Category Archives: Blueway

Quality of life and the Alapaha River Water Trail

WWALS is most appreciative of this letter of support (PDF). -jsq

BuildLowndes.com

Valdosta-Lowndes
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

300x388 Text, in Quality of life and the Alapaha River Water Trail, by Andrea Schruijer, for WWALS.net, 21 January 2015 January 21, 2015

Mr. John Quarterman, President
WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
3338 Country Club Road #L336
Valdosta, GA 31605

Dear Mr. Quarterman;

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority works diligently with our existing companies and prospective companies looking to relocate to Valdosta, Georgia. There are several components that are part of this process and one of those is quality of life. Communities that have a wide variety of activities, arts and entertainment and outdoor recreation do better in the selection process as opposed to those that are limited.

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority understands that Continue reading →

High school student logo contest for Alapaha River Water Trail by WWALS in Suwannee Democrat

Update 2015-03-10: Prizes to high school logo contest winners Saturday at Alapaha River Water Trail Conference.

Florida noticed the ARWT logo contest.

Joyce Marie Taylor, Jasper News, 19 January 2015, HamCo: High school student logo contest for Alapaha River Water Trail by WWALS,

HCHS [Hamilton County High School] invited to participate

Valdosta, Ga.— Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Little River System (WWALS) is excited to announce a contest among high school students in Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Berrien, Atkinson, and Tift Counties in Georgia, and Hamilton County, Fla. to design a logo for the Alapaha River Water Trail. The logo will be used on the Water Trail website, on promotional brochures, and on information at access points along the river that will be posted on kiosks.

Our judges for the contest include:

The rest is verbatim from The WWALS press release of 14 January 2015.

-jsq

Water Trail Etiquette

Planning for the Alapaha River Water Trail, we need to put river etiquette guilelines in brochures, on kiosks, on the web, etc. What should we include? Here are some possibilities.

Update 2016-02-21: Here’s what we put in the ARWT Brochure, Safety and Etiquette.

The latest of the old brochures from the 1970s contained these six items:

  1. Carry all litter out with you.
  2. Do not cut or damage living trees.
  3. Be extremely careful with campfires.
  4. Firearms are not necessary.
  5. Bring your camera.
  6. Help protect the landowners property.

Georgia River Network’s Water Trails website has this ten-point version: Continue reading →

Outing summary, Expert paddle on the Alapaha River from US 82 @ WWALS 2015-01-17

Outings Committee Chair Bret Wagenhorst sent this report. See also pictures and videos. -jsq

300x225 Movie: Go right (1.4M), in Alapaha deadfalls, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 17 January 2015 Participants: Heather Braswell, Jack Hartley, Chris and Deanna Mericle, John Quarterman, Bret Wagenhorst

Put in: public boat ramp on east side of Hwy 82 bridge, east of Town of Alapaha.

Take out: private land near Rowe Town Church cemetery (permission obtained thru Heather)

Distance on River: Continue reading →

Pictures and Videos: Alapaha River Deadfalls, Outing from US82 south @ WWALS 2015-01-17

The Expert paddle on the Alapaha River from US 82, 300x169 Markers, in Alapaha deadfalls, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 17 January 2015 found the water level just right and encountered no obstacles it couldn’t float over in the 17 January 2015 WWALS Outing. Paddlers were Heather Brasell, Jack Hartley, Chris and Deanna Mericle, John S. Quarterman, and Bret Wagenhorst. For more information, see the report by outing organizer Bret Wagenhorst. Here are some pictures and videos taken by John S. Quarterman.

Here’s a video playlist, followed by some still pictures: Continue reading →

Old Bridge over Alapahoochee River

Nice to look at, but not for driving. Chris Mericle reports:

300x225 River and bridge, in Old Bridge over the Alapahoochee River, by Chris Mericle, for WWALS.net, 3 January 2015 Here are some photos of an old bridge across the Alapahoochee River that Deanna and I came across while out exploring the other day.

Driving or even walking across this bridge probably shouldn’t be recommended. Continue reading →

1970s Canoe Trail FAQ

The rivers may be the same, but technology and the cast of characters have changed, as indicated by this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list from the 1970s. The acronym FAQ hadn’t been invented yet, for that matter.

This Canoe Trail FAQ is courtesy of John Leonard, Executive Director of the Southe Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). I’ve added some links and clarifications.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNING THE CANOE TRAILS

  1. 300x388 One typewritten page, in 1970s Canoe Trail FAQ, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 0 1979 Days to float entire trail (Alapaha) 4 days-normal water; (Withlacoochee) 3 days-normal water.

    That’s for the 83 miles of the 1970s Alapaha Canoe Trail brochures, and the 65 miles of the 1970s Canoe Guide to the Withlacoochee River Trail brochures. Those distances are shorter than the current Continue reading →

Alapaha River @ GA 135, Berrien County south of Willacoochee

Update 2020-09-07: This location is now known as Nashville Landing.

300x210 There is a long sandy beach upstream from the bridge, which is a popular summer hangout for locals., in GA 135 Alapaha River access, by Bret Wagenhorst, for WWALS.net, 14 September 2014 There is a long sandy beach upstream from the bridge, which is a popular summer hangout for locals.

Bret Wagenhorst took these pictures 14 September 2014.

See also Alapaha River Water Trail. Continue reading →