Overnight Camping: Suwannee Springs to Suwannee River State Park 2018-06-02

Update 2018-04-17: Online pre-registration for event fee (free to WWALS members) and shuttle fee. Space is limited. Register soon.

Beautiful two-day paddle trip with overnight camping at Holton Creek.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, June 2, 2018

Put In: Suwannee Springs, 3243 91st Dr, Live Oak, FL 32060

GPS: 30.39417, -82.93383

Take Out: Suwannee River State Park, 3631 201st Path, Live Oak, FL 32060

Bring: camping gear in addition to 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 a day ($20) to non-members, plus campsite fees and park entry fees.

All attendees must pre-pay a $10 shuttle fee. You can register here:

Overnight Outing

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Green Suwannee Springs outflow,
Photo: Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018-06-23

Come hear the finalists play in the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest:

Stay tuned for more. We’re not giving out their song titles, lyrics, or music: for those come to the contest and hear them live!

[Extended Deadline June 1, Contest June 23, 2018] Here is a printable PDF flyer.

Why: Everybody knows one song about the Suwannee River. There should be more, and what about the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, and all the others?

Song Submissions: Submissions opened Monday April 2, 2018, and are now closed.

The Contest: 1-5PM, Saturday, June 23, 2018

Where: The Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602

Tickets: $10 each online, or $12 at the door

Event: facebook, meetup; use these to say you’re coming, but don’t forget to get your tickets.

Paddle: You can even paddle that same morning down the Withlacoochee River into Valdosta to get to the Salty Snapper.

What: Food, beverages, silent auction. Finalists will play, sponsors will be acknowledged.

Prizes: Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper about water quality monitoring on Earth Day at Friends of the Lower Suwannee Refuges

I went to their board meeting and they invited me back to present slides on Earth Day:

When: 9AM to noon, Earth Day, Friday, April 20, 2018

Where: Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge
16450 Northwest 31st Place, Chiefland 32626

Event: facebook, meetup

Who: Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges

Friends logo

PR from the Friends says: Continue reading →

Valdosta Committee meeting, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018-03-28

Wednesday noon in Valdosta, the last Committee meeting before submissions open for the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

When: 12-1 PM Wednesday 28 March 2018

Where: Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, 270 Norman Dr, Valdosta, GA 31601
aka Cheddar’s Casual Cafe,
Off I-75 Exit 16, US 84, West Hill Avenue.

What: Judge candidates, and event logistics including food and beverages.
Like every week, you can also participate by telephone; inquire within for how.

Event: facebook, meetup

Google Street View, Map
Map: Google Street View

The Contest

Continue reading →

LNG truck on I-75 and I-10 2018-03-26

Seen southbound on I-75: a truck carrying Methane Refrigerated Liquid, highly flammable, evacuate up to 1/2 mile downwind if broken. Wait, wasn’t Sabal Trail supposed to eliminate the need for such trucks?

KAG, 1972, Methane Refrigerated Liquid, Southbound I-75

The truck said Kenan Advantage Group, but I’d bet it was carrying Continue reading →

Kayak Raffle tickets available now

WWALS is raffling off a Perception Swifty Deluxe 95 Angler Sit Inside Kayak.

Perception Swifty Deluxe 95 Angler Sit Inside Kayak , Raffling

You can donate for a raffle ticket online here, or you can get paper tickets at numerous festivals throughout the spring, starting today Continue reading →

Stigma and market fear count, says jury over Sabal Trail

A jury slapped Sabal Trail’s pet consultants with the stigma of market fear:

Sabal Trail contended that there are no damages to market value based on market fear or stigma.

…the jury rendered a verdict in the amount of $309,500. This, of course, is over five-times the amount offered by Sabal….

Perhaps farmer Randy Dowdy is also right to object to Sabal Trail’s soil mixing consultants. And I wonder how this precedent might affect other property takings cases.

Lake Erie Road and Bay Lake Road,, Sunderland Groves
Photo: Mark Skogman for WWALS on Southwings flight 2 February 2017 of Sunderland Groves on Lake Erie Road near Bay Lake Road, 28.4775900, -81.9026000

Brigham Property Rights Law Firm ( http://www.propertyrights.com), PRWeb, 20 March 2018, Jury Sides with Property Owners in Eminent Domain Suit with Sabal Trail Pipeline, Continue reading →

Nutrien (PCS Phosphate mine) 5-year permit renewal 2018-03-16

See also: Nutrien (PCS) mining phosphate and water in Hamilton County and soon in Columbia County? 2018-07-11.

Hamilton County citizen and WWALS member Chris Mericle sent this Friday, with permission to post.

Hey John,

I just wanted to relate to you the status of the 5 year mining permit renewal for Nutrien (formerly PCS).

I was in a long teleconference yesterday afternoon where we were trying to negotiate for several modifications to the mining permit.

Figure 4. Location of existing and proposed Phosphogypsum Stack Systems (PGSS), Map
Figure 4. Location of existing and proposed Phosphogypsum Stack Systems (PGSS), in FINAL REPORT: Review of PCS Phosphate — White Springs; Activities and Operations Related to Five-Year Renewal of Special Permit 03-1. Review Period: January 2013 through December 2017 Prepared tor: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners. February 23, 2018. Prepared by: Lampl-Herbert

In attendance: Continue reading →

Live Oak Committee meeting for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018-03-21

Wednesday in Live Oak, the organizing Committee meets for the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. You can even write about the Ockolocoochee River!

When: 3PM Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Where: Brown Lantern Restaurant, 417 E Howard St, Live Oak, FL 32064

What: WWALS Songwriting Committee
planning the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Like last week in Valdosta, you can also participate by telephone; inquire within for how.

Event: facebook, meetup

Brown Lantern, Live Oak, FL

The Contest

Continue reading →

Farmer Randy Dowdy objects to Sabal Trail’s soil mixing evaluation plan 2018-03-13

How can there be soil mixing yet zero noncompliance incidents? FERC saw soil mixing first visit without digging, Dowdy to FERC Randy Dowdy asked directly to FERC, following up his call in AgWeb for an independent investigation of Sabal Trail’s destruction of his world-record-holding soybean fields in Brooks County, Georgia.

Dowdy doesn’t trust Sabal Trail or anybody it sends to investigate that soil mixing. He’s hardly the first to say Sabal Trail’s inspectors don’t; see for example FERC’s Moultrie Scoping Meeting 2015-09-29 where James Bell said pipeline inspectors stood around until they noticed him watching, Sandra Jones said the surveyors were not qualified, and Attorney Daniel Dunn said Sabal Trail operates under darkness of misinformation. Dowdy may be late to the opposition, but he is determined.

Sabal Trail is still a stagecoach line in an electric car world, except stagecoaches didn’t destroy farmers’ fields.

Letter from Randy Dowdy to FERC

Continue reading →