Update 2024-04-20: Better picture format, links, and signature.
Gretchen took some pictures at the cleanup at Sheboggy. Others took pictures of the upstream paddle; probably we’ll post some of them later.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Blueway
![[A dynamic group]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/gretchen/2018-09-09--wwals-sheboggy/IMG_9064.jpg)
Naylor Boat Ramp status @ LCC 2018-09-10
The Naylor Boat Ramp should finally be complete within a few weeks, said Project Manager Chad McLeod at Monday’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. It will be interesting to see what paddlers report back from that site after yesterday’s paddle starting there as part of the Alapaha Quest to paddle in segments the entire Alapaha River Water Trail.
Status of Naylor Boat Ramp by Chad McLeod in LAKE video @
LCC 2018-09-10
What Chad McLeod said Monday morning, 10 September 2018, transcribed from Continue reading
Banks Lake New Moon Paddle, 2018-09-11
Join us for a leisurely paddle at sunset approximately 4 miles around the lake, looking for alligators, bats and birds. This is a leg of the Alapaha Quest, since Banks Lake is in the Alapaha River Water Trail.
When: 7 PM, September 11, 2018 (be on the water promptly by then!)
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the usual personal flotation device (PFD, and you must wear it), boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. For everyone’s safety bring a light for your boat or to put on yourself, such as a glow stick, so that we will be visible to other boats. This will be one night after the new moon. It will be dark once the sun goes down at 7:46PM. Mosquitoes can be bad at the launch, especially after dark, so you may want to bring bug spray, but they are usually not a problem on the water. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Shirley Kokidko leading
a previous Banks Lake paddle, 2018-07-27.
Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-09-13
Thursday morning Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on the “top rated morning talk show in south Georgia” with Steve Nichols, talking about paddle outings, water trails, paddle races, and the Sabal Trail pipeline federal eminent domain jury trials going on right now in Valdosta.
When: 8:30AM, Thursday, September 13, 2018,
Where:
The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols, 105.9FM WVGA
Live streamed on the show’s facebook page
- Three federal eminent domain Sabal Trail jury trials start in Valdosta that started today (Monday September 10) Sabal Trail lost the last one a couple of months ago, and lost another one in Florida a couple of months before that.
-
Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT):
- Sunday we did a cleanup at Sheboggy Boat Ramp in Berrien County and a paddle upstream on the Alapaha River.
- Next Saturday, September 15, we’re paddling another leg of the Alapaha Quest.
- WWALS is doing water quality testing training 1PM Sunday Sept. 16, 2018. This is part of the water quality testing program we are starting.
-
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT):
- In the spring we have the BIG Little River Paddle Race at Reed Bingham State Park, which next year will be April 27, 2019.
- Plus we’re starting a fall paddle race, WWALS Boomerang, from Langdale Park down to newly-rediscovered Sugar Creek Landing (near the Y on Gornto Road) and back up.
- And, just decided Sunday, Paddle Georgia will be bringing 300 of our closest friends to paddle from Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River all the way down the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers to Mayo, Florida, for five days starting June 14, 2019.
Guest: Suwannee Riverkeeper® John S. Quarterman
Host: Valdosta Today bills The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols as:
The top rated morning talk show in south Georgia, Steve Nichols offers both sides of every story from Berrien County to the Beltway, and everywhere in between.
Should be fun. Do tune in.
More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Sheboggy Boat Ramp 2018-08-11
Thanks to GDOT, the stolen Sheboggy signs have been replaced. Remember, we’ll sell you one for $25.
Meanwhile, come on down to Sheboggy 1PM today for a cleanup and upstream paddle.
Context, Left sign
WWALS Boomerang, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park, 2018-11-03
Update 2018-10-28: Now at State Line Ramp! Yes, we’ve moved downstream, to plenty of water, no deadfalls, plus shoals, in two states (Georgia and Florida) and four counties (Lowndes, Brooks, Madison, and Hamilton).
Update 2018-10-25: See new blog post with PDF flyers including new sponsors the YMCA and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, plus food by Under Construction BBQ, and at the turnaround walk up to The Salty Snapper, with aerial drone photography by The Georgia Photography Fanatic.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Update 2018-10-08: Early-bird $20 ticket deadline extended through October 13th!
Downstream and up again: it’s the WWALS Boomerang, from Langdale Park Boat Ramp to Sugar Creek Landing on the Withlacoochee River. Join us for a fun filled day of kayak and canoe racing and leisurely paddling.
New WWALS board member Bobby McKenzie,
whose son Zavier was the youngest finisher at our spring
BIG Little River Paddle Race,
has volunteered to organize a fall race,
with the enthusiastic support of the board and the Outings Committee.
We would also like to thank George Page, Executive Director of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), for his and VLPRA’s support. VLPRA renovated Langdale Park last year, so let’s go boat from there.
When: 11:00 AM, November 3, 2018
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602. This is just outside the Valdosta City limits in Lowndes County, off of North Valdosta Road (US 41 North). Only 5.5 miles from downtown and only 4 miles from Valdosta State University.
GPS: 30.88727, -83.32395
Tickets:
$20 per boat through extended October 13, then $30.
We also recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
Withlacoochee River, 2016-03-20.
Alapaha Quest, Naylor Boat Ramp @ US 84, 2018-09-15
Update 2019-09-14: We’ve moved downstream, to put in at Naylor Boat Ramp and take out at Mayday Landing. This section does have some rough rocky spots with rapids for a short distance. The takeout at Mayday is a little difficult due to soft sand to climb up to the parking area. Bring plenty of water to drink and food for the day. Bring a PFD to wear. Plan to arrive early enough to unload gear and begin the shuttle to the take out.
Experience the wilderness of the Alapaha River Water Trail. The water is barely above our recommended low, so bring a rope in case we have to drag boats.
When: 8 AM, September 15, 2018
Put In: Naylor Boat Ramp @ GA 84, 6955 US 84 E, Naylor, GA 31641. Lowndes County hasn’t actually built the boat ramp yet, but they have bought the park and we can put in there, just west of the Alapaha River off of the north side of US 84.
GPS: 30.92507, -83.03867
Take Out: Mayday Landing @ Howell Road, 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649, in Echols County. We will all help each other drag boats up the steep sand slope.
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Naylor Boat Ramp beach with trash can Gretchen asked for,
2018-06-16.
Updates from Trails Committee Meeting 2018-08-19
Here’s an update on the draft brochures for both WWALS Water Trails, after the recent meeting of the WWALS Water Trails Committee. We could still use more pictures.
Please email pictures to wwalswatershed@gmail.com. Please say who took each picture, when, where, and of what. High resolution, please.
If you want to join the WWALS Trails Committee to help continue organizing this work, actually editing the documents shown below, you must be a WWALS member and apply.
What
The Trails Committee is working on brochures for Continue reading
Alapaha Quest, TBA on Alapaha River, 2018-10-06
Update 2018-10-03: Due to low water in the Alapaha River, this outing is cancelled. Also, this is the same weekend as the Hahira Honeybee Festival, which takes a lot of WWALS resources; please come join us there.
Plus we’re doing a Cleanup at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River, Saturday, October 13, and the WWALS Boomerang on the Withlacoochee River from Langdale Park down to Sugar Creek and back, Saturday, November 3, and a paddle in the Okefenokee Swamp Saturday, December 8, 2018. Plus numerous festivals.
Next year the BIG Little River Paddle Race will be Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Reed Bingham State Park, and Paddle Georgia is starting at Troupville Boat Ramp for five days down the Withlaoochee and Suwannee Rivers in June 2019.
For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Experience the wilderness of the Alapaha River Water Trail as we continue the Alapaha Quest. Location for this outing will be determined dependent on water levels.
When: 8 AM, Saturday, October 6, 2018
Put In: To be announced (TBA).
Take Out: TBA
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Birds were singing,
2017-02-11.
Brochures: Trails Committee Meeting 2018-08-19
After only four years, we’re almost finished with both WWALS Water Trails! You can help get them done.
The new Chair of the WWALS Trails Committee, Dan Phillips, has called a meeting to work on one of the final steps: designing printed brochures. Anyone can attend, and anyone can send in pictures or suggestions.
Please email pictures to wwalswatershed@gmail.com. Please say who took each picture, when, where, and of what. High resolution, please.
When: 2:30-5PM, Sunday, 19 August 2018
Where:
Community Hall 2,
South Georgia Regional Library,
2906 Julia Dr, Valdosta, GA 31602
By phone:
Dial-in Number: (641) 715-3580
Meeting ID: 855-676
If you want to join the WWALS Trails Committee to help continue organizing this work, actually editing the documents shown below, you must be Continue reading