Ten days from now, float downstream, or race to the finish!
10 March 2014 in the Tifton Gazette, Little River Paddle Race March 22,
ADEL — Join the Friends of Reed Bingham State Park and WWALS Watershed Coalition on March 22 for the second annual Big Little River Paddle Race.
The race starts at 11 a.m. at Red Roberts Landing and flows down the 3-mile section of Little River and ends at Lake Reed Bingham.
Registration will be Continue reading
Board meetings are open to the public.
Board members are listed
on the website.
Draft Agenda
WWALS Board of Directors
7:30 PM Wednesday 12 March 2014
IHOP, Adel, GA
- Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions
- Speaker, 20 minutes: Charles Stines about his experience on our region’s rivers.
- Agenda Review: Additions and Changes
- Review and Approval of Minutes
- Past Meetings and Events
- Monthly outing February (fourth Saturday): February 22 – location? Cancelled due to all rivers too high.
- Future Meetings and Events Continue reading
Board meetings are open to the public.
Board members are listed
on the website.
Draft Agenda
WWALS Board of Directors
7:30 PM Thursday 13 March 2014
IHOP, Adel, GA if speaker, else by teleconference
- Call to Order, Welcome and Introductions
- Speaker, 20 minutes: Charles Stines about his experience on our region’s rivers.
- Agenda Review: Continue reading
As two of the Suwannee Democrat’s commentors ask:
Why does Valdosta keep having these spills?
Hasn’t this happened like 3 times now?
Why yes, yes it has. For example, Valdosta became famous for this all the way to the Gulf 3 March 2013, and there were two more spills in 2013 to add to the big one in 2009. However, the City of Valdosta has promised to use SPLOST and other funding to fix it within a few years. As AP reported Friday:
The city of Valdosta says it is making improvements to the Withlacoochee Water Pollution Control Plant to prevent future problems.
Staff, Suwannee Democrat, 28 February 2014, Florida Department of Health advises of possible wastewater contamination: Wastewater overflow from Valdosta, Ga. may impact Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers
Live Oak — The Florida Department of Health (DOH) today issued an advisory to residents in counties surrounding the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers. The City of Valdosta has reported a spill, made up of a combination of storm water and partially treated sewage, that has overflowed into the Withlacoochee River. The Withlacoochee flows south and connects with the Suwannee River.
Until further information Continue reading
The WWALS outing was location in Statenville, Georgia DNR boat ramp on the Alapaha river. The water level @ the time of the outing was around 9 ft, but the river was within the backs. But the weather was sunny but cool day with a moderate wind. So the participants for this outing Continue reading
One month from now!
Paddle at your own leisure, or race for prizes
Saturday, March 22nd,
at the
Second Annual
BIG Little River Paddle Event,
at Reed Bingham State Park, Adel, Georgia.
Proceeds to benefit
Friends of Reed Bingham State Park
and WWALS Watershed Coalition.
You can
sign up and pay online or you can do that at the event.
Bret Wagenhorst has prepared a poster suitable for hanging up at your place of fun or business: PDF. Comment on this post if you want a paper copy.
Looking forward to seeing you there! Continue reading
Update 15 Feb 2014: You can also apply to Sponsor (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) on the event page.
A fundraiser for nonprofits Friends of Reed Bingham State Park and WWALS Watershed Coalition, this is a scenic three mile flatwater paddle on the Little River from Red Roberts landing (at Rountree Bridge, 31 11 32.05 N 83 31 13.25 W) in the north end of the park, to the boat ramp on the Colquitt Co. side of the park lake (park map).
You can do it as a race, or as a scenic leisure paddle. Cost is $25 per boat if you register before March 15, and $30 per boat after that (registration includes park day pass/admission). You must either provide your own boat or rent one at the park (separate fee). Participants get a free shuttle and lunch. Fastest boats in various categories win a prize. Registration is at Red Roberts landing between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. (to allow time for a shuttle). Mass start at 11 a.m.
You can sign up and pay online. Continue reading
Board meetings are open to the public.
Board members are listed
on the website.
Draft Agenda
WWALS Board of Directors
7:30 PM 12 February 2014
by teleconference
Dial-in Number: (712) 432-1212
Meeting ID: 974-054-025
Flint Riverkeeper has a handy legislative update
about water bills in the Georgia legislature, one bad one before committee today: SB 299.
This bill would actually do away with the riparian buffers that currently keep mud and sewage out of rivers and streams. It’s up for a vote today in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment. At least one Senator on that committee is in WWALS watersheds: Tyler Harper, (404) 463-5263, (404) 463-4161 fax, Ocilla, District 7, (229) 425-4840. You can contact him or your state Senator. Here are many reasons SB 299 is a bad bill.
More reasons, by
Camo Coalition, of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, starting with:
Siltation kills streams. Siltation can fill lakes making boat access difficult or impossible. Silt destroys the habitat of aquatic invertebrates—caddis flies, mayflies, stone flies, and such. Pollutants can kill fish and these aquatic animals directly. Destroy the food chain; destroy the fishery.
The Flint River, #2 on American Rivers’ most endangered rivers list, is the next watershed to the west of us. If this bill passes, when will they come for the waters of the Little River, too?
Here are some good bills that need support, with
descriptions from
Georgia Water Coalition’s current
legislative update, which covers the same bills as Flint Riverkeeper’s update.
Extending the Ban on Aquifer Storage and Recovery
Continue reading