Community, water, trees, birds, fish, sunshine, and fun! $50 cash prize for first place, plus awards in numerous categories, or just paddle leisurely. Continue reading
Author Archives: jsq
WWALS at Rhythm & Ribs, Tifton, GA 2016-03-05
Until 5PM today, WWALS has a table at the Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival,
at Fulwood Park, in downtown Tifton, Georgia.
From points south, get off I-75 at exit 63B, and follow W 8th Street to Prince Ave.
If you’re coming up GA 125 from Nashville, turn right at W 8th Street.
If you’re coming west on US 82, turn right at Main Street (GA 125), etc.
WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel is there with board member Bret Wagenhorst,
talking about the BIG Little River Paddle Race May 21st at Reed Bingham State Park
and
all the outings before then,
along the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail
and the Alapaha River Water Trail.
Plus how you can become involved!.
And we hope to see you at some of the other upcoming WWALS outings and events
-jsq
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Geological determinations about Sabal Trail and Suwannee River by Dennis Price P.G.
Sinkholes, springs, and caves abound where Spectra Energy wants to gouge
its yard-wide Sabal Trail pipeline
through the heart of the Florida Springs Heartland, wrote a Practicing Geologist WWALS member to FERC, following up on his
testimony in WWALS v Sabal Trail & FDEP.
Here is the text of the report by Dennis Price, followed by the images (PDF in FERC accession number 20151027-5034), all about the same area where WWALS board member Chris Mericle recently guided Hamilton and Suwannee County Commissioners to see for themselves. -jsq
Continue readingStream Flow, SE Gulf and Atlantic Rivers
The Suwannee River flows most in May, and most of that comes almost equally from
the Withlacoochee (with Little River and Okapilco Creek), the Alapaha, and the Suwannee from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Alapaha confluence.
This is an interestingly different seasonal pattern from other rivers of similar flow, such as the Altamaha, Savannah, St Johns, Flint, and Chattachoochee.
These are screenshots from the interactive ESRI Hydro Hierarchy, http://maps.esri.com/rc/radial/, whose Help message says: Continue reading
Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council meeting, Nashville, GA 2016-03-09
Received today this NOTICE, SUWANNEE-SATILLA REGIONAL WATER PLANNING COUNCIL MEETING, Announcement Date: February 16, 2016, TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES::
The Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council is holding its next meeting for the Review and Revision of the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Plan at the following date, time, and location:
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Registration: 9:00 A.M. – 9:30 A.M.
Meeting: 9:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.Nashville Community Center Continue reading
Floridians Against Fracking defeats pro-fracking bill
Thanks to the indefatigable Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Our Santa Fe River and all the Floridians Against Fracking (WWALS is a member) who stopped this bogus bill.
This was national and international news. But this from Florida:
Margie Menzel,
Palm Beach Post,
1 March 2016,
Senator withdraws bill to permit, regulate fracking in Florida,
TALLAHASSEE — The Senate sponsor of a controversial bill about the regulation of “fracking” in Florida withdrew it from consideration Tuesday, saying he didn’t have the votes to get through a key committee.
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee that the opposition of environmentalists played a key role in thwarting the measure (SB 318).
“Emotions tend to magnify the controversy,” he said.
Well, yeah, people do tend to get emotional about their drinking water, their Continue reading
Two strikes against eminent domain for Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto Pipeline
KMI was already trying to sell off its Palmetto petroleum products pipeline project across coastal Georgia before:
-
Friday
the South Carolina Senate passed a five-year moratorium on
“private, for-profit pipeline companies’ potential ability to
purchase land against property owners’ wishes”,
- then Monday the Georgia House of Representatives passed an eminent domain moratorium on that type of pipeline,
- and Tuesday an appelate judge denied KMI’s appeal against the Georgia Department of Transportation denying it a permit.
That’s two strikes in Georgia, and another in South Carolina. Three strikes, KMI!
But Florida, watch out. Continue reading
FDEP silently issued Sabal Trail permit and easement 2016-021-22
Despite being on FDEP’s permit announcement list,
I never got anything about a Sabal Trail permit.
After much digging, the other day I found that
FDEP went ahead and issued the Sabal Trail permit 22 January 2016
(PDF),
conveniently before
FERC issued certificates 2 February 2016.
That FDEP permit was also before the appeal deadline of 15 February 2016 in WWALS v Sabal Trail & FDEP. They did not copy the petitioner in that case, namely WWALS. They did copy Audubon Florida, which, as you may recall back in October sent FERC a letter supporting Sabal Trail (and then tried to walk back part of it). A letter that EPA chose to mention by name to the Army Corps of Engineers, while not naming Sierra Club or WWALS in opposition. Apparently if you go along with FDEP you get preferential notification.
And that, that’s nothing. FDEP issued Continue reading
Videos: Hike to Sabal Trail route across Suwannee River with Suwannee and Hamilton County Commissioners 2016-02-18
Here are WWALS videos of Chris Mericle (WWALS board member) explaining
the sinkholes in the path of the proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane
crossing of the Suwannee River under Suwannee River State Park.
Commissioners and staff from Suwannee and Hamilton Counties attended,
along with many other interested parties.
Both Commissions have regular meetings tomorrow, Tuesday March 1st,
Hamilton County at 9AM, and Suwannee County at 6PM.
See
previous post for locations, pictures, and more names of participants in the hike.
Sabal Trail declined to send anyone to this well-announced hike,
although Spectra has been holding one-on-one meetings with individual county commissioners, or, rather six to one, just like they did
in their “Open Houses” where they surrounded each landowner with six pipeline blueshirts.
Here are links to each of the WWALS videos, followed by a video playlist. Can you spot the Sabal Trail marker stakes, and the sinkholes? Continue reading
Winners, student logo contest, Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, by WWALS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valdosta, February 28, 2016 — Two VSU students took First and Second Prizes Saturday for logos for
the
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT),
at a Workshop at VSU, with an art exhibit and silent auction,
and talks on history, archaeology, hydrogeology, and safety,
organized by WWALS Watershed Coalition, the Waterkeeper® Affiliate for the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, and upper Suwannee Rivers.
“These logo winners reflect the beauty and unusual nature of our blackwater rivers,”
said logo contest organizer Julie Bowland, a VSU Art Professor.
She aded,
“I’ve already heard talk that we may use both of these logos, one for color, and one for black and white.”
Logo Contest Winners
Eboni Patterson (center) won First Prize for the circle logo.
Ann Reid (left) won Second Prize for the river trace logo.
Both were congratulated by contest organizer Julie Bowland,
who handed them checks from WWALS.
The prizes were contributed by Continue reading