Category Archives: Weather

Map of Waterkeeper Florida Territories 2024-09-13

This map was compiled by Waterkeepers Florida, which is an umbrella organization consisting of the fourteen Waterkeepers of Florida: Apalachicola Waterkeeper, Calusa Waterkeeper, Collier County Waterkeeper, Emerald Coastkeeper, Kissimmee Waterkeeper, Lake Worth Waterkeeper, Matanzas Riverkeeper, Miami Waterkeeper, Peace Myakka Waterkeeper, St Johns Waterkeeper, St Marys Waterkeeper, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Suwannee Riverkeeper, and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper.

[Waterkeepers Florida Territories Map plus FDEP Territories and Disaster Map]
Waterkeepers Florida Territories Map plus FDEP Territories and Disaster Map

What’s the different between Waterkeeper, Riverkeeper, and Coastkeeper? Nothing, really: all work for fishable, swimmable, drinkable water in their territories. All are trademarks of Waterkeeper Alliance (WKA) and refer to an organization and to a specific individual who is the spokeperson for the waterbody.

WKA is trying to standardize on Waterkeeper for all new ones. We had to argue to get Suwannee Riverkeeper because all the ones surrounding us are Riverkeepers, and that’s the term people hereabouts know.

The WKFL Territories Map is actually a layer in a WKFL Disaster Map. Other layers include Districts of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Franks Creek 2024-09-04-05

Update 2024-09-14: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2024-09-12.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean for Wednesday and Thursday, but Franks Creek upstream of Hahira tested dirty; that’s upstream of the Little River.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction shows high chance of storms starting today.

The lower Ichetucknee River, and the Suwannee River downstream from the Santa Fe are in Action Stage, and the Santa Fe at TREPO is still in flood.

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage. The Alapaha is actually getting too low, as is the Withlacoochee upstream.

So if you can avoid the rain, happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Be sure to join us tomorrow, Saturday, September 7, 2024, for the WWALS River Revue, 5-8 PM at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta. It’s a sit-down fundraising dinner with speakers from Florida and Georgia, a silent auction, and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
https://www.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2024

[Clean Withlacoochee River Above and below Valdosta, Dirty Franks Creek Above Hahira and Little River 2024-09-04-05]
Clean Withlacoochee River Above and below Valdosta, Dirty Franks Creek Above Hahira and Little River 2024-09-04-05

Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-08-29

Update 2024-09-02: Bad Alapaha WTP Outflow 2024-08-30.

The Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested clean for Wednesday and Thursday.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. We did hear of a fish kill in Lakes Rowell and Sampson far upstream of the Santa Fe River, apparently on Friday, August 23. People are investigating.

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction shows chance of storms starting Monday, but not for the weekend.

Santa Fe Lake, The lower Santa Fe, and the Suwannee River at Fargo and downstream from the Santa Fe are in Action Stage, and the Santa Fe at TREPO is still in flood.

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage. The Alapaha is actually getting too low.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Be sure to join us Saturday, September 7, 2024, for the WWALS River Revue, 5-8 PM at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta. It’s a sit-down fundraising dinner with speakers from Florida and Georgia, a silent auction, and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
https://www.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2024

[Clean Withlacoochee & Alapaha Rivers 2024-08-29 No sewage spills and No rain]
Clean Withlacoochee & Alapaha Rivers 2024-08-29 No sewage spills and No rain

Continue reading →

Pictures: Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25

I think that’s eight big deadfalls and some littler stuff that we sawed, downstream on the Withlacoochee River Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup. Hurricane Debby and other storms left quite a bit of debris.

[Downstream Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park 2024-08-25, 2 jon boats and a canoe, Withlacoochee River]
Downstream Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park 2024-08-25, 2 jon boats and a canoe, Withlacoochee River

We had Phil Royce’s jon boat with 3.5 hp outboard, the WWALS jon boat with 9.9 hp outboard, and TJ Johnson in a canoe.

I think there were four or five chainsaws among us, including the 24-inch Husqvarna 460 that the Wild Green Future Grant paid for, along with the 9.9 hp outboard. Plus TJ’s handsaw.

Here are some video snippets:
https://youtu.be/tuGSugOlTLw?si=xQrAla60gZzeNnkR

So you want to know: after all this sawing, can you paddle from Langdale Park to Sugar Creek? Continue reading →

Upstream deadfalls, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-25

Update 2024-08-27: Pictures: Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25.

I thought we’d just skate up under the US 41 bridge to where Stillhouse Branch comes out of Valdosta Country Club, to see if there was a logjam or trash there.

But only a little more than halfway up Langdale Park to the bridge, we found a huge oak deadfall.

Sawing passage through that took a while. And then we could see an even bigger oak and pine deadfall.

[Upstream deadfalls, Langdale Park 2024-08-25, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup]
Upstream deadfalls, Langdale Park 2024-08-25, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup

Here are a few videos:
https://youtu.be/XB66qmC2XrY

So we turned downstream towards our primary chainsaw cleanup goal of clearing downstream passage.

We being Phil Royce and TJ Johnson from Live Oak, Florida, and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Thanks to Wild Green Future for the generous grant that paid for the Husqvarna 460 24-inch chainsaw and the 9.9hp outboard motor, as well as the tires on the boat trailer. Continue reading →

Chainsawing deadfall from Langdale Park Boat Ramp entrance Road 2024-08-25

Update 2024-08-25: Upstream deadfalls, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-25.

This deadfall had been there since Hurricane Debby, 20 days before.

It was in our way to Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and we had chainsaws for the Langdale Park Boat Ramp jon boat chainsaw outing, so we removed this deadfall.

[Chainsawing deadfall, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA, Chainsaws from Live Oak, FL]
Chainsawing deadfall, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA, Chainsaws from Live Oak, FL

We being Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and two people from Live Oak, Florida: Phil Royce and TJ Johnson.

Do we get paid for this, Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority?

Thanks to Wild Green Future for generous grant that paid for the Husqvarna 460 24-inch chainsaw I used to make the main cuts.

Videos:
https://youtu.be/5AnuFDuwNKQ?si=EAkbbFZU_HTLjZcF

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee and Alapaha River clean 2024-08-21

Update 2024-08-31: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-08-29.

The Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested clean for Wednesday.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, or Georgia.

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction shows chance of storms for the next few days, but those usually happen in the afternoon.

The Santa Fe and much of the Suwannee River are still in flood or Action Stage.

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage, although still a bit high.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join us Sunday for Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25.

[Clean Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers, 2024-08-21 Happy fishing, swimming, and boating]
Clean Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers, 2024-08-21 Happy fishing, swimming, and boating

For the Withlacoochee River, the City of Valdosta got very good results for Wednesday at both GA 133 and US 84.

Also for Wednesday, for the Alapaha River Kimberly Godden Tanner got zero (0) E. coli at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.

She noted, “Both locations are looking great.” Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14

Update 2024-08-23: Withlacoochee and Alapaha River clean 2024-08-21.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, or Georgia.

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction is no rain until Sunday afternoon.

The Santa Fe and much of the Suwannee River are still in flood or Action Stage. We hear Gibson Park at the Alapaha River Confluence is closed. The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage, although still high.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow for Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-17.

[Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.]
Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.

Withlacoochee River

The City of Valdosta results for Wednesday are 20 cfu/100 mL E. coli, which is very good, at both GA 133 and US 84.

Also for Wednesday, Russ Tatum got 33 cfu/100 mL at Allen Ramp and Holly Point. “Clean results! The water is still high but dropping slowly. It never came out of the banks here. It is tanic, slightly silty but mostly clear.” Continue reading →

Water still high at Troupville Boat Ramp, Sugar Creek, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-13

Putting in at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River would be no problem, kayak or power boat.

But the Withlacoochee River upstream from the Little River Confluence is still a tad high, a week after Hurricane Debby. Langdale Park Boat Ramp is completely underwater, as is much of its access road.

The Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers remain mostly in flood. The Alapaha River has come back down.

[Troupville & Langdale Park Boat Ramps 2024-08-13, Still high, Little and Withlacoochee Rivers]
Troupville & Langdale Park Boat Ramps 2024-08-13, Still high, Little and Withlacoochee Rivers

The closest I could get by land to the Little River Confluence was more than a hundred feet away, at the fourth place the river was across the woods access road. Continue reading →

Cancelled: Alapaha to the Suwannee River Paddle 2024-08-17

Update 2024-08-12: Cancelled due to water too high and fast, especially in the Suwannee River, which is still rising.

Due to Tropical Storm Debbie, pushed back a week to August 17, 2024.

Paddle 12.3 miles on two rivers.

Our takeout is very close to the Alapaha River Confluence, so most of the day we will enjoy this last section of the Alapaha River. The river has been fluctuating from too low to too high so we are hoping to hit it just right for paddling. There could be some deadfall but this outing is appropriate for anyone.

We will paddle under the ever-busy I-75, but passing that we will reenter quiet wilderness. Everyone must wear a PFD.

We will also paddle up into the Alapaha Rise, off of the Suwannee River, where the Alapaha reemerges after traveling miles underground.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, August 17, 2024

Put In: US Hwy 41 Alapaha River Landing. South side of the road, under the power line, between Jennings and Jasper, FL, in Hamilton County.

GPS: 30.528956, -83.039627

[Alapaha River to Suwannee River 2024-08-17, US 41 to Gibson Park, Up to Alapaha River Rise]
Alapaha River to Suwannee River 2024-08-17, US 41 to Gibson Park, Up to Alapaha River Rise

Continue reading →