Category Archives: Blueway

5th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race with grilling and silent auction 2017-04-29

Update 2017-06-04: And the winners!

Update 2017-04-30: Summary of news coverage.

Update 2017-04-29: Pictures and videos.

Update 2017-04-27: Paddle or Race, Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio 2017-04-27

Update 2017-04-26: River radio videos: Charlie Walker dried off in time on KIX 99.5 FM for the BIG Little River Paddle Race 2017-04-26 and Video: BLPR and Neighbor Steve Nichols, WVGA 105.9 FM 2017-04-26.

Update 2017-04-25: More river radio: BLPR on The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols, 105.9 FM, 8:15 AM Wednesday April 26, 2017, and you can get a kayak raffle ticket online or at the paddle race.

Update 2017-04-24: Hear about it on the Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio show 8AM Thursday April 27th.

Back by popular demand! This year plus lunch grilling and a silent auction afterwards: the fifth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, a fundraiser for WWALS and Friends of Reed Bingham (FORB). Last year we had 34 paddlers, and the traditional winner almost lost! Come on down and you can be a winner, if not first place, in one of many categories.

Ready! Where: Red Roberts Landing
31°11’32.0″N 83°31’13.2″W
Rountree Bridge Road
Between Moultrie and Adel, GA
I-75 Exit 41 (at Sparks) to Rountree Bridge Road

When: 8AM-9AM Registration
9:30 AM Mass Start

What: Canoes or Kayaks Only
Life jackets required of all participants.

Let people know: facebook event or the Meetup event.
But remember to register.

Registration: Register on-line Continue reading →

Videos: Suwannee Riverkeeper at Hahira Historical Society 2017-01-09

We all drink from straws into the same Floridan Aquifer, so we need to keep it clean and full, said WWALS acting Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman at the Hahira Historical Society, a very influential institution between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers in Lowndes County, Georgia.

You can see in this video that she also explained we paddle upstream in the rainy season and downstream in summer, how WWALS added Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®, and what WWALS does and where, including Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper at Hahira Historical Society 2017-01-09

Monday WWALS acting Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman will talk about Front door agriculture and the recent Mott regrant to WWALS for conservation outreach, about the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, and about Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®, at the Hahira Historical Society, a very influential institution between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers in Lowndes County, Georgia. Come on down and hear how you can be a steward for our waters as a WWALS member, a committee member, or even as a board member.

When: 7PM Monday, Januar 9th, 2017

Where: 102 South Church, Street, Hahira, GA 31632

Event: facebook

I used to go see Dr. Parrott and then Dr. Acree in that building, which is Continue reading →

WWALS receives grant for water conservation outreach to farmers and community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WWALS receives grant for water conservation outreach to farmers and community (PDF)

Hahira, Georgia; December 27, 2016 — Local water conservation group WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) has received a grant of Just enough water here, 31.0016918, -83.4573364 $6,000 from the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC) to help groups in towns, counties, and countryside to draw the big picture of watershed conservation, as well as to help organize at least one grant from a different source to assist at least one farmer in erosion control.

The award contract of November 11, 2016, says Continue reading →

GA 168 (Berrien Beach) to GA 122 (Lakeland) Alapaha River Outing 2017-02-11

Long, but if the water is high, should be fast: 16 1/2 miles from Berrien Beach Landing to Lakeland Boat Ramp on the lovely wild Alapaha River Water Trail. As long as the rains keep coming, the river should be high and it should take less time than the usual estimate of eight hours. Bring the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. There is no good place to take out before the end point, so be prepared to paddle all day.

When: 7:00AM, Saturday, February 11th, 2017

Put In: Berrien Beach Ramp, on GA 168 east of Nashville, Berrien County, Georgia, at 31.159076, -83.045554. Continue reading →

Water Trails at Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority 2016-10-18

After getting some clarification on local bonds, I invited VLCIA to the WWALS Quarterly presentation about Valdosta wastewater and flood control, to the Dead River Sink hike, and told them about the dye test that discovered where the Alapaha River water comes back up (at the Alapaha Rise). Afterwards I nudged them about the letter in support of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail they previously promised.

Some day some of them will actually come to a WWALS event, and meanwhile they seem to like to be invited. Here’s the LAKE video from the 18 October 2016 Regular Meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority.

Continue reading →

Madison Blue Spring and Sabal Trail pipeline 2016-11-23

Sabal Trail only barely misses the Withlacoochee River in Florida, even though it no longer crosses over into Madison County. And it’s the same Floridan Aquifer on both sides of the river.

Springs and pipeline, 30.4828540, -83.2577470: The red line is Sabal Trail in Hamilton County. In the foreground in Madison County is Madison Blue Spring on the Withlacoochee River, and the P is Pot Spring farther downstream. The N is Nestle; you’d think they’d care about potential damage to the aquifer from which they suck water.

Springs and pipeline,

Withlacoochee River, pipeline, 30.4591650, -83.2224900: Close enough? Continue reading →

Aerials: Dry Alapaha River and the Alapaha Rise 2016-11-23

The Alapaha River is dry much of the year in most of its Florida run, because it goes underground upstream and comes back up in the Alapaha Rise, which is actually upstream on the Suwannee River from the Alapaha Confluence. The Cody Scarp causes this underground river phenomenon. See also the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

CR 751 bridge, dry Alapaha River, 30.4485760, -83.0968860

CR 751 bridge, dry Alapaha River,

Alapaha River Confluence with Suwannee River, 30.4368660, -83.0982100

Continue reading →

Brooks County Commission Resolution to Support WLRWT 2016-11-07

Commissioners, county agent, and Sherry Davidson of SGRC Unanimously, they passed a resolution to support the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail: the Brooks County Commission at their regular meeting of Monday November 7th 2016 (PDF). Thanks to the Commissioners, especially Chairman Myra Exum and Vice-Chairman Joe Wingate, for their warm welcome to WWALS. Thanks to Commissioners and staff, especially County Administrator Justin DeVane, for some very useful suggestions, such as numbering river landings as well as naming them, in the same way that county roads have both names and numbers to make it easier for emergency services.

The picture is of county agent Stephanie Hollifield reminding the Commissioners that Brooks County farmer Randy Dowdy set a world record for soybean yield of Continue reading →

GWC Dirty Dozen and Sabal Trail pipeline drilling mud leak on WALB 2016-11-16

People and news media turned out from Florida and Georgia at the Withlacoochee River US 84 bridge in cross-state-line solidarity about the Sabal Trail pipeline and its recent drilling mud leak. They heard the Georgia Water Coalition announce that Sabal Trail is, for the third year running, on the Dirty Dozen 2016.

Ashlyn Becton, WALB, 16 November 2016, Environmentalist raise awareness about Sabal Trail Pipeline,

Folks from North Florida and South Georgia held a protest at the Withlacoochee River Wednesday and listened to a news conference announcing the Georgia Water Coalition’s Dirty Dozen.

The report highlights the worst offenses and greatest threats to Georgia’s bodies of water.

And the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is on the GWC Dirty Dozen 2016, as Chattahoochee, Flint, Withlacoochee Rivers and Floridan Aquifer: Gas pipeline company, federal agency run roughshod over state, local residents property rights, with this What Must Be Done: Continue reading →