Category Archives: Trash

Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16

After it was tabled a second time, there’s yet another Public Hearing about plopping ten houses in the middle of an agriculture character area, with runoff and recharge issues that affect the neighbors, Gin Branch Creek, the Withlacoochee River, and groundwater down to the Floridan Aquifer. As well as all the usual issues of trespassing, poaching, pets, livestock, traffic, and road erosion.

Plus transparency and the Berrien Planning Commission should follow the Berrien County Code and Comprehensive Plan.

The farther out from existing services, the more a subdivision costs the county in calls on Sheriff Deputies, Fire Rescue, school buses and places at the schools. Property taxes on those houses would not pay for all that. The rest of Berrien County would have to pay the difference.

[Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission, Thursday, October 16, 2025]
Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission, Thursday, October 16, 2025

For what happened at the previous Public Hearing and why it was tabled, see previous post:
https://wwals.net/?p=68463

Here’s a facebook event to encourage people to come to this Public Hearing:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1476163917000214/

This is what the Public Notices on the roads say:

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Hearing:

Cole Livingston, Subdividing multiple lots off the Old Valdosta Hwy, Bradford Rd and Strawder Rd
Ray City, Ga 31645

Time: 5:30 October 16, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting
6:00 pm November 4, 2025 County Commissioners Meeting

Public Hearing

Location: Planning Commission 201 N. Davis Street Nashville GA
County Commissioner’s Board Room 201 North Davis Street Nashville Ga 31639 Continue reading

Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone @ Suwannee BOCC 2025-10-07

Update 2025-10-08: The Commissioners agreed to support the no wake zone. Pictures: Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone @ Suwannee BOCC 2025-10-07.

Come on down to Live Oak to speak or be seen in support of the Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone.

That’s 5:30 PM today, Tuesday, October 7, 2025
at the Judicial Annex Building, 218 Parshley Street Southwest, Live Oak, Florida 32064

It’s item 14 the Suwannee County Commission agenda, and it takes up pages 88-130 of the board packet.

Florida Parks “does not oppose,” and FFWC Research and SRWMD recommend more study.

Suwannee County could support more study, or it could say the evidence is already convincing enough.

[Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone @ Suwannee BOCC, Tuesday, October 7, 2025]
Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone @ Suwannee BOCC, Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Linda Dicker says:

The petition will be presented by Mr. Alden Rosner, Parks & Recreation Director for Suwannee County. I will not be permitted to present the petition and will be in attendance only to address any questions the commission may have.

It is critical that our community express their support of this petition and let the county commission know that we are passionate about preserving the Ichetucknee. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts to sign in for public comments.

You can also write to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWC), using this handy form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYFArSQsstOauhRVYTCMoikXYIo0i_gDmkuDlbTC-7OSsgQQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114012348461689332646

Or you can write to:

Captain Rachel Bryant <Rachel.bryant@myfwc.com>
Major Bill Holcomb <William.holcomb@myfwc.com>
Rob Klepper <Robert.klepper@myfwc.com>

What FFWC says it wants from Suwannee County is: Continue reading

Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing –WWALS to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18

Update 2025-10-07: Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.

I handed this letter to the Berrien Planning Commissioners and the Zoning Administrator before I spoke to them at the recent Public Hearing. They tabled this item for another month, awaiting more documents from the applicant, Cole Livingston, for his proposal to subdivide for ten houses in an agricultural character area on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Highway, in Berrien County, Georgia, draining to Gin Branch Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

[Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing, WWALS 2025-09-18, to Berrien Planning Commission]
Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing, WWALS 2025-09-18, to Berrien Planning Commission

September 18, 2025

To: Teresa Willis
Berrien County Zoning Administrator
229-686-2149
twillis@berriencountyga.gov
201 N. Davis Street Room 122
Nashville GA 31639

Re: Subdividing M&P 061-14-000, 061-16-002, Old Valdosta Rd. & Bradford Rd.

Dear Berrien County Zoning Administrator and Planning Commission,

Please recommend denial of the proposed subdividing, because:

  1. House lots would produce more runoff, which would run onto neighboring properties, as attested by several neighbors at the previous Public Hearing on August 21, 2025. See attached LIDAR map and attached wetland and flood zone map.
  2. Runoff would carry trash and other contamination into Gin Branch Creek that runs north across Bradford Road and west into the Withlacoochee River. See attached map of Gin Branch Creek.
  3. Under Bradford Road and along Gin Branch Creek is an aquifer recharge zone, into the groundwater from which we all drink. We do not need to risk more contaminants possibly getting into that. See attached aquifer recharge map.
  4. Increased traffic and runoff would erode Bradford and Strawder Roads, requiring more work by the county to fix them.
  5. The houses would not be accessory to farm operations as in the Berrien County Comprehensive Plan Strategy for an Agriculture Character Area, which says: Continue reading

Pictures: Georgia Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing, 2025-09-20

Participants got a Georgia Rivers Alive t-shirt for helping clean up this sand-slope party spot on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman to organizing, and to Shirley Kokidko and an anonymous for picking up trash along with Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

This was at Mayday Landing, 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649. left bank, east side of the Alapaha River, south of Howell Road, north of the railroad bridge, in Echols County. GPS: 30.82827, -83.017179

[Georgia Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up 2025-09-20, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing]
Georgia Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up 2025-09-20, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing

We collected several hundred pounds of trash. Continue reading

Videos: Bradford Road subdividing @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18

Update 2025-10-07: Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision @ Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.

Update 2025-09-22: Water issues, Bradford Road subdividing –WWALS to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-09-18.

Update 2025-09-20: Road costs, well risks, taxpayers should decide –Lisa Sumner for Wayne Nash 2025-09-18.

Once again, the Greater Berrien Planning Commission tabled the proposed Cole Livingston subdividing on Bradford and Strawder Roads and Old Valdosta Highway. Once again, it was because of missing materials from the applicant. They did not, however, mention the missing Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan that caused the previous tabling.

[Tabled again, Bradford Road subdividing, @ Berrien Planning Commission, 2025-09-17]
Tabled again, Bradford Road subdividing, @ Berrien Planning Commission, 2025-09-17

They did allow quite a few people to speak, even though they tabled this item.

Before all that, they tabled the minutes from the August 21 meeting due to transcription errors.

And they unanimously recommended approval for another item, a McCorvey duplex on Dawn Street, rezoning from R15 to R6.

If they stick to the third Thursday of the month, the next Public Hearing on the Livingston item will be Thursday, October 16, 2025.

Below are videos of each agenda item or speaker, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

See also Continue reading

Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing, 2025-09-20

Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, on land at Mayday Landing, between Valdosta and Homerville, on the Alapaha River.

And you get a Georgia Rivers Alive t-shirt for helping clean up this sand-slope party spot on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

When: 9 AM, Saturday, September 20, 2025

Put In: Mayday Landing, 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649. left bank, east side of the Alapaha River, south of Howell Road, north of the railroad bridge, in Echols County.

GPS: 30.82827, -83.017179

[Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing, Between Valdosta and Homerville, Saturday, September 20, 2025]
Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing, Between Valdosta and Homerville, Saturday, September 20, 2025

Continue reading

Pictures: Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2025-08-16

We found surprisingly little trash at the Withlacoochee River below Franklinville Road, but plenty of yellowjackets and deadfalls. Also, Cat Creek stinks like sewage.

[Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, Yellow Jackets and Chainsaws, Deadfalls, and Cat Creek Stinks]
Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, Yellow Jackets and Chainsaws, Deadfalls, and Cat Creek Stinks

Thanks to Cindy Vedas for organizing this expedition, and for bringing lunch.

Thanks to landowner Robbie McMillan for access, including mowing a path down to the Withlacoochee River at the Hahira-Moody AFB power line, for swimming, and for chainsawing.

I actually did most of the chainsawing this time, from my kayak, but there are no pictures of that.

Early on, I was chainsawing an opening in the brush towards Tyler Bridge, when something started stinging me. I backed off, but they followed me: Southern Yellowjackets, Vespula squamosa. Continue reading

Videos: Florida River Task Force and City of Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop 2025-08-14

Update 2025-08-25: Slides: Valdosta Utilities Director to Florida River Task Force 2025-08-14.

Update 2025-08-22: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-21.

Valdosta, especially Utilities Director Jason Barnes, did something they really needed to do: they said what has been done to fix their sewer system problems, what they’re doing now, how much money they’ve spent (more than $160 million), and what they plan to spend (more than $69 million).

[Florida River Task Force and Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop, August 14, 2025]
Florida River Task Force and Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop, August 14, 2025

More happened in that meeting of the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force with Valdosta city officials, the few City Council members who showed up (Tim Carroll and eventually Nick Harden), and Mayor Scott James Matheson for a few minutes.

You can see it all in these WWALS videos of the whole August 14, 2025, meeting at the Valdosta City Hall Annex.

Better communications was the most popular request. For example, this was the third time that the Florida Task Force discovered Valdosta Mayor and Council had some other meeting they had to go to at the same date and time.

Several speakers asked for better notification from Valdosta about sewage spills and bad water quality, including notification for weekend visitors. One Task Force member recommended looking at the website of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), but I’m not finding what they want on there.

I commend the City of Valdosta for being the only Georgia local government I know of that posts its water quality results on its own website:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-monitoring

Although if you’re on a phone or tablet you can’t actually see the sidebar with the links to those results.

The only place I know with composite water quality testing results (Valdosta, WWALS, and any Florida results) is on the WWALS website, including a weekly water quality report:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/

WWALS collects each working day the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report and posts differences from the previous day for the Suwannee River Basin, and for the state:
https://wwals.net/issues/vww/ga-spills/

Several people asked what was being done to deal with stormwater before it becomes an infiltration and inflow problem for Valdosta’s sewer system. The answer was that Engineering is always working on it. OK, fine, let’s see that project list.

One speaker requested more attention to trash. There is much more Valdosta can do about trash. See The Real Trash Problem is the Producers, and How to Stop It 2023-12-23.
https://wwals.net/?p=63786

As one Florida resident pointed out, even treated wastewater still has PFAS and other contaminants in it.

Task Force Chair Rick Davis asked Valdosta to resume testing for fecal contamination three times a week at all the locations that the 2020 GA-EPD Consent Order required for four years. Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman discussed three cases where water quality testing found fecal contamination sources that were then speedily dealt with. The most the city said was they would have internal discussions about more testing.

Valdosta did their own news post about the Thursday’s meeting: Rivers Joint Task Force Meeting Highlights City’s Progress on Water Safety and Quality.

More of the story was published by Stew Lilker, Columbia County Observer, August 16, 2025, N. FL’s Withlacoochee River Task Force met with Valdosta officials on Thursday to be updated on the formerly spill-prone Valdosta utility system. Continue reading

Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-14

Update 2025-08-22: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-21.

Update 2025-08-18: Videos: Florida River Task Force and City of Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop 2025-08-14.

Sugar Creek still tested bad for E. coli Wednesday, but not as bad as last week. The Withlacoochee River was bad at US 84, but OK at US 41 and upstream, and downstream near the Suwannee River.

The Alapaha River tested clean for Thursday.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

There’s a chance of storms through Monday, but mostly in the afternoon.

So if you can get in and out before the rains, avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, and happy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating this weekend.

[Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-14]
Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-14

Or join us tomorrow (Saturday) upstream from Valdosta in Lowndes County, Georgia, for Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16.

Withlacoochee River upstream

Continue reading

Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2025-08-16

Update 2025-08-25: Pictures: Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16.

Update 2025-08-15: Clean river water at Franklinville, Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-13.

Clean up trash in the Withlacoochee River from Franklinville Landing in hardwood floodplain for about a mile downstream, past Cat Creek.

This is mostly a walking cleanup.

If you want to bring a kayak or canoe, those could also be useful, although you’re probably going to be dragging them a bit.

We have the enthusiastic support of the landowner.

[Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, A mile of river frontage, Hardwood floodplain]
Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, A mile of river frontage, Hardwood floodplain

Per our usual arrangement, Lowndes County Public Works will come get the trash after we bag it and set it on the public road right of way. We will also visit the nearby monument to Franklinville, which was the county seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta and before Troupville.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, August 16, 2025

Put In: Franklinville Landing, 6560 Franklinville Road, Hahira, GA 31632, in Lowndes County. From Skipper Bridge Road, go east on Franklinville Road to Tyler Bridge, which is closed.

GPS: 30.981249, -83.268027 Continue reading