Expert paddle on the Alapaha River from US 82: WWALS Outing 2015-01-17

Help check the Alapaha River for deadfalls! Expert paddlers wanted; inquire within.

Update 2015-01-17: Some pictures and videos by John S. Quarterman and an outing summary by Bret Wagenhorst.

Meet at the Alapaha River boat ramp at the Hwy 82 bridge just east of the town of Alapaha at 09:30 AM. Boats and gear will be unloaded and some vehicles will be driven to the take out near the Gaskins Forestry Education Center south of Alapaha to allow the shuttle. One vehicle will then bring the drivers back to the put in and the trip will hopefully get started down river at about 10:00-10:15. Facebook event.

This event is FREE! All we ask is that you are a current member of WWALS Watershed Coalition. If not, its easy to join online today at /donations/. You do not have to be a member to come on this outing. If you like the experience, we recommend that you join to support the efforts of WWALS.

The trip may take 4 hours, but it may shorter or longer depending Continue reading →

Grimmway of Bakersfield, CA in Madison County, FL

Bill Gates isn’t the only west coast investor buying up north Florida farmland.

Grimmway Enterprises, Inc. of Bakersfield, CA bought 1358.44 acres in Madison County, FL, all on 18 April 2014, on both sides of SE Farm Road between Lee and the Withlacoochee River. Grimmway’s website says they grow carrots. It doesn’t say whether they have any financial relationship with Continue reading →

Water testing certification at Reed Bingham this Saturday 2015-01-10

Thanks to Margaret Tyson. See also PDF. -jsq

Georgia
Adopt-A-Stream
Chemical and
Bacterial
Certification
Workshop
Reed Bingham State Park
Saturday
January 10th, 2015
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This is a registration only event.
Register by calling
GOLDEN TRIANGLE RC&D
at 229-723-3841 or
Email j.shutters@yahoo.com
Together We Can Make A Difference Continue reading →

28 Bill Gates parcels in Madison County, FL

More than 1,000 acres through September 2014, in parcels already adding up to more than 250 acres, or in contiguous or nearby parcels that can be combined, all bought by Lakeland Sands LLC.

On SE Farm Road and FL 63, between Madison and Lee, 30.423520, -83.353757, parcels 01-1S-09-0843-000-000 (374 acres), 06-1S-10-1192-000-000 (568.35 acres), 05-1S-10-1187-000-000 (363.161 acres), 07-1S-10-1197-000-000 (316.13 acres), 08-1S-10-1199-000-000 (259 acres) 12-1S-09-0892-001-000 (67.27 acres) 12-1S-09-0893-000-000 (224.68 acres), and 11-1S-09-0884-000-000 (162.93 acres), for 2335.52 acres total in just those eight parcels. All eight marked as timberland: we’ll see how long that lasts. Plus 12-1S-09-0892-002-0A2 (39.12 acres) of pastureland in between. These parcels surround a couple of City of Madison parcels Continue reading →

Old Bridge over Alapahoochee River

Nice to look at, but not for driving. Chris Mericle reports:

Here are some photos of an old bridge across the Alapahoochee River that Deanna and I came across while out exploring the other day.

Driving or even walking across this bridge probably shouldn’t be recommended. Continue reading →

Bill Gates in Lowndes County in the Alapaha River watershed

The east side of Lake Park and east of Naylor: acreage bought by a shell of a shell of a shell of Bill Gates’ investment company in the past two years.

170.57 acres in Parcel 0224 003 just east of Lake Park, plus another 126 acres in adjoining parcels inside and outside of Lake Park, which is most of the blue acreage on this map, all in the Alapahoochee River watershed, owned by Lakeland Sands according to the Lowndes County Tax Assessors database. Continue reading →

Anti-fracking ordinance on agenda, Columbia County, FL 2015-01-15

We all drink out of the same Floridan Aquifer, and the Santa Fe River, like WWALS’ Withlacoochee River, is a tributary of the Suwannee River. Fracking in north Florida could affect our drinking water, and if it were allowed there, next frackers would try to cross the state line, just like the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline already is. So everyone who can, please support OSFR. -jsq

Our Santa Fe River Action Alert 31 December 2014, Important Meeting, Please Attend, County Commissioners, Lake City On Jan. 15, 2015,

OSFR as an organization will be on the agenda of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners at the Jan. 15 meeting, requesting that the commission enact an ordinance which bans all forms of fracking in Columbia County.

Please plan to attend this important meeting, either Continue reading →

Announcing the Formation of the Florida Springs Council

Our Suwannee River tributary neighbors have joined other Florida watershed groups in forming a Florida Springs Council.

PR from the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, January 2014,

On December 4, 2014, seven representatives from various Florida springs advocacy groups “ Friends of Warm Mineral Springs, the Ichetucknee Alliance, the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, the Kings Bay Springs Alliance, Our Santa Fe River, Inc., Save the Manatee Club, the Wakulla Springs Alliance, and Withlacoochee Aquatic Restoration, Inc. (formerly Withlacoochee Area Residents, Inc.) “ met as the Organizing Committee for the Florida Springs Council. This ad hoc organization will be comprised of representatives from all Florida organizations that focus all or part of their group’s energies on springs issues and, by extension, issues that affect the Floridan aquifer that feeds the springs.

The Withlacoochee mentioned is central Florida’s Withlacoochee River, but of course WWALS’ south Georgia and north Florida Withlacoochee River has the same kind of springs. Continue reading →

Landowner on Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County FL moves to intervene against Sabal Trail –Chris Mericle

Drilling under the Withlacoochee River could have catastrophic effects, a landowner near the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, Florida reminds us. Chris Mericle is also a WWALS board member.

Intervenor is a resident of Hamilton County, Florida and lives near the Proposed Sabal Trail Route where it crosses the Withlacoochee River. As such, I am concerned about the adverse and potentially catastrophic effects that the construction and operation of a 36” diameter gas pipeline will have on Fresh Water Resources including Springs and the Floridan Aquifer.

Here’s how you or your organization can file a motion to intervene.

Filed with FERC 22 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141222-5037, “Motion to Intervene of Christopher J Mericle under CP15-17, et. al.” Continue reading →

Property rights, agriculture, karst limestone, Withlacoochee River –Don Thieme to FERC about Sabal Trail pipeline

Last in before FERC closed 5PM Wednesday for the holidays was local geologist Don Thieme, commenting about our Withlacoochee River and the fragile karst limestone that underlies it, among other concerns. It’s likely that FERC will continue accepting comments and motions to intervene after yesterday’s deadline.

Filed with FERC 24 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141224-5109 “Comment of Donald M. Thieme in Docket(s)/Project(s) CP15-17-000 Submission Date: 12/24/2014”,

Donald M. Thieme, Valdosta, GA.
As a local resident and head of household in Lowndes County, I have concerns about the rights of landowners to continue agriculture and other economically productive uses which may be incompatible with the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline. I have also heard many concerns voiced regarding loss of property value, particularly where new pipe may be laid on land which presently has no existing line. As a professional geologist, however, Continue reading →

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