Tag Archives: Alapaha River Water Trail

Retrieving PFAS samplers, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23

Update 2024-11-30: Bad Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26.

Hurricane Helene destroyed three out of four PFAS samplers, and kept us from retrieving the fourth until long after time.

Hurricane Helene demolished PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-10-29

Back on September 14 and 15 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 were taking a sample a day.

But then came Hurricane Helene.

Thanks to Gee Edwards and Phil Royce for helping on the Withlacoochee River Saturday, after the chainsaw cleanup. Especially thanks to Phil for the tow back when the 9.9 hp outboard quit. We’ll investigate what is its problem this time.

We put the upstream sampler slightly up from Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Outfall.

That was the only one we actually could retrieve. Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2024-09-17

It was a gorgeous evening for a glassy Banks Lake paddle, with bats, sunset, and full moon, September 17, 2024.

Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon 2024-09-17, Shirley Kokidko, expedition leader

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this expedition. Continue reading →

WWALS Day of Giving 2024 #GAGIVES

You don’t have to be in Georgia, and you don’t have to wait until Tuesday, to donate to this fundraiser to support WWALS:
https://www.gagives.org/story/Wwals-Gagives2024

Day of Giving 2024: Banks Lake, Alapaha River Rise, Juneteenth, Festivals, Chainsaw Cleanups, Sewage, Water Quality, Okefenokee Swamp

WWALS Mission

WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

Advocacy

Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle –Kimberly Godden Tanner, 2024-11-15

“A great paddle with 8 boats and 13 paddlers! Beautiful sunset and moonrise!” said expedition leader Kimberly Godden Tanner about the Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle 2024-11-15 at Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon 2024-11-15 Sunset and Moonrise

She added, “We had people from Tennessee, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida on this paddle.”

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. Continue reading →

Video: The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14

Heather Brasell demonstrated why she is the 2023 Tree Farmer of the Year of the American Tree Farm System, in a thorough discussion of many aspects of forest management, from water quality testing to logging, replanting, prescribed burns, and herbicides, to educating the public.

As she said, forestry is more than just Best Management Practices, and sustainable forestry is more than replanting trees. Plus good stewardship costs money that may not be offset by income.

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/WLyaMNlBAx4

She spoke in a WWALS Webinar via zoom on the impacts of forest management on water quality, from noon to 1 PM, Thursday, November 14, 2024. WWALS president Sara Squires Jones gave a brief introduction before Heather spoke, and the last ten minutes were for questions and answers.

Forest Management and Waterways, Heather Brasell, GEFC, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14

This is the same topic as when Heather spoke at the Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle, 2024-11-15

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room just west of Lakeland, Georgia.

Since things are still unsettled after Hurricane Helene, bring extra PFDs and paddles if you have them, just in case.

This Outing is honoring Veterans, who get free entry.

When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, moonrise 5:18 PM, sunset 5:35 PM, end 7 PM, Friday, November 15, 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 Beaver Moon Paddle, Alapaha River Water Trail, Banks Lake Outdoors, Lakeland, GA

Continue reading →

The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14

Update 2024-11-18: Video: The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14.

Heather Brasell will speak on the impacts of forest management on water quality, by zoom from noon to 1 PM, Thursday, November 14, 2024.

Effects of Forest Management on Water Quality 2024-11-14, Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar

Here’s a facebook to encourage people to attend:
https://www.facebook.com/events/936192075233375/

But you must register for the zoom.

This is the same topic as when she spoke at the WWALS River Revue 2024, but in this WWALS Webinar she gets 45 minutes instead of 20 minutes.

WWALS president Sara Squires Jones will give a brief introduction, Heather will speak, and the last ten minutes will be for questions and answers.

Heather Brasell is the Founder of the Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2024-11-09

Back at the first festival WWALS ever attended, it was fun. Thanks Jo Ford, Rindy Kennedy, Heather Brasell, and Gretchen Quarterman for helping.

Alapaha Station Celebration, Alapaha, GA 2024-11-09 Thanks, Rindy, Jo, Heather, and Gretchen

Rindy and Jo moved quite a few kayak raffle tickets, and one small boy insisted on getting one while Heather and I were packing up at the end of the day. That’s only $10 for one or $50 for six tickets. It’s a slightly used Skimmer 128 Hurricane kayak, which lists new for $1,399. The drawing is December 15, so get your tickets now. Continue reading →

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

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

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

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/