All 29 paddlers had fun, on the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Saturday, March 7, 2026.

We went from Troupville Boat Ramp, down the Little River to its Confluence, near where some day will be Troupville River Camp.

Then we went down the Withlacoochee River over some small shoals, to the cleaned-up outflow of Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Plant.

And out at Paul Deloach’s Private Boat Ramp; thanks to him for access.

Pictures 2026-03-07, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Little River and Withlacoochee River

Here are some videos:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QzGPpfQY6qOBC-qQF-M9gex&si=6QY4Fu4LslnLV_6e

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading, to Gretchen Quarterman for organizing, to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for the grant that made this paddle free for everyone, to Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, to Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter, to Paul Batts and the Valdosta-Lowndes Park and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for shuttle vans, and to The Langdale Company for access at a lunch stop and at Spook Bridge, although we did not go there.

Thanks for paddling to Davy Shaw of VSU CORE Outdoors and all the VSU students, Brianna Schawalder of Trails4Valdosta, Emily Millet of Ecopaths.org, and everyone else who was on the water.

All this was on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT). with signs funded by a generous grant by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR). GA-DNR also fixed up the access road.

Before

Vehicles at Troupville Boat Ramp, 2026:03:07 08:13:02, –jsq for WWALS 30.8519756, -83.3464636

SI

Signing in, 2026:03:07 08:23:16 –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS

BoW

Boats on Troupville Boat Ramp, 2026:03:07 08:23:50 –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS

WE

Waiting for the event, 2026:03:07 08:42:42, –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS 30.8513944, -83.3472278

PDPBRV

VLPRA shuttle at Paul Deloach Private Boat Ramp, 2026:03:07 08:49:36, –jsq for WWALS 30.8513113, -83.3472943

Speeches

Gretchen Quarterman leads off, 2026:03:07 09:09:43, –jsq for WWALS 30.8380824, -83.3698692

PO

Prepare for photo-op, 2026:03:07 09:26:57, –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS 30.8513472, -83.3471694

SL

Phil Hubbard giving the safety lecture, 2026:03:07 09:28:08, –Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS 30.8513361, -83.3472056

TT

Turtle Chris the VLPRA driver found, 2026:03:07 09:41:34, –jsq for WWALS 30.8513686, -83.3472263

OtW

Embarking, 2026:03:07 09:42:26, –jsq for WWALS 30.8513686, -83.3472263

PHVM

Phil Hubbard with UGA flag, Mayor upstream, 2026:03:07 09:43:43, –jsq for WWALS 30.8514751, -83.3475261

TF

Tree frog was in my seat, 2026:03:07 09:45:37, –jsq for WWALS 30.8514691, -83.3475774

LR

Mayor on the Little River, 2026:03:07 09:49:42, –jsq for WWALS 30.8513681, -83.3478755

TH

Tish Hall, 2026:03:07 09:54:15, –jsq for WWALS 30.8485962, -83.3486470

VC

VSU CORE, 2026:03:07 09:59:01, –jsq for WWALS 30.8469009, -83.3479704

LRC

Little River Confluence, 2026:03:07 09:59:11, –jsq for WWALS 30.8469487, -83.3480246

TS

Sideways at Trashy Shoals, 2026:03:07 10:07:30, –jsq for WWALS 30.8456929, -83.3516150

ChPh

Movie: Chairman sailed through, Phil directing traffic, Tish Hall, 2026:03:07 10:08:09, (26M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8456929, -83.3516150

DPW

Downstream paddlers watching, 2026:03:07 10:11:45, –jsq for WWALS 30.8452850, -83.3513165

MCT

Movie: More coming through, 2026:03:07 10:11:56, (6.5M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8452709, -83.3513073

BtctY

Movie: Chairman and Mayor, 2026:03:07 10:12:05 –jsq for WWALS

APB

Movie: Another paddleboard, 2026:03:07 10:13:24, (13M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8449702, -83.3511408

MpuT

Movie: The Mayor picking up trash, 2026:03:07 10:20:52, (8.8M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8449702, -83.3511408

PC

Cracking paddle, 2026:03:07 10:25:28, –jsq for WWALS 30.8415635, -83.3520878

TK

Tandem kayak, 2026:03:07 10:27:28, –jsq for WWALS 30.8415068, -83.3527299

LSPBR

Lastinger-Scruggs Private Boat Ramp, 2026:03:07 10:30:19, –jsq for WWALS 30.8405881, -83.3539293

TCoS

A tiny creek or slough, 2026:03:07 10:32:00, –jsq for WWALS 30.8400755, -83.3543059

OF

Movie: The 100 million dollar waterfall: cleaned-up outflow from Valdosta Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, 2026:03:07 10:44:07, (23M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8400858, -83.3543720

MOF

Movie: Proud of the WWTP: Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, 2026:03:07 10:47:32, (31M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8400858, -83.3543720

AaC

Around a cypress, 2026:03:07 10:48:34, –jsq for WWALS 30.8361909, -83.3597234

DD

Dead deer, 2026:03:07 10:58:23, –jsq for WWALS 30.8399520, -83.3639946

PCS

20260307 110726, 2026:03:07 11:07:26 –jsq for WWALS

S1

Movie: One stuck, but they will get loose, 2026:03:07 11:09:09 (9.1M) –jsq for WWALS

PDPBR

Movie: Paul Deloach Private Boat Ramp, 2026:03:07 11:18:22, (23M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8377398, -83.3697293

SF

Movie: Satisfied: Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Outings Leader Phil Hubbard, 2026:03:07 11:24:34, (36M) –jsq for WWALS 30.8381462, -83.3699180

TM

The Mayor arriving, 2026:03:07 11:26:15, –jsq for WWALS 30.8379829, -83.3699697

DS

Davy Shaw of VSU CORE, 2026:03:07 11:27:55, –jsq for WWALS 30.8380091, -83.3699879

LB

The last paddler, 2026:03:07 11:39:14, –jsq for WWALS 30.8380940, -83.3700165

PDB

Paul Deloach bridge over Paul Deloach Creek, 2026:03:07 12:01:08, –jsq for WWALS 30.8396460, -83.3700295

PDC

Equipment at Paul Deloach Creek, 2026:03:07 12:04:20, –jsq for WWALS 30.8396460, -83.3700295

DL11012

DeLoach 11012, 2026:03:07 12:05:24, –jsq for WWALS 30.8505222, -83.3676496

LS

Lunch stop with Suwannee Riverkeeper banner, 2026:03:07 12:33:32, –jsq for WWALS 30.8158819, -83.4246892

GT

Gopher tortoise, 2026:03:07 12:38:52, –jsq for WWALS 30.8131595, -83.4189303

SB

Port-A-Pottie at Spook Bridge Landing, 2026:03:07 12:53:36, –jsq for WWALS 30.7895237, -83.4509844

 -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/

Short Link: