Category Archives: Blueway

WWALS clean sweep at site of old Troupville, GA 2018-04-21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, GA, April 23, 2018 — Fifty children and adults helped WWALS clean up the site of old Troupville Saturday, with permission and thanks from the landowner where that former Lowndes County seat goes down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta.

Cleanup leader WWALS member Bobby McKenzie said:

We met at the signs for safety/execution briefing. I was able to talk about the signs and water trail to 50 folks and when I asked who knew about the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and being able to kayak them, only 2 folks were aware. Now 50 more folks are aware…and half were kids…but some of the best kind of kids…Boy and Girl Scouts!

Scouts and all, Sign
Photo: Bobby McKenzie for WWALS 2018-04-21, at Troupville Boat Ramp, by the WWALS signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted 2018-04-20.

Landowner Helen Tapp, whose family LLC gave permission for this cleanup, added:

What a fabulous turn-out of Earth Day workers! Thank you so much for Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols drive-time radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-04-24

Update 2018-04-24: video.

Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM I’ll be on the air with Steve Nichols talking about:

Plus the cleanup we just did at the site of old Troupville (thanks KLVB, VLPRA, and especially the landowners, including Helen Tapp), the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), and maybe a few words about water quality monitoring.

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA, Stills

When: 8:30 AM Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Where: The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols, 105.9FM WVGA Continue reading →

Pictures, Troupville Cleanup 2018-04-21

Update 2018-04-23: More detail from cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie, a word from property owner Helen Tapp, about sponsors of the water trail, a press release, where WWALS was at three other events that same day, and how you can find upcoming WWALS outings and events.

Cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie reported from the Troupville cleanup this morning:

We had about 50 folks come out this morning. Thanks to the Boy Scouts Troop 429 and 454 as well as Girl Scout Troop 40267 for coming to help out. We also had a couple folks from Moody.

Scouts and all, Sign
At Troupville Boat Ramp, by the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted yesterday.

Continue reading →

Troupville Boat Ramp Signs 2018-04-20

WWALS Outings Committee Chair Phil Hubbard made these metal signs and planted them yesterday at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River. Meet at these signs for the cleanup this morning, led by WWALS member Bobby McKenzie.

Planted, Signs

Phil said he had some difficulty Continue reading →

Deadfall, Alapaha River, between Berrien Beach and Lakeland 2018-04-15

Update 2018-04-24: deadfall pinpointed, with latlong and map, and see trip report.

Sometimes it takes paddlers from Atlanta to alert us to a river obstruction, in this case Robert Marshall about the Alapaha River:

A group of seven of us mostly from Atlanta paddled from GA-135 south of Willacoochee, to US-129 east of Lakeland, this last weekend. Loved the river, and appreciate all your organization does to promote its preservation.

Deadfall, Picture

You probably already know this, but there is a huge tree totally blocking the river, about halfway between the GA-168 bridge and the US-129 bridge. Water level at Statenville was about 3.5 during our trip. The tree’s top surface was probably a foot and a half above water level, and it spanned from bank to bank. We portaged on the right side.

That’s between Continue reading →

Paddle Race, Film festival, Songwriting Contest, and Water Trails @ VCC 2018-04-05

The audience was amused at the thought of the Valdosta City Council racing at Reed Bingham, or of any of them writing songs. But it could happen! And any of them can come on down to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Valdosta.

You’ve already seen the videos of the two resolutions, for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Here are videos of three WWALS members thanking Valdosta Mayor and Council for those, plus three festivals. We call WWALS a coalition because many people are involved, from many backgrounds, doing many different things to conserve and advocate for our watersheds being swimmable, fishable, and at least our well water drinkable.

WWALS Watershed Coalition --jsq, Stills

There’s a playlist at the end.

Canoeing from the Little to the Chee by Burt Kornegay 2018-03-24

Received April 6, 2018, posted with permission. -jsq

When I called the Canoe Outpost on the Suwannee River in Florida to ask if they would give me a shuttle up to the Little River at Reed Bingham State Park, in Georgia, the woman on the other end said, “You want to start up there?” I told her my plan was to canoe the Little River from where it left Reed Bingham down to its confluence with the Withlacoochee, then follow the Withlacoochee to the Suwannee. “I’ve worked here 27 years,” she exclaimed, “and this might be the first!”

Spotted, Arriving
Photo: Kathy Hubbard of Burt Kornegay arriving at Troupville Boat Ramp, March 24, 2018.

It turns out that, although many paddlers ply the Withlacoochee and the Suwannee with their blades, the adjective “little” in the name Little River means, in part, little paddled.

I’d had this trip in mind for years, and one reason lies in that Continue reading →

Video: Valdosta resolution for Alapaha River Water Trail 2018-04-05

Not bad for a spring break agenda: Valdosta also passed a resolution for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT), introduced by City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously.

Movie: 4.c. ARWT Resolution (2.7M), 4. Resolutions

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Valdosta passed resolution for Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2018-04-05

As scheduled, the resolution was introduced by Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously. Mayor John Gayle then volunteered that despite the empty seats, which he attributed to spring break, they did have a quorum with four Council members and the Mayor.

Here’s the video, followed by the resolution: Continue reading →

Burt Kornegay on the Little River 2018-03-24

Update 2018-04-10: Canoeing from the Little to the Chee by Burt Kornegay 2018-03-24.

[Phil Hubbard interviews Burt Kornegay] Very experienced retired outfitter Burt Kornegay from western north Carolina paddled the Little River from just below its one dam to the Withlacoochee and on to the Suwannee a week ago, and liked it a lot.

If you want a really good four-day canoe trip, put in right near Reed Bingham State Park at the highway 37 bridge. There’s an excellent put in right there. And spend four days canoeing down this river. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

That’s from somebody who has led expeditions all over the U.S., from the Grand Canyon to the Smokey Mountains, interviewed Saturday a week ago at Troupville Boat Ramp.

A happy paddler, Arriving

[A happy paddler]
A happy paddler

Continue reading →