Category Archives: River

Troupville Cleanup, Little River, 2018-04-21

By permission of the landowners, WWALS will be cleaning up the site of Troupville, the previous county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia. Its nineteenth-century residents picked up everything and moved it when Valdosta was founded, so there’s not much to see but beautiful riverfront, in Between the Rivers LLC, down to the confluence of the Little River with the Withlacoochee River. Unfortunately, there is trash, which we will clean up. We hope to have some history experts explaining what used to be there.

This cleanup is in conjunction with Keep Lowndes Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB) The Great American Cleanup, and is part of Waterkeeper® Alliance Cleanup Week.

When: 8:30 AM – Noon, Saturday, April 21, 2018

Gather at: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18.
Park here to walk to the cleanup site.
No boat required, but if you want to bring a boat, you can put in here and paddle back.

GPS: 30.85131, -83.34743

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.

Free: This outing is free to everyone. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Lowndes County parcel 0057 003, Between the Rivers LLC
Site of Troupville at the confluence of the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Lowndes County parcel 0057 003, Between the Rivers LLC

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Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018-05-31

Update 2018-04-16: Tickets now available!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, GA, April 5, 2018 — WWALS Watershed Coalition (Suwannee Riverkeeper) announces a Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta as a natural extension of WWALS’ work to inspire people to act for fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters.

WSFF WWALS Logo, Graphics When: 7PM, Thursday, May 31, 2018

Where: Mathis Auditorium,
2300 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA 31602

Event: facebook, meetup

WWALS WSFF Poster,
To print this poster, use the PDF.

Tickets: Available at the door, and pre-sale tickets will be available soon are available online and on paper now.

What: Wild & Scenic focuses on films which speak to Continue reading

Sabal Trail blowdown with no notice 2018-04-03

Update 2018-04-05: Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson noted yesterday: “Correction it was a FGT blowdown. Easy to be confused as Sabal Trail is in the same corridor and working on their pipeline too. And remember that SONAT gas pipeline is also in this same corridor. That’ll really be something else if and when all 3 gas transmission pipelines are being worked on simultaneously. I think it is also very disconcerting that pipeline companies do not have to inform the NRC (National Response Center) or PHMSA (Pipeline Hazard and Materials Safety Agency) when they do work on these explosive infrastructure corridors.”

See Where pipelnes already cross rivers into Suwannee County, Florida.

Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson reported on facebook yesterday:

Sabal Trail has been doing a blowdown operation on the pipeline corridor and the Santa Fe River. That was what sounded like a jet airplane in the river community on Monday April 2, 2018.

Valve, Sabal Trail
Photo: Jim Tatum.

That sounds much like the FGT pipeline noise last month in Suwannee County near the Suwannee River.

Also similar: Sabal Trail’s FERC-required Informational Postings contain no Critical nor non-Critical notices about whatever it is they are doing now.

Where are the state and federal agencies that permitted Sabal Trail? Why have they not required notices to neighbors, local Fire Rescue, and the public?

This month, Graphs

Meawhile, Sabal Trail gas is up and down yet again. How can this pipeline be needed when it’s shut down half the time? Is its main function really to scare the neighbors?

This month, Graphs

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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

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Both WWALS Water Trails on Valdosta agenda Thursday 2018-04-05

On their agenda for 5:30 PM this Thursday, April 5, 2018, at Valdosta City Hall:

Valdosta, WLRWT, ARWT, Logos 4.b. Consideration of a Resolution of Support for the Withlacoochee River and Little River Water Trail.

4.c. Consideration of a Resolution of Support for the Alapaha River Water Trail.

It wouldn’t hurt for some WWALS members, especially ones who live in Valdosta, to stand up and thank the City Council in Citizens to be Heard at the end of the meeting,

Let’s not count our chickens before they’re hatched, since they could modify the resolutions or not pass them, but here are the PDFs I sent them for the WLRWT and the ARWT.

It was surprisingly easy to show Continue reading

Overnight Camping: Suwannee Springs to Suwannee River State Park 2018-06-02

Update 2018-04-17: Online pre-registration for event fee (free to WWALS members) and shuttle fee. Space is limited. Register soon.

Beautiful two-day paddle trip with overnight camping at Holton Creek.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, June 2, 2018

Put In: Suwannee Springs, 3243 91st Dr, Live Oak, FL 32060

GPS: 30.39417, -82.93383

Take Out: Suwannee River State Park, 3631 201st Path, Live Oak, FL 32060

Bring: camping gear in addition to the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 a day ($20) to non-members, plus campsite fees and park entry fees.

All attendees must pre-pay a $10 shuttle fee. You can register here:

Overnight Outing

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Green Suwannee Springs outflow,
Photo: Continue reading

Suwannee Riverkeeper about water quality monitoring on Earth Day at Friends of the Lower Suwannee Refuges

I went to their board meeting and they invited me back to present slides on Earth Day:

When: 9AM to noon, Earth Day, Friday, April 20, 2018

Where: Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge
16450 Northwest 31st Place, Chiefland 32626

Event: facebook, meetup

Who: Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges

Friends logo

PR from the Friends says: Continue reading

Valdosta Committee meeting, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018-03-28

Wednesday noon in Valdosta, the last Committee meeting before submissions open for the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

When: 12-1 PM Wednesday 28 March 2018

Where: Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, 270 Norman Dr, Valdosta, GA 31601
aka Cheddar’s Casual Cafe,
Off I-75 Exit 16, US 84, West Hill Avenue.

What: Judge candidates, and event logistics including food and beverages.
Like every week, you can also participate by telephone; inquire within for how.

Event: facebook, meetup

Google Street View, Map
Map: Google Street View

The Contest

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Nutrien (PCS Phosphate mine) 5-year permit renewal 2018-03-16

See also: Nutrien (PCS) mining phosphate and water in Hamilton County and soon in Columbia County? 2018-07-11.

Hamilton County citizen and WWALS member Chris Mericle sent this Friday, with permission to post.


Hey John,

I just wanted to relate to you the status of the 5 year mining permit renewal for Nutrien (formerly PCS).

I was in a long teleconference yesterday afternoon where we were trying to negotiate for several modifications to the mining permit.

Figure 4. Location of existing and proposed Phosphogypsum Stack Systems (PGSS), Map
Figure 4. Location of existing and proposed Phosphogypsum Stack Systems (PGSS), in FINAL REPORT: Review of PCS Phosphate — White Springs; Activities and Operations Related to Five-Year Renewal of Special Permit 03-1. Review Period: January 2013 through December 2017 Prepared tor: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners. February 23, 2018. Prepared by: Lampl-Herbert

In attendance: Continue reading

Live Oak Committee meeting for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018-03-21

Wednesday in Live Oak, the organizing Committee meets for the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. You can even write about the Ockolocoochee River!

When: 3PM Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Where: Brown Lantern Restaurant, 417 E Howard St, Live Oak, FL 32064

What: WWALS Songwriting Committee
planning the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Like last week in Valdosta, you can also participate by telephone; inquire within for how.

Event: facebook, meetup

Brown Lantern, Live Oak, FL

The Contest

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