Category Archives: History

Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park –Byron Herder 2026-06-25

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Byron Herder, who owns the Alapaha River Rise, just upstream from the Alapaha River on the Suwannee River, sent this:

I don’t think I can make it Saturday. Here is some history and data on the area of put in near Gibson. Was the capitol of Florida for thousands of years before Spanish contact. Largest pyramids in Florida. Was site of San Ugustin de Urihica for Spanish missionaries. First large battle in what is now US history called Napituca.

What’s happening Saturday is Gibson County Park to SRSP Paddle, Suwannee River 2026-06-27.

https://wwals.net/?p=70541

[Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park --Byron Herder 2026-06-25]
Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park –Byron Herder 2026-06-25

Here are the images Byron sent, with sources for those that I could find. Continue reading →

Pictures: Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

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More than 20 boatloads of new paddlers went on Reed Bingham State Park Lake, in Juneteenth, June 20, 2026, by Macedonia Community Foundation and WWALS.

Thanks to Fannie Marie Gibbs for the idea. She was indisposed and could not come. Her grandchildren Andre and Aisha Gibbs and friends and relatives brought the food and the games for children.

WWALS supplied the boats and the stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat: Andrew Reinlieb, Gretchen Quarterman, Scotti Jay, and John S. Quarterman, plus Kimberly Godden Tanner signing people in.

[Juneteenth with new boaters, Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20, And food!]
Juneteenth with new boaters, Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20, And food!

Here are some video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/902855629498139/

https://youtu.be/_APnkogCgcg

People seemed to like it. I took the first boatload out soon after the 11 AM start time, and more boatloads of new paddlers were still going well after the nominal 3 PM end time, even after 4 PM.

Georgia State Parks raised the parking rate from to $10. Sorry about that. Other than that, there was no charge.

June 19, 2027, is on a Saturday, so that’s the most likely next time for this Juneteenth celebration.

If you want to know about Juneteenth the event, try this:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth Continue reading →

Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping –Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09

Published with permission, here is what Dr. Bob Knight ferreted out from USGS and the WMDs about groundwater pumping.

You’d think they would publish this information, but since they didn’t, WWALS is.

These slides (PowerPoint or PDF) don’t say anything about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the WMD and JEA plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee Basin, but this is the groundwater background to WFNF.

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse --Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09]
Floridan Aquifer Groundwater Pumping Is Getting Worse –Dr. Bob Knight 2026-05-09

He sent these slides to various environmentalists on May 9, 2026, with this note. I asked him later in person if he minded WWALS publishing. He said go ahead.

All

Attached is an updated summary of Florida groundwater wells, permits, and reported extraction quantities from the Floridan aquifer. All data were provided by the water management districts and the USGS. But the summaries of those reams of data are my work and may not be complete and accurate in all cases. Surprisingly, the WMDs have differing data bases and few detailed summaries of these data. For now, I believe these may be the best data summaries out there. Historically (up to 2015) Richard Marella formerly with USGS reported a lot of Floridan aquifer detailed/summary data every five years. That important contribution ended in 2015 and there is no sign that it will be picked back up by the state or the USGS.

The inconvenient truth is that all groundwater extractions reduce spring flows and that data analysis indicates that the ratio is almost one to one. Measured spring flow reductions closely mirror these reported pumping totals and differ widely from groundwater flow model estimates.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Bob

Continue reading →

WWALS at Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park 2026-05-22

Join us on the banks of the Suwannee River on Memorial Day Weekend for Florida Folk Festival.

The festival is a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique.

Come talk to us about water quality testing, water reservations, Water First North Florida (WFNF), sewage, trash, detention centers, datacenters, and other advocacy as well as outings and water trails.

And of course our own WWALS River Revue, coming up Saturday, September 12, 2026, including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, at the 4-H Camp in Lake Park, Georgia.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026/

When: 10 AM, Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24, 2026

Put In: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Saunders Drive, White Springs, FL 32096.

GPS: 30.332884, -82.769513

[Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, Florida, May 22-24, 2026]
Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, Florida, May 22-24, 2026

Continue reading →

Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem –Tana Silva 2026-04-19

Like Tana Silva, you can write a letter to the editor of your local, state, or national newspaper, or ask your local radio or TV station to interview you, or post on social media.

Better yet, call or write your elected and appointed officials, and sign the petition:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Tana Silva, Alachua Chronicle, April 19, 2026, Letter: Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem, not a solution
https://alachuachronicle.com/letter-refilling-the-aquifer-with-wastewater-is-a-problem-not-a-solution/

April 19, 2026

Letter to the editor

[Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem (WFNF) --Tana Silva 2026-04-19]
Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem (WFNF) –Tana Silva 2026-04-19

Until the 1970s, Jacksonville pumped sewage straight into the St. Johns River and allowed dumping industrial waste there as well. The mayor elected in 1967, local advocates, and the Clean Water Act of 1972 helped to at least send wastewater to treatment plants before releasing it to the river. That practice, too, is restricted by state law now, but raising springwater levels through recharging projects is another goal in state law that opens a path to reusing wastewater, a risky and irreversible choice.

Jacksonville, the largest city, water consumer, and wastewater producer in northern Florida, is again looking to offload its wastewater, this time far to the west, in rural springs country.

Local residents and governments and the 12-county regional planning council that includes Alachua County say no: Continue reading →

Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

Update 2026-06-23: Pictures: Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20.

Update June 19, 2026: We are aware of the weather predictions.
If it’s raining Saturday, we will all party under the pavilion.
When there are breaks in the rain, paddling will happen.

Hahira, GA, April 21, 2026 — “Back again at the beach pavilion on the Little River at Reed Bingham State Park, it’s Juneteenth with boats! WWALS will provide stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

WWALS will provide boats for new paddlers at a gathering of people from Brooks, Cook, Lowndes, and Tift Counties and beyond in celebration of Juneteenth.

Food and activities for children will be provided by Fannie Gibbs and Macedonia Community Foundation.

When: 11 AM – 3 PM, Saturday, June 20, 2026

Put In: Reed Bingham State Park Beach, 542 Reed Bingham Rd, Adel, GA 31620. Take I-75 Exit 39, turn west on GA 37, right on Evergreen Church Road (CR 99), left on Reed Bingham SP Road (CR 221), in through the gate and across the dam, and the beach is on your right, in Colquitt County.

GPS: 31.162563, -83.548506

[Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20]
Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20

Continue reading →

WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat 2026-03-23

We aim to clear a wide and deep enough passage for canoes, kayaks, and jon boats. Sometimes we will clear more if it’s obviously going to just fall back into the passage, or if it will be a problem at a different water level. But we remove only what we must.

We leave most of the rest as habitat for fish, turtles, otters, birds, and other wildlife. Shade, eddies, pools, and general variation in river flow result; all good for wildlife. You may notice that experienced fishers often cast near woody debris for this reason.

[WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat, 2026-03-23]
WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat, 2026-03-23

As a reminder, to join WWALS on any river outing you must listen to the safety lecture and sign the insurance waiver. Every person in a boat, no matter their age or size or experience, must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Here are more than 50 examples of WWALS chainsaw cleanups:

https://wwals.net/outings/chainsaw-cleanups/

You can see plenty of habitat beyond where TJ is sawing in this picture. Continue reading →

Atsena Otie Key paddle, Cedar Key Public Beach 2026-04-04

Launch at the soft ramp, Cedar Key Public Beach, and paddle around Atsena Otie Key of the original settlement. Stop at the island for lunch and paddle back to the beach.

When: Gather 10 AM, launch 11 AM, end 5 PM, Saturday, April 4, 2026

Put In: Cedar Key City Beach Park, Lil Shark Park, 192 2nd St, Cedar Key, FL 32625, Levy County.

GPS: 29.1369, -83.0296

I have done this paddle about 3 times. In good weather it’s pretty easy. Choosing a direction that works with the current and wind is best. That’s not always a straight line. If the weather is not fair, there are alternative routes that stay closer to land.

The channel between Cedar Key and Atsena will be will be the only challenge. It can be similar to paddling upriver. Inexperienced paddlers should use a sit on top, in instead of sit in kayak. But that is usually advised for saltwater paddles.

I was not really expecting inexperienced paddlers to travel as far as Cedar Key. If they were to show up in an inadequate vessel, they can rent a saltwater kayak locally. People paddle board this route often.

[Atsena Otie Key paddle, Cedar Key Public Beach, Levy County, FL, Saturday, April 4, 2026]
Atsena Otie Key paddle, Cedar Key Public Beach, Levy County, FL, Saturday, April 4, 2026

Continue reading →

Revised Agenda: Without Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30

This morning they sent an amended agenda, which removes the item about demolishing the Suwannee River Visitors Center.

I don’t know whether that means they’ll reschedule it for a later meeting.

At least it gives them time to address questions such as:

  • Will the bats be rehomed?
  • How can companies bid on the demolition?
  • What could be built on that site?
  • Can Fargo Boat Ramp get repaired?

[Amended Agenda: Removed, Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources, 2026-01-30, St. Simons Island, GA]
Amended Agenda: Removed, Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources, 2026-01-30, St. Simons Island, GA

Everything else is the same on the agenda for the GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources as in the previous post.

https://wwals.net/?p=69309

There are interesting items on there, such as

a) Action on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Fund 2025-2026 Approved Proposal of Projects (Trevor Santos, Deputy Commissioner) (Tab B)

The Board of Natural Resources will meet at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.

Live Stream Link:

https://usO6web.z0om.us/j/87169233576?pwd=4zEe9sRELWiGCHR8GIRny4d6liSkla.1

Meeting ID: 871 6923 3576
Passcode: 386825

Continue reading →

Packet: Suwannee River Visitor Center unfit for public use or rehabilitation @ DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30

Update 2026-01-28: Amended Agenda: Removed Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30.

Here is some more detail on the item to demolish the Suwannee River Visitors Center, on the agenda for the GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources, for this Friday, January 30, 2026, on St. Simons Island and livestreamed.

The Suwannee River Visitor Center has been unoccupied and closed for over a decade. The structure is now extensively deteriorated and occupied by a large colony of bats. The building has been subject to repeated vandalism and structural damage, resulting in unsafe conditions that render it unfit for public use or rehabilitation. Due to these ongoing issues, the facility represents a continuing safety risk and liability to staff, visitors, and the Department.

The Board of Natural Resources will meet at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.

Live Stream Link:

https://usO6web.z0om.us/j/87169233576?pwd=4zEe9sRELWiGCHR8GIRny4d6liSkla.1

Meeting ID: 871 6923 3576
Passcode: 386825

[Packet: Suwannee River Visitor Center unfit for public use or rehabilitation @ DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30]
Packet: Suwannee River Visitor Center unfit for public use or rehabilitation @ DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30

There is nothing in the board packet about rebuilding anything on the site.

The Visitor Center is at the entrance to Fargo Boat Ramp, in Fargo, Georgia, off of US 441. The Ramp would be unaffected, assuming they can contain the demolition debris. Fargo Ramp is the first publicly-owned Suwannee River access downstream

While that building has indeed been in dire straits for a decade or more, very few people seem to have been aware of this proposal to demolish it.

There is nothing about it in the minutes of the previous meeting of the Lands Committee nor of the minutes of the previous meeting of the Board Natural Resources.

This item comes directly from GA-DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon, like the other proposal to demolish, “Requesting approval via Executive Order to demolish the Red Top Mountain State Park well house, Bartow County.”

This is the agenda sheet for the Suwannee item: Continue reading →