SRWMD Board in Starke 2018-12-11

Deviating from its usual practice of meeting in Live Oak, it’s going to Starke, the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) Board, Tuesday of next week, 9AM December 11, 2018, at the Governor Charley Johns Conference Center, 1610 N. Temple Avenue, Starke, FL.

I don’t see anything on the agenda especially about Bradford County, except tacked onto the end as open to the public “Following Board Meeting”: “• Projects Tour in Starke”.

I’m guessing that refers to the tree clearing project approved as an emergency several months ago, at the request of the Bradford BOCC, due to expected rains.

According to Kevin Flavin, Project Manager and Professional Water Resources Engineer,

Projects, Tour
Follow this link for an interactive google map by WWALS.

Two stops are to Continue reading →

Troupville to US 84, Withlacoochee River, 2019-02-0203

Update 2019-02-02: Delayed a day until Sunday morning.

Update 2019-01-31: We’re paddling unless it rains or the river rises, and thanks to The Langdale Company for a better takeout.

A long and rarely-paddled stretch with a confluence, some creeks, some wastewater treatment plants we won’t see and we hope we don’t smell, some shoals, and a challenging takeout. Bonus old bridge if we want to paddle down a bit farther and back.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10:30 AM, Saturday, February 2, 2019

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. On GA 133 off I-75 exit 18. The entrance off GA 133 is directly across from Val Tech Road.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

Take Out: Just downstream from Spook Bridge on the Lowndes County riverbank, thanks to The Langdale Company.

US 84 Landing, 5092 US 84 W, Valdosta, GA 31601. Between the twin highway bridges on the Lowndes County side. Problematical access from busy highway right of way. Also known as Quitman Landing.

Bring: a rope, in case we need to drag boats over shoals. Clippers for deadfall branches would also be useful. Plus 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 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

The US 84 bridge from the middle of the river
Photo: John S. Quarterman, of US 84 bridge downstream from above middle of river, 2017-05-21.

Continue reading →

Bacterial levels rising again 2018-11-28

The Alapahoochee River at the GA-FL line measured ten times the EPA limit on Fecal coliform again this Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

GA 135 Alapahaoochee River, Alapaha

It does not seem to be coming downriver from Valdosta. Continue reading →

December Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2018-12-22

Update 2018-12-23: Pictures.

Join us for a leisurely sunset paddle to watch a cold Full Moon rise over Banks lake, the day after the winter solstice, the first day that is longer.

Plan to arrive early enough to prep your boat so that we can launch on time, so we can paddle around most of the lake before dark while we look for birds, gators and bats.

This is a leg of the Alapaha Quest, since Banks Lake is in the Alapaha River Water Trail.

When: Gather 4:45 p.m., launch 5:00 p.m., Saturday, December 22, 2018
Sunset will be at 5:36 p.m., and on the lake is usually spectacular. If the sky is clear we will see the full moon rise at 5:51 p.m.

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

GPS: 31.035097, -83.097045

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Bring: Bring a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow stick, head lamp, or flashlight), and bring a rope for your boat. You must wear a PFD. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark. Mosquitos can be bad at the ramp but bugs are usually not a problem on the water. Don’t forget boat, paddles, anacks, 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 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Shirley Kokidko, On the water
A previous Banks Lake paddle, 2018-07-27.

Continue reading →

7th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, silent auction, raffle 2019-04-27

You could win in any of a dozen categories. But you are not required to race: it’s a nice spring paddle anyway!

With the silent auction afterwards and a kayak raffle: it’s the seventh annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, a fundraiser for WWALS and Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB).

From the water (BW), Racing
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of BLRPR 2018.

Where: Red Roberts Landing
31°11’32.0″N 83°31’13.2″W
Rountree Bridge Road
Between Moultrie and Adel, GA
I-75 Exit 41 (at Sparks) to Rountree Bridge Road

When: 8AM-9AM Registration
9:30 AM Mass Start

Registration: Register on-line Continue reading →

Much better readings in Valdosta water quality data 2018-11-21

Suddenly, all the fecal coliform readings are down. Was there a first flush from the rain on November 14 that caused the high readings of that day, and all that washed down the rivers within a week?

Graph, Withlacoochee Basin

At US 41 (North Valdosta Road), the Withlacoochee River was actually in minor flood several of the intervening days, according to the USGS US 41 (Valdosta) Gauge. Continue reading →

State geologist Greenhalgh says BMPs don’t work to solve BMAPs

Someone inside FDEP has been brave enough for years to say the emperor has no clothes regarding contamination in the Suwannee River Basin.

Suiting up, Thomas Greenhalgh
Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS, of Thomas Greenhalgh suiting up at the Alapaha Dye Test, 2016-06-22.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, The Daytona-Beach News-Journal, 24 November 2018, State geologist challenging springs action plan raised questions before, Continue reading →

FPL Columbia County Solar Farm, fall 2018

East on I-10 just before I-75 southbound crosses: a 74.5 MW FPL solar farm in Columbia County, Florida, well along in construction. I don’t think any newspaper ever called the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline a windfall:

Continued, Newspaper
Solar photos: Carl McKinney, Lake City Reporter. Sorry I forgot who sent me this picture of the newspaper front page.

FPL PR 31 July 2018, Construction begins on FPL’s four newest solar power plants, Continue reading →

Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff Launch, 2019-01-19

Update 2019-01-16: Due to high water on the Alapaha River, moved to Hike at Little Shoals, Suwannee River.

There’s nothing else like it in Florida (or Georgia), so come along on the traditional winter WWALS three-mile hike to the Dead River Sink! No boat required to see the Alapaha River run up this distributary and disappear into the ground, not coming back up for 20 miles and three days.

This impressive geological phenomenon is an eye opener that perfectly illustrates the karst topography containing our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer underneath our rivers. You often see exposed porous limestone along our river banks. However when you see a hole that is capable of swallowing the entire Alapaha for most of the year…. it’s impressive.

When: 12 noon PM, January 19, 2019

Put In: Meet at Jennings Bluff Launch. From Jennings, Hamilton County, FL, travel south on US 41 to NW 25 Lane; turn left; travel east to NW 82 Court and the entrance into the Suwannee River Water Management District’s Jennings Bluff tract; turn left and follow road to canoe launch.

GPS: 30.567172, -83.039189 (for the entrance to Jennings Bluff Tract)

Take Out: Same.

Bring: Cold weather gear, hiking shoes, and clothes resistant to thorny bushes. No boat needed. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.

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

[Right down there, 13:33:30, 30.57888, -83.05025]
Photo: John S. Quarterman, Right down there, 13:33:30, 2018-01-27.

Continue reading →

Pictures: Hike to the Dead River Sink 2018-01-27

It was a nice day for a Hike to the Dead River Sink in the Alapaha Quest on the Alapaha River Water Trail, with Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida. Here are some pictures and a Google map from Saturday, January 27, 2018.

[Almost there, 13:16:34, 30.5837666, -83.0535975]
Almost there, 13:16:34, 30.5837666, -83.0535975

You can come along when we do it again in January 2019. Continue reading →