Category Archives: Blueway

Withlacoochee River and Sabal Trail @ US 84 –WWALS Field Trip 2015-08-28

A very brief paddle (or walk, depending on water level) a few hundred feet up the Withlacoochee River from US 84 to see where the Sabal Trail pipeline proposes to cross. Facebook event.

When: 10AM, Friday,
August 28th 2015

Where: Meet in the parking lot at
Agri-Supply
2825 US Hwy 84W
Valdosta, GA 31601

We will carpool from there to US 84 and to where we will leave most of the vehicles.

Fallback: Continue reading

Withlacoochee River at US 84, 2015-08-28

Halfway between Quitman and Valdosta, the Withlacoochee River forms the border between Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia.

Parking on the median on the east, Lowndes County, side, you can climb down the highway rocks and down a creek bed to the river. Continue reading

Video: Steam engine, bridges, trees, beaches, and trash: Alapaha River by Diane Shearer

Also boating, deadfalls, steam engine, and rapids. Diane Shearer presented slides about the Alapaha River of her homeland, 31 March 2012 at Georgia River Network Weekend for Rivers, and said:

Right there at Alapaha, where it’s been clearcut behind it. This is one of the main problems of the river: there used to be nothing on that shore there but huge cypress trees and tupelo trees, and that’s almost gone everywhere. And that’s one of the great dangers to this river, is agricultural runoff, the fact that people can suck all the water out of it they want to, for irrigation and those sorts of things.

The video starts Continue reading

Banks Lake Full Moon Paddle: bring bon-bons! 2015-08-29

Bring bon-bons, lights, and boats to Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, Georgia, 300x225 Evening falls, in Banks Lake Full Moon, by John S. Quarterman, 13 June 2014

7PM Saturday
August 29th 2015

for the first WWALS Moonlight Paddle and Bon-Bon Eating Contest. Your host, Chris Mericle, has arranged a special after-hours permit for this outing. Join us at

Banks Lake Outdoors,
1099 W Main St.,
Lakeland, GA 31635.

This is part of our continuing exploration of the Alapaha River Water Trail. Printable PDF flyer. facebook event.

Strictly speaking, a bon-bon is Continue reading

5-Hole caves at Suwannee River SP after Alapaha Rise and Sabal Trail Pipeline on Suwannee River Outing 2015-08-15

Expedition leader Chris Mericle reports he’s gotten the Suwannee River State Park vehicle entrance fees waived for this weekend’s outing, plus a permit

…to view a unique closed area of the park called “5 Holes”. 5 Holes is a series of karst windows leading to a spring. When the water level is right you can walk through a semi-cavern from the river up the spring run to the spring.

So meet us 8AM tomorrow morning, Saturday, August 15h, 2015 at Gibson Park!

James Garrett posted some Continue reading

Naylor Boat Ramp on schedule by Lowndes County

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter says the Naylor Boat Ramp is on schedule for completion this fall, provided the Georgia Department of Natural Resources returns the appropriate permits.

At last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Sesssion, WWALS president John S. Quarterman displayed the Alapaha River Water Trail brochures, pointing out the Naylor Boat Ramp on the map. He, ok, I, asked what was the status of that project that Lowndes County is building with SPLOST funds.

Nobody answered in the public meeting, but afterwards Continue reading

Update: Sabal Trail Pipeline, Alapaha, Suwannee, and Withlacoochee Rivers, WWALS Outing 2015-08-15

Update 2015-08-14: Now plus Five Holes caves at Suwannee River State Park!

This flag marks where Sabal Trail plans to drill under the Suwannee River, pictured today by Chris Mericle, who also pictured a number spraypainted on a tree and remarked:

I know it is a small thing but, it is this lack of respect for nature that we will be forced to endure if this pipeline is permitted.

With FL DEP proposing to issue a permit for Sabal Trail, let’s go investigate, and have some fun at the same time.

First we’ll look at the Alapaha Rise, which is where some of the water that disappears from the Alapaha River at its sinks comes back up out of the Floridan Aquifer. To get to the Rise we paddle upstream on the Suwannee River, then Continue reading

Florida lists WWALS for Alapaha River Water Trail

The Florida Department of Greenways and Trails now links to WWALS for the Alapaha River Water Trail. Chris Mericle, who negotiated this for WWALS, says:

This action will shine a brighter and wider light on WWALS, anyone searching the Greenways and Trails website and clicks on the ARWT will be directed to WWALS.

Follow the link to see.

We’re also looking for pictures Continue reading

Sullivan Launch to Blue Spring, Withlacoochee River Outing 2015-10-24

Update 2022-07-20: Better picture labels and access.

Update 2015-10-29: Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring Withlacoochee River 2015-10-24.

Downstream on our tea-colored Withlacoochee River to the Blue Spring, it’s the October WWALS Outing!

When: 9AM Saturday October 24th 2015

Where: Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Springs State Park.

Distance: 10.2 miles, about 5 hours, after a shuttle of about 40 minutes.

Facebook: event.

This outing is Free! But we encourage you to join WWALS today to support our fun outings and important work: /donations/. See our newsletters, and the press Releases and news. And consider joining the new Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee.

Directions: Continue reading