Pictures: Fargo to campsite, Suwannee River 2022-03-05

Update 2022-09-01: Videos: Intentional swimming, Suwannee River, Echols County, GA, 2022-03-05.

Swimming, tree climbing, lunching, and paddling on the first day of a Suwannee River camping trip.

Paddling, Swimming, Camping

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for organizing, and to the landowners for permission to camp. Continue reading →

Valdosta Block Club added to Pepsi sign at Barack Obama and Ricardo 2022-08-28

Update 2022-12-14: Pictures: Barack Obama Blvd. @ Ricardo St. 2022-12-01.

“In Conjunction With Valdosta Block Club” has been pasted onto the Pepsi Adopt-A-Spot sign. Thanks to whoever did that.

Old, new, improved

In our previous episode, Continue reading →

Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River, 2022-09-25

Update 2022-09-24: Rescheduled: Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River, 2022-10-16.

We need volunteers with boats to pick up trash while a few people chainsaw some deadfalls.

We aim to collect the trashjams we didn’t have room for last time, and to chainsaw the remaining Withlacoochee River deadfalls between Sugar Creek and the Little River Confluence. Then we’ll paddle up the Little River to take out at Troupville Boat Ramp.

Unlike last time, we’re scheduling seven hours for the shuttle, for chainsawing and trash collecting, and for the four-mile paddle. With luck, nobody will get stuck this time.

All dependent on the weather, of course. Could be hurricane season finally by then, or could be plenty low to make this easy.

When: 9 AM, Sunday, September 25, 2022

Put In: Meet at the back of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.861764, -83.318854

Trashjam, deadfall, chainsaws, 2022-07-30; Photos: John S. Quarterman.

Continue reading →

Good river water quality 2022-08-25

Update 2022-09-02: Good river water quality 2022-09-01.

WWALS got good water quality results downstream on the Withlacoochee River for Thursday, and good upstream results for the Withlacoochee, Little, and Alapaha Rivers. Valdosta’s Wednesday and Monday results concur. So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-08-25

No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. We did get an update on the Quitman spill of week before last; see below.

Of course, there was some heavy rainfall upstream in spots, and that could wash something into the river. But by the test results we have now, have a good time on the water. Continue reading →

Wesley Vallotton accepted Songwriting Contest raffle kayak for Mala Vallotton 2022-08-24

Mala Vallotton’s son Wesley Vallotton accepted the raffle kayak for her.

Delivered and Drawn

Thanks again to Georgia Beer Co. for donating this kayak, worth more than a thousand dollars.

Thanks to all the sponsors who got a raffle ticket for each $100 donated, especially including Mala Vallotton who put in $500. Continue reading →

WWALS thanks Georgia Power for financial grant for water quality testing

Hahira, GA, August 25, 2022 — WWALS and Georgia Power gathered at the Little River to discuss “a great partnership that works for everybody here” with Georgia Power again providing a grant for WWALS water quality testing.

WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Georgia Power SW Director Joe Brownlee, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Georgia Power SREAM Don Hutchinson

“We want to say a giant thank-you to Georgia Power for funding our program,” said WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman. ”Our water quality program helps us to have clean water, so that when people come to use the river they know when it’s safe to swim or fish or go in their boats.”

“I want to thank y’all for what you do to keep our rivers clean, and make people aware of our wonderful natural resources,” said Joe Brownlee, Southwest Director, Georgia Power. “And help take care of those natural resources. It’s a great partnership that works for everybody here. We’re proud to be a part of it.”

“It’s really just Continue reading →

Rescheduled: WWALS at VSU Happening 2022-08-30

Update 2022-08-24: VSU Student Life says:

Due to the forecasted inclement weather, we have decided to reschedule the Happening to Tuesday, August 30. All other details regarding the Happening 2022 has remained the same.

Come see us at the annual Valdosta State University student orientation: The Happening.

Or WWALS members, you can volunteer at the WWALS booth to help tell students about the fun and work we do.

Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 30, 2022

When: 1PM to 4PM, Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Where: VSU front lawn, 1500 N Patterson St, Valdosta, GA 31698.

Event: facebook

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

WWALS at VSU Happening 2022-08-25

Update 2022-08-24: Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 30, 2022.

Come see us at the annual Valdosta State University student orientation: The Happening.

Or WWALS members, you can volunteer at the WWALS booth to help tell students about the fun and work we do.

2019-08-19

When: 1PM to 4PM, Thursday, August 25, 2022

Where: VSU front lawn, 1500 N Patterson St, Valdosta, GA 31698. Continue reading →

WWALS receives ARPA nonprofit grant via City of Valdosta 2022-08-16

WWALS thanks the City of Valdosta, especially Council Vivian Miller-Cody and Andy Gibbs, as well as the Committee led by Michael Smith, for a grant of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Council, Committee

Malia Thomas, Valdosta Daily Times, August 16, 2022, City awards local nonprofits ARPA funding,

VALDOSTA — More than 30 Valdosta area nonprofits agencies have been awarded their share of American Rescue Plan funds.
Continue reading →

Valdosta enforces new grease ordinance; how about enforcing its trash ordinances?

I look forward to Valdosta enforcing its trash ordinances like it’s doing with these Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) ordinances. No new ordinance is needed, City Marshals just need to enforce the ones already in place.

Valdosta example: Fats, Oils, and Grease in a manhole

Here’s an idea: Roger Budd Co. could set an example by buying trash cans for its parking lots, and keep them cleaned out, like city ordinances require. That would be much smaller capex than these FOG traps. And for both RBC could advertise on its billboards how green its businesses are.

Although any business will be more likely to do that once the City of Valdosta gets around to putting such trash cans on its own city parking lots, starting with across from City Hall.

Meanwhile, I applaud the City of Valdosta pro-actively preventing sewage spills with this new FOG ordinance.

Mackenzie Petrie, WALB, Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.