The Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) is mentioned numerous times in the Echols County Comprehensive Plan 2025-2030, as is Suwannee Riverkeeper, including in the 5-Year Community Work Program Update for projects “Promote Suwannee River Boat Ramp” and “Work with private organizations to keep the river passable”.

Echols County Comprehensive Plan, with water trails: Alapaha and Suwannee

Sitting up front at this Transmittal Public Hearing were County Manager Alan Levesque and Alexandra Arzayus, Planner II, Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). Thanks to them for organizing the series of meetings that led up to this one. The Echols County Commission is expected to vote Thursday to transmit this plan to the state of Georgia.

Alexandra Arzayus of SGRC, Echols County Comprehensive Plan 2025-2030

Commissioner Bobbi Pohlman-Rodgers attended this hearing (in the foreground on the left in the first picture above). She told me her district is on the east side of the county, i.e., by the Suwannee River. We discussed the potential Suwannee River boat ramp in Echols County, down near the GA-FL line. Maybe that will move up in priority with the County Commission. Funds to build the ramp are available from GA-DNR in their Recreational Trails Program (RTP), requiring some matching funds. The applicant must be a state agency, so the county must apply. So it’s up to Echols County and the landowner from here.

Alan Levesque, Alexandra Arzayus, Echols County Comprehensive Plan

I gave her a copy of the WWALS Suwannee River Water Trail (SRWT) top sign. We’ve already planted SRWT at-water signs at Fargo Ramp and Griffish Fish Camp in Clinch County. For Stephen C. Foster State Park we’re waiting on the Park and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to approve final copy before printing and planting.

Suwannee River Water Trail (SRWT) at-water sign

For the Alapaha River, the plan frequently mentions “the boat ramp,” i.e., Statenville Boat Ramp, where County Manager Levesque and the county road crew recently installed the WWALS at-water ARWT signs. https://wwals.net/?p=67185

ARWT signs planted, Statenville Boat Ramp 2025-02-26, Thanks, Alan Levesque, Echols County Manager

They also installed the WWALS at-water signs at Mayday Landing, and road signs. https://wwals.net/?p=67204

Mayday Landing, Alapaha River, ARWT Signs Planted 2025-02-26, At-Water and Road: Thanks, Alan Levesque & Echols County Road Crew

County Manager Levesque has copies of those Mayday and Statenville at-water signs. Maybe they will put all those signs on display at the Echols County office.

All the above-mentioned signs were mostly paid for by an educational RTP grant to WWALS from GA-DNR. That grant also paid for ARWT rack cards (one-sheet cards), some of which are on display in the Echols County Commission office.

Front, ARWT Rack Card

Back, ARWT Rack Card

WWALS bought ARWT road signs from GDOT back in 2018, and GDOT installed the ones at Statenville Boat Ramp. https://wwals.net/?p=42782

Alapaha River Water Trail road sign

Here are the first two pages of the Echols County Comprehensive Plan 2025-2030. Once it is approved by the Echols County Commission and sent to the state, no doubt the county and the state will publish the final version.

Cover, 2025 Echols Comprehensive Plan
PDF

Steering Committee, 2025 Echols Comprehensive Plan
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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