Category Archives: Blueway

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2022-09-10

A dozen people, neighbors and new-found friends, paddled in the coral dusk to see bats fly and the Full Harvest Moon rise through clouds, at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, our mini-Okefenokee west of Lakeland, Georgia.

[Banners, boats, sunset, bats, moonrise, shore]
Banners, boats, sunset, bats, moonrise, shore

Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner for leading this outing, and most of the other Full Moon paddles this summer. If you want to help organize WWALS outings, you can apply to join the Outings Committee.

The WWALS Water Quality Testing Committee was well-represented, with Elizabeth and Michael and Jacob Bachrach. Continue reading →

Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River 2022-09-17

New route: Roline Boat Ramp to Hunter Creek Launch, Suwannee River, Hamilton County, Florida. Join us for this sunny five-hour paddle on the world-famous Suwannee River, led by Practicing Geologist Dennis Price.

Dennis has moved us upstream, due to our previous put-in being closed due to high water. The new route goes by the lally column remains of Turner Bridge.

[Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River]
Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River

Continue reading →

Pictures: State Line to Turner Bridge, Suwannee River 2022-03-06

Maybe the most remote section of the Suwannee River, from the GA-FL line to Roline and Turner Bridge: here are pictures of the second day of the WWALS March 5-6, 2022, riverbank camping outing.

[Decamping, GA-FL line, Roline, Turner Bridge]
Decamping, GA-FL line, Roline, Turner Bridge

As usual, expedition leader Shirley Kokidko was worried before we were even on the water. Many thanks for leading this one, Shirley. Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon Paddle, 2022-09-10

Update 2022-09-20: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2022-09-10.

Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle. It’s a Saturday, and it should be cooler, so join us on our watery living room.

When: Gather 6:45 PM, launch 7:15 PM, moonrise 8:17 PM, sunset 7:44 PM, end 9 PM, Saturday, September 10, 2022

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

[Sunset and moonrise, 2020-10-01]
Sunset and moonrise, 2020-10-01

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725 Continue reading →

Videos: Intentional swimming, Suwannee River, Echols County, GA, 2022-03-05

Update 2022-09-06: Pictures: State Line to Turner Bridge, Suwannee River 2022-03-06.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division wants evidence of intentional full-immersion swimming to redesignate river segments from Fishing to Recreational for tighter pollution limits. OK, here are some movies. Plus grandmas in a tree.

[Movie: Full immersion swimming, 16:30:59, 30.6006764, -82.6839565 (161M)]
Movie: Full immersion swimming, 16:30:59, (161M) 30.6006764, -82.6839565

Here is a WWALS video playlist.


Intentional swimming, Suwannee River, Echols County, GA 2022-03-05
30.6006764, -82.6839565
Videos by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.

For more swimming, see the still pictures from the same stretch of the river.

For context, see the WWALS map of the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. While the SRWT formally runs from White Springs, Florida, to the Gulf, WWALS maps the entire Suwannee River.

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

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Pictures: Fargo to campsite, Suwannee River 2022-03-05

Update 2022-09-01: Videos: Intentional swimming, Suwannee River, Echols County, GA, 2022-03-05.

Swimming, tree climbing, lunching, and paddling on the first day of a Suwannee River camping trip.

[Paddling, Swimming, Camping]
Paddling, Swimming, Camping

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for organizing, and to the landowners for permission to camp. Continue reading →

WWALS thanks Georgia Power for financial grant for water quality testing

Hahira, GA, August 25, 2022 — WWALS and Georgia Power gathered at the Little River to discuss “a great partnership that works for everybody here” with Georgia Power again providing a grant for WWALS water quality testing.

[WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Georgia Power SW Director Joe Brownlee, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Georgia Power SREAM Don Hutchinson]
WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Georgia Power SW Director Joe Brownlee, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Georgia Power SREAM Don Hutchinson

“We want to say a giant thank-you to Georgia Power for funding our program,” said WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman. ”Our water quality program helps us to have clean water, so that when people come to use the river they know when it’s safe to swim or fish or go in their boats.”

“I want to thank y’all for what you do to keep our rivers clean, and make people aware of our wonderful natural resources,” said Joe Brownlee, Southwest Director, Georgia Power. “And help take care of those natural resources. It’s a great partnership that works for everybody here. We’re proud to be a part of it.”

“It’s really just Continue reading →

Ken Sulak bridge expedition, Sullivan Launch 2022-08-14

Yesterday I went down to Sullivan Launch to see off three intrepid explorers led by Ken Sulak.

[Three to go exploring from Sullivan Launch, 12:20:57, 30.5960286, -83.2599267]
Three to go exploring from Sullivan Launch, 12:20:57, 30.5960286, -83.2599267

They were seeking signs of old bridges and ferries. Don’t know if they found those, but Ken says they found around 8 shoals.

The Pinetta Gauge (which is right there at Sullivan Launch) read about 55.3′ NAVD88 or 8.7′ yesterday noon. The current WWALS lowest boatable recommendation is 52.5′ NAVD88. Maybe we should raise that.

I also drove across CR 150 into the SRWMD Sulilvan Tract and found park table and bench with trash can where the SRWMD map says. Continue reading →

Pictures: Tracks, GA 133, Withlacoochee River 2022-07-30

What makes tracks like these?

It wasn’t people, because there were no footprints there before we walked up from the Withlacoochee River underneath the GA 133 bridge.

[What makes these tracks?, 15:01:06, 30.8503790, -83.3400890]
What makes these tracks?, 15:01:06, 30.8503790, -83.3400890

What kind of animal is large enough and drags like that? Continue reading →

Pictures: David’s Disappointment Spring, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-04

Thanks, Suzy Sparkman Hall, for the name: David’s Disappointment Spring, which we saw paddling from Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River, 2022-06-04.

[Human for scale, David's Disappointment, 13:15:04, 30.4747627, -83.2433016]
Human for scale, David’s Disappointment, 13:15:04, 30.4747627, -83.2433016

And thanks to Suzy for why: Guy Bryant, A Cave Diving History of Little Known Springs, December 3, 2015, David’s Disappointment Spring,

David’s Disappointment Spring is named after David Nolan who was the first person to explore its small cave. The spring is located Continue reading →