Sinkhole at Sabal Trail path through SRSP, Hamilton Co., FL 2017-10-03

Update 2017-10-05: Press Release.

Yesterday we found a fresh sinkhole within 60 feet of Sabal Trail’s pipe under Suwannee River State Park (SRSP), between the Suwannee River and the drill site in Hamilton County.

These pictures are by Christopher J. Mericle. He is a WWALS member, and also the Chair of the North Florida Working Group of the Suwannee-St. Johns Group, Sierra Club Florida.

You can see the sinkhole extends underground to the south, on the far side in this picture, towards the pipeline: Continue reading →

SWIM Plan Meeting, Live Oak 2017-10-03

Nitrates, agriculture, and silviculture were already in, and sewage, phosphate mines, and the Floridan Aquifer got added yesterday afternoon in Live Oak in public comments on updates to SRWMD’s SWIM Plans, plus new SRWMD E.D. Hugh Thomas spoke.

Thanks to presenter Tom Singleton, the slides presented are on the WWALS website. Here are a few notes and pictures.

Floridan Aquifer

Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Sierra Club Florida noted Continue reading →

Videos: Not so Fast, Sabal Trail: Suwannee and Flint Riverkeepers in Live Oak 2017-09-07

Thursday before the storm, Suwannee and Flint Riverkeepers updated on Sabal Trail in Live Oak, about the recent court win against FERC, plus LNG export.

WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman explained Continue reading →

Okefenokee Suwannee River Outing 2017-12-10

Update 2018-02-10: Pictures of the outings.

Update 2017-12-12: And the winner is…

Update 2017-12-11: We drew for the kayak (stay tuned for the winner), and here are some pictures.

Update 2017-12-07: Also last chance to get a kayak raffle ticket before we draw the winner at the beginning of the outing.

Paddle upstream to Minnie’s Lake and back to see the Okefenokee Swamp after the West Mims Fire. Gators, birds, and fish!

When: 9AM, Sunday, December 10, 2017

Put In: Stephen C. Foster State Park, Fargo, GA

GPS: 30.8282, -82.361

Take Out: Same as Put In. This location is on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail (SRWT) and the path is on the Okefenokee Wilderness Area Canoe Trails.

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.

Free: This outing is Free! And we recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

On our previous Okefenokee outing we went to Billys Island.

Duration: Continue reading →

Florida Public Notice of Pollution

While Alabama is thinking about it (actually, Alabama already does it) and Georgia requires an open records request with slow response (since 2018-12-21 Georgia now posts spills),

Florida has already required and is publishing timely notices of spills, and more recently a map of the most recent 30 days of spills!

Among them, surprisingly few in the Suwannee River Basin from Hurricane Irma: three in Baker and Bradford Counties from The Chemours Company, and two from Camp Blanding.

Follow this link for the interactive google map.

Daniel H. Thompson, Lexology, 4 May 2017, Florida Legislature Passes “Public Notice of Pollution Act” Continue reading →

Alabama stricter sewage spill regulations and notification

Here’s an idea for Georgia and Florida!

Dennis Pillion, AL.com, 27 September 2017, Alabama cracks down on E. coli bacteria in rivers with revised standards,

A sanitary sewer overflows into Opossom Creek in Hueytown, Ala.(Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper)

Existing five-year permits are valid until they expire, but all new or renewed permits issued by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management going forward will include the new standards.

E. coli bacteria are commonly found in Continue reading →

WWALS @ Suwannee Roots Revival 2017-10-12-15

Back for a second year at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, WWALS at Suwannee River Roots Revival, this time with the Suwannee Riverkeeper banner, Way Down Upon the Suwannee River at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SoSMP). We can always use help at the booth, so contact us if you want to help talk to people about paddle outings, water trails, sewage spills, fertilizer runoff, coal ash, phosphate mines, pipelines, holding polluters accountable, and fishable, swimmable drinkable waters throughout the Suwannee River Basin.

When: Thursday through Sunday, October 12-15, 2017

Where: Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak, Florida

Event: facebook, meetup.

Questions and the Suwannee Riverkeeper banner at Suwannee Spring Revival 2017-03-23.

Last year was the first time WWALS had a booth at a SoSMP event, and was the first year for the Roots Revival. It’s true most of the attendees saw it as Continue reading →

Suwannee Spring Reunion 2017-03-23-26

Four days of music and good conversation, not to mention beer, Suwannee Riverkeeper went to Suwannee Spring Reunion, Way Down Upon the Suwannee River at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.

Gretchen listening, Thursday

Continue reading →

WWALS @ Hahira Honeybee Festival 2017-10-06-7

At the WWALS booth at the 36th Annual Hahira Honeybee Festival, we will be talking about water trails, paddle outings, holding poluters accountable, and making sure that water in our area is swimmable, fishable, drinkable. Come help us spread the water word.

When: 9AM-6PM, Friday and Saturday, 6,7 October 2017

Where: West Main Street, Hahira, Georgia