Twin Pines: no keys to the Okefenokee –Christian Hunt 2019-10-23

Excellent letter in the Charlton County Herald, October 23, 2019. You can send your own letter to the editor or comment to the Army Corps or GA-EPD.

Twin Pines should not be given the keys to the Okefenokee

Dear Editor,

Since announcing plans to strip mine along the Trail Ridge adjacent to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Twin Pines Minerals has held multiple hearings and meetings with political figures and the people of Charlton County to make their case and ostensibly calm fears about the miners environmental impact. Unfortunately, the company continues to display a lack of transparency and misrepresent both the nature and scale of the proposed mine, as well the costs of mining next to the swamp.

To truly understand what is at stake, here are the facts.

[Hunt]

First, Twin Pines has repeatedly claimed that operations will only Continue reading →

Pictures: WWALS Boomerang 2019-10-26

Update 219-10-30: The winners.

We’ll announce the winners soon. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang.

[Around the bend, 30.63533, -83.30991]
Around the bend, 30.6353300, -83.3099100

Special thanks to Hamilton County, Florida, Commissioner Beth Burnam for welcoming all the paddlers to Florida. Continue reading →

Video: WWALS Boomerang on 94.3 FM Fox Radio Valdosta 8AM 2019-10-25

WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman took video of herself and Spencer van Horn on 94.3 FM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta, this morning, talking about the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again, coming up 11AM tomorrow (Saturday morning) at State Line Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

How to get tickets, and everything else about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again, 11AM, tomorrow, Saturday, Octobber 26, 2019, at State Line Ramp on Madison Highway south of Valdosta:
wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-26–boomerang/
WWALS Boomerang facebook event, WWALS Boomerang meetup

Please come early so we can get on the water as soon after 11AM as possible, due to possible showers as the day wears on. Continue reading →

Nankin to Four Freedoms Trail, Withlacoochee River, Cleanup and Paddle 2019-11-16

Update 2019-11-22: Some pictures.

Join us to clean up trash at Nankin Boat Ramp in Lowndes County, Georgia. Bring a boat and join us paddling down the Withlacoochee River, continuing cleanuing up. We will stop at second-magnitude McIntyre Spring in Brooks County, Georgia, which should be flowing fine about now. Thanks to special permission from Madison County, Florida, we will take a few vehicles down to the river at the end of the Four Freedoms Trail to collect an abandoned canoe and other items, and we will take out there.

When: Gather 9:00 AM, launch 10 AM, Saturday, November 16, 2019

Put In: Nankin Boat Ramp, 6899 Clyattville-Nankin Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.675192, -83.394143

Take Out: Four Freedoms Trail, NE Peppermint Trail, Pinetta, FL, Madison County.

Bring: 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, especially this one.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

[Upstream, 2019:10:17 15:59:44, 30.6294432, -83.3186451]
Photo: John S Quarterman, Upstream under the abandoned railroad trestle, at the end of Four Freedoms Trail, 2019:10:17 15:59:44, 30.6294432, -83.3186451

Continue reading →

Water Quality Testing Training @ SGRC 2019-11-09

Come on down and get trained to do water quality testing:

When: 9 AM to 3 PM, Saturday, November 9, 2019

Where: SGRC, 327 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia 31601

Wear: comfortable clothes, and bring boots to get in the water.

[9 AM to 3 PM, Saturday, November 9, 2019 @ SGRC Valdosta]
9 AM to 3 PM, Saturday, November 9, 2019 @ SGRC Valdosta

Reserve: your spot by November 5th by contacting Erica McLelland, emclelland@sgrc.us or (229) 333-5277 ext 109.

And sign up to do actual testing afterwards.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

WWALS Boomerang on 94.3 FM Fox Radio Valdosta 8AM 2019-10-25

“Actually, I’ll be on 94.3 FM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta, with host Spencer van Horn, at 8AM this morning, Friday, October 25, 2019,” said WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, “about the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again.” Boomerang on radio show facebook event

Apparently you can listen online via http://foxsportsvaldosta.com/.

How to get tickets, and everything else about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again, 11AM, tomorrow, Saturday, Octobber 26, 2019, at State Line Ramp on Madison Highway south of Valdosta:
wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-26–boomerang/
WWALS Boomerang facebook event, WWALS Boomerang meetup

[Flyer] Continue reading →

All the WWALS Boomerang sponsors on a banner

All these sponsors like the WWALS Boomerang, and we hope you will, too:

[All the sponsors on a banner]
All the sponsors on a banner

Come on down, 11AM, this Saturday, November 26, 2019, to the Withlacoochee River
at State Line Ramp (Mozell Spells, GA 31 Ramp), 6461 Madison Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31601.

Some people will be racing hard, others will just paddle.

Free boat rental from two outfitters, a free Georgia Beer coupon for boat registered, and winners get a nice big tumbler with the race logo.

All about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, including how you can still get tickets online (or at the event):
wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-26–boomerang

And Gretchen will be talking about it on 92.1 FM Talk Radio, Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2019-11-12

Join us for a leisurely sunset paddle at our mini-Okefenokee, the Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, to watch sun set and the full moon rise. The moon will rise at 6:02 p.m. and if the skies are clear we will watch the full moon slowly rise above the tree tops and shine across the water. We will also paddle near a dead tree bat house and hopefully watch bats emerge from the tree just after sunset.

You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset.

When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635.

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, first aid kit, and lights: it will be dark. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Kayaks are available to borrow but please let us know at least 2 days prior to the event.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

[Ripples]
Ripples in moonglow. Photo: John S. Quarterman, Banks Lake, 2019-07-16.

Continue reading →

Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09

Update 2022-10-19: Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09.

Join us for fun, food, and a parade at the Alapaha Station Celebration, and at the WWALS booth Enviroscape, maps, pictures, and all about outings and advocacy, Saturday, November 9, 2019, we’ll be there the sixth year running.

When: 9AM – 5PM, Saturday, November 9, 2019

Where: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad St, Alapaha, Georgia

Event: facebook

[Taken in our watersheds]
All those pictures were taken in our watersheds. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2018

The station is only a few miles from Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2018-11-10

Lots of people studied the Suwannee Basin map to see where everything is, last year at the 2018 Alapaha Station Celebration. We’ll be back in a few weeks, at the first local festival WWALS attended.

[with Gretchen]
with Gretchen

The Enviroscape (in front of Gretchen) was popular. Continue reading →