Here are Gretchen Quarterman and Dave Hetzel at Heather Brasell’s annual A Day in the Woods at the Gaskins Forest Education Center near Alapaha, Berrien County, Georgia.
Tag Archives: Alapaha River Water Trail
Deadfall, Alapaha River, between Berrien Beach and Lakeland 2018-04-15
Update 2018-04-24: deadfall pinpointed, with latlong and map, and see trip report.
Sometimes it takes paddlers from Atlanta to alert us to a river obstruction, in this case Robert Marshall about the Alapaha River:
A group of seven of us mostly from Atlanta paddled from GA-135 south of Willacoochee, to US-129 east of Lakeland, this last weekend. Loved the river, and appreciate all your organization does to promote its preservation.
You probably already know this, but there is a huge tree totally blocking the river, about halfway between the GA-168 bridge and the US-129 bridge. Water level at Statenville was about 3.5 during our trip. The tree’s top surface was probably a foot and a half above water level, and it spanned from bank to bank. We portaged on the right side.
That’s between Continue reading
Paddle Race, Film festival, Songwriting Contest, and Water Trails @ VCC 2018-04-05
The audience was amused at the thought of the Valdosta City Council racing at Reed Bingham, or of any of them writing songs. But it could happen! And any of them can come on down to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Valdosta.
You’ve already seen the videos of the two resolutions, for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Here are videos of three WWALS members thanking Valdosta Mayor and Council for those, plus three festivals. We call WWALS a coalition because many people are involved, from many backgrounds, doing many different things to conserve and advocate for our watersheds being swimmable, fishable, and at least our well water drinkable.
There’s a playlist at the end.
Video: Valdosta resolution for Alapaha River Water Trail 2018-04-05
Not bad for a spring break agenda: Valdosta also passed a resolution for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT), introduced by City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously.
Here’s the video: Continue reading
Both WWALS Water Trails on Valdosta agenda Thursday 2018-04-05
On their agenda for 5:30 PM this Thursday, April 5, 2018, at Valdosta City Hall:
4.b. Consideration of a Resolution of Support for the Withlacoochee River and Little River Water Trail.
4.c. Consideration of a Resolution of Support for the Alapaha River Water Trail.
It wouldn’t hurt for some WWALS members, especially ones who live in Valdosta, to stand up and thank the City Council in Citizens to be Heard at the end of the meeting,
Let’s not count our chickens before they’re hatched, since they could modify the resolutions or not pass them, but here are the PDFs I sent them for the WLRWT and the ARWT.
It was surprisingly easy to show Continue reading
WWALS at A Day in the Woods 2018-04-21
At Heather Brasell’s annual outdoor event at the Gaskins Forest Education Center, WWALS will have a table as usual, thanks to WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel.
When: 1PM-5PM Saturday, April 21, 2018
Where:
Gaskins Forest Education Center
3359 Moore Sawmill Rd., Alapaha
What:
A Day in the Woods:
FREE Community Event Activities for all the family
Photo:
WG Bailey of Dave Hetzel at WWALS table, 2015-04-18.
The GFEC backs up to several miles of the Alapaha River on the Alapaha River Water Trail, and is itself an excellent example of native longleaf and riparian forest.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Fundraising for Water Trail signs
Update 2025-06-04: Prices for road signs have tripled (due to price of steel tripling) and at-water signs also cost more.
Update 2019-11-08: Donate through GA Gives, including if you wish for Brochures.
Update 2019-04-26: Price of metal signs at the water at boat ramps and landings.
Update 2018-04-27: Pictures of Lakeland Boat Ramp signs in the ground.
Update 2018-03-15: People want to know how much the signs cost:
- Road Signs
$150$500 road signs for one signpost (one direction)$300$1,000 pair of road posts with signs for a landing or boat ramp
-
Signs at the water near a boat ramp or landing: if you donate for a specific location, your logo can go on the signs there, and on the water trail brochures and web pages
$600 one park-style kiosk,or$50$70 pair of metal signs with 4×4 post, bolts, and concrete.
Any amount of donation helps put up the road signs that let people know the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) exists and directs them to the landings, as well as the kiosks that inform people about what to expect nearby, so we get more people paddling the Alapaha River who will take care of the river.
The pair of metal signs at the water also work for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT). Here is an example pair of metal signs at the water for Troupville Boat Ramp:
![[Side by Side]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-04-25--troupville-metal-signs/side-by-side.jpg)
The
Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT)
is a reality. We are ordering have bought the road signs from
the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) which has planted them on roads leading to landings, and we need to pay for them.
We have a small amount of money from Continue reading
Sheboggy to Rowetown Church Cemetery, Alapaha Quest 2018-03-04
An expert paddle to start the Alapaha Quest, down the wild and exotic Alapaha River in the balmy south Georgia winter. This trip is not recommended for beginners
When: 9:30 AM Sunday, March 4, 2018
Put In: Sheboggy Landing at US 82, 11004 US Highway 82, Alapaha, GA 31622, east of the town of Alapaha in Berrien County.
Take Out: Rowetown Church Cemetery, 1291 Rowetown Church Road, Alapaha, GA 31622, in Berrien County. Yes, we called ahead and got permission.
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. It will still be hunting season, so also wear hunting orange if you’ve got it.
Price: This outing is free to WWALS members. It costs $10.00 to nonmembers. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Hotchkiss Road Landing, Old State Road, and Naylor Boat Ramp
Common question: isn’t Hotchkiss closed?
Answer: the old
Hotchkiss Landing
in Lowndes County is closed, private, and
don’t go there!
But
Hotchkiss Road Landing
in Lanier County is open as always, do go there to get to the Alapaha River.
And there’s a new park at US 84, with a Naylor Boat Ramp being built
by Lowndes County, as urged by WWALS.
Bret Wagenhorst, Dave Hetzel, Gretchen Quarterman, at Hotchkiss Road (open, do go there
), in Alapaha River Outing, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 24 August 2014.
Previously there was some discussion of using a different name for Hotchkiss Road Landing in the Alapaha River Water Trail, but then nobody would know what we were referring to, since that’s what it’s always been called, down at the end of Hotchkiss Road off of US 84.
For those relatively new to WWALS, WWALS was heavily involved in Continue reading
Atkinson County passes Alapaha River Water Trail resolution 2018-01-18
It probably didn’t hurt that Lace Futch was Mayor of Willacoochee before he became Chairman of Atkinson County. During a brief discussion, I pointed out that the resolution includes this clause, to fix the last landing name before we update and reprint the Alapaha River Water Trail brochures:
Section 3: The public access to the Alapaha River at GA 135 south of the city of Willacoochee is hereby named Willacoochee Landing;
The Commissioners passed it unanimously.
WWALS board member Shirley Kokidko, who lives in Atkinson County and who had asked for this resolution to be on the agenda, thanked the Commissioners afterwards, and invited them to come on the Hike to the Dead River Sink, noon Saturday, January 27, 2018, explaining that this first outing on the Alapaha Quest was originally scheduled to start at Sheboggy Landing at US 82 and to end up at Willacoochee Landing, but was rescheduled due to low water. Shirley is near the center of each of the pictures below, each taken at Willacoochee Landing on different WWALS outings.
See also the resolution in support of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) passed by Lanier County 2018-01-08.
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS
at Willacoochee Landing 2016-02-20.