
Yes, here goes 31.0708333, -83.0530556
Quite a bit of current 31.0706043, -83.0531197
Movie: Through an oxbow neck (6.8M), 31.0706043, -83.0531197
Mostly through 31.0706043, -83.0531197
And back into the river 31.0703875, -83.0530435
Climbing tree 31.0697355, -83.0537719
High bluff 31.0697667, -83.0537263
Up the bluff 31.0697667, -83.0537263
Movie: Bluff on the right (20M), 31.0697667, -83.0537263
Former river bed? 31.0680910, -83.0515885
Mistletoe 31.0680699, -83.0515196
Yellow boat 31.0679365, -83.0511619
Palmetto behind 131832 31.0677778, -83.0511111
Limb across 31.0678273, -83.0513011
Yellow boat below cypress 31.0678379, -83.0513454
Gnarled oak 31.0637800, -83.0465365
Yellow boat beyond gnarled oak 31.0637800, -83.0465365
Bend to the left with tall trees to the right 31.0604966, -83.0468492
20170211 133517 31.0604966, -83.0468492
20170211 133522 31.0602778, -83.0466667
Pines and red maple 31.0604966, -83.0468492
Maybe theres a way through in there 31.0623923, -83.0443666
No, there was not 31.0613292, -83.0440376
Oak, beach, palmetto 31.0596694, -83.0445746
Dark oaks, bright palmettos 31.0596639, -83.0445826
Boater in the distance 31.0596568, -83.0445865
Bluff and palmettoes 31.0581150, -83.0411468
Exposed roots 31.0581150, -83.0411468
Roots closeup 31.0581150, -83.0411468
Tangled beach 31.0581150, -83.0411468
Two boats moving right along past a pole 31.0565969, -83.0393420
Katherine at the pole 31.0563889, -83.0391667
Remains of bridge pilings? near end of Shaw Road, Lanier County Road 104, 31.0550112, -83.0393459
Large concrete fragment 31.0550112, -83.0393459
Small and large fragments 31.0550112, -83.0393459
Large fragments 31.0550112, -83.0393459
On down the river 31.0550415, -83.0394543
And boats behind 31.0550000, -83.0394444
GA 122 bridge east of Lakeland 31.0473200, -83.0437900
Lakeland Boat Ramp, 31.0458792, -83.0438072
Warning, high pressure gas line under river 31.0458849, -83.0439222
Atlanta Gas Light, an AGL Resources Company, 800-427-5463, 31.0458849, -83.0439222
Google Map
Follow this link for the google map, or it’s also embedded below.
Short Link: