Tag Archives: Alapaha River Water Trail

Road Signs, Mayday Landing, Echols County, Alapaha River Water Trail 2024-10-31

Update 2025-03-12: Mayday Landing ARWT Signs 2025-02-26.

For Halloween, I went to the Tifton GDOT sign shop and picked up the road signs for Mayday Landing.

[Mayday Landing, Echols County, ARWT 2024-10-31, Alapaha River Water Trail, Road signs from GDOT with GA-DNR grant]
Mayday Landing, Echols County, ARWT 2024-10-31, Alapaha River Water Trail, Road signs from GDOT with GA-DNR grant

Thanks to Kayla R. Hancock, Sign Supply Supervisor, GDOT Tifton (pictured on the right), for organizing this.

[Alapaha River Water Trail, Mayday Landing, Echols County]
Alapaha River Water Trail, Mayday Landing, Echols County

This is one set. The other set is the same, except the arrow points in the other direction. Each came with a 12-foot steel post, a 48-inch foundation stub, and nuts and bolts.

Thanks to Ouicia Jolly, Recreational Trails Program Coordinator, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR), for organizing the grant program that is reimbursing 80% of the cost of these signs and for the rack cards and the at-water signs, with 10-foot 4×4-inch posts, scews, and Quikrete.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Banks Lake closed indefinitely due to Hurricane Helene damage 2024-10-09

We will not be paddling for the Full Hunters Moon is tomorrow, Thursday, October 17, 2024, because Banks Lake is closed.

[Closed indefinitely due to Hurricane Helene Damage 2024-10-09: Banks Lake Outdoors and Banks Lake NWR]
Closed indefinitely due to Hurricane Helene Damage 2024-10-09: Banks Lake Outdoors and Banks Lake NWR

Banks Lake Outdoors facebook page, October 9, 2024:

Many of you have seen the massive number of trees down at the lake. Banks Lake Outdoors thankfully made it through Hurricane Helene with minimal damage. Much of the trees have been cleared; however, many upright trees remain unstable. Banks Lake, and the concession, will be closed to visitors until further notice.

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge:

Refuge CLOSED Due to Hurricane Helene Damage

Banks Lake NWR is CLOSED to all public access due to Hurricane Helene storm damage. Refuge staff have conducted initial inspections and clean up, however, conditions are still unsafe for public access. A date for reopening has not been determined. For more information, please contact refuge staff at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge at 912-496-7836.

We look forward to Banks Lake being reopened, and WWALS offers assistance.

Meanwhile, for other WWALS outings, see:
https://wwals.net/outings/

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Hurricane Helene Sewage Spills 2024-09-27

Update 2024-10-06: Corrected location of Valdosta Ponderosa Lift Station (1001 Ponderosa Drive).

Update 2024-10-04: Clean Withlacoochee River after Hurricane Helene, but much flooding and storm damage 2024-10-02.

Tifton spilled 1.375 million gallons of raw sewage during Hurricane Helene, 950,000 into a creek that goes to the Little River, and the rest into creeks that go to the New River above the Withlacoochee River.

Sycamore spilled 350 gallons above Hat Creek, above the Alapaha River.

According to Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes, Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons due to a tree falling on a lift station, above Knights Creek, which goes to Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. He said he has reported it to GA-EPD. Perhaps it will appear Monday in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

[Tifton spilled 1.375,000 gallons, Sycamore 350, during Hurricane Helene. Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons, tree on lift station.]
Tifton spilled 1.375,000 gallons, Sycamore 350, during Hurricane Helene. Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons, tree on lift station.

I would avoid the directly-affected creeks. But these are all so far upstream of their rivers that the rivers were probably not much affected.

But you might check with Reed-Bingham State Park for their latest lake contamina tion report before swimming there. Continue reading →

Rack Cards, ARWT and WLRWT 2024-09-30

After we asked several weeks for input on water trail signs and rack cards, the WWALS Outings Committee provided many opinions.

[Rack Cards for the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2024-09-30]
Rack Cards for the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2024-09-30

Here are the images that went to press Monday, September 30, 2024. That’s 10,000 copies each for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

They’re the same size as the WWALS z-fold brochures for the same water trails. But rack cards are a single sheet, front and back. They are much less expensive to print, so more appropriate for Interstate highway welcome centers and such.

They each have a QR code and a URL for finding more information.

I especially like the ARWT front. Continue reading →

PFAS Sampling Deployment, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Update 2024-11-27: Retrieving PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23.

This weekend we deployed four PFAS samplers, upstream and downstream from two wastewater treatment plants, on the Withlacoochee River and on Mud Swamp Creek.

These are a new design that you leave in the flowing water for 28 days thereabouts, then retrieve, and effectively they’ve been taking a sample a day.

If you encounter them, please leave them be.

[PFAS Sampling Deployment, Waterkeeper Alliance Program, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15]
PFAS Sampling Deployment, Waterkeeper Alliance Program, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon Paddle 2024-09-17

Update 2024-11-26: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2024-09-17.

Come out and join us for a leisurely sunset and full moon paddle.

When: Gather 6:30 PM, launch 7 PM, moonrise 7:31 PM, sunset 7:35 PM, end 8:30 PM, Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2024-09-17, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, Georgia]
Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2024-09-17, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, Georgia

Continue reading →

Input solicited for water trail signs and rack cards 2024-09-05

Some of the WWALS water trail signs have been stolen, others shot up, and some places and rivers we never placed any.

Due to generous grants from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) and the Hamilton County, Florida, Tourist Development Council (TDC), we are working up new signs.

After spending many months rationalizing river miles and icons, we solicit your input as we start designing the new signs.

What landmarks or interesting sites do you think should be mentioned on the signs?

Please enter your suggestions here:
https://forms.gle/LTryv7yqdHFd54rq8

[Input Solicited for Water Trail Signs on the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers in Georgia and Florida]
Input Solicited for Water Trail Signs on the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers in Georgia and Florida

The GA-DNR grant funds road signs, which are in a fixed format, at-water signs, which will have details upstream and downstream. They are for:

Follow the links for what we have so far for each of these water trails.
https://wwals.net/water-trails/

The GA-DNR grant also funds rack cards. Continue reading →

Bad Alapaha WTP Outflow 2024-08-30

Update 2024-09-06: Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Franks Creek 2024-09-04.

Not so good below the Town of Alapaha, Georgia, wastewater settling ponds Friday.

[Bad Alapaha WPCP Outflow, Alapaha River 2024-08-30 Yet clean downstream above US 82 & Sheboggy Boat Ramp]
Bad Alapaha WPCP Outflow, Alapaha River 2024-08-30 Yet clean downstream above US 82 & Sheboggy Boat Ramp

Heather Brasell tested on what’s in the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) map as Alapaha Elementary School Stream and got 667 CFU/100 mL of E. coli, which is above the 410 one-time test limit. She tested on the power line right of way you can see just downstream (northeast) of the Alapaha WPCP Outfall. Continue reading →

Alligator hunting in Banks Lake NWR 2020-07-16

Yes, alligator hunting is happening in Banks Lake NWR.

Well, actually, already happened. According to GA-DNR, “The 2024 season opens at SUNSET on Friday, August 16, 2024, and closes at SUNRISE on Monday, October 7, 2024.”
https://georgiawildlife.com/Hunting/Alligator

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: “Alligator: All State of Georgia Regulations will apply and the season will be limited to two three-day units within the state season. Hunters will access the lake using the refuge boat ramp…. Alligator hunting on the Refuge will be the first two weekends in accordance with the state season.”

So that was August 16-18 and 23-25, 2024.

[Alligator Hunting in Banks Lake NWR 2024, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources]
Alligator Hunting in Banks Lake NWR 2024, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Excerpts from Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge Hunt Plan, July 2020, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/221089

Avg total nightly count = 56 Avg known legal nightly count = 24

Due to increased information from alligator surveys and monitoring from Georgia DNR, the process to allow alligator hunting on Banks Lake NWR was initiated in 2019. The alligator population in Georgia is one of many renewable natural resources that can sustain limited harvest in concert with biological monitoring and periodic evaluations. Allowing an alligator hunt on Banks Lake NWR will provide hunters additional opportunities where other public lands hunting opportunities are limited. Opening this hunt also supports the refuge’s compliance with Secretarial Order 3356, “to support and expand hunting and fishing, enhance conservation stewardship, improve wildlife management, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans”.

II. Statement of Objectives

Continue reading →

Alapaha and Little Alapaha Rivers at US 41, Hamilton County, FL 2024-08-24

Frequently there’s no flow in the Little Alapaha River at US 41, but Saturday there was.

In the Alapaha River where it is often completely dry under US 41, there was plenty of water, a bit west of Jasper, Florida, in Hamilton County.

[Rivers at US 41, Hamilton County, FL, 2024-08-24, Alapaha River, Little Alapaha River]
Rivers at US 41, Hamilton County, FL, 2024-08-24, Alapaha River, Little Alapaha River

The Alapaha River Jennings Gauge was about 66.06 feet NAVD88 at 2:15 PM, Saturday, August 24, 2024. That’s well within the WWALS recommended water levels of low 65, high 76 at US 4 1 on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Here’s a bit of video:
https://youtu.be/FWFsUfMSOP0 Continue reading →