Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 29, 2018) morning at 8:30 AM WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman will be on the air with Steve Nichols talking about:
Plus WWALS advocacy, and upcoming paddle outings: Continue reading
The actual boat ramp hasn’t been built yet. Lowndes County Engineering says they’re waiting for the Alapaha River level to go down again.
Right now it’s a straight drop.
Straight to the drop, 2018:05:16 11:20:49,, Boat Ramp Entrance 30.9257700, -83.0394900
Once the county finishes this project, they will hand over to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLPRA), which has said it will probably build a kiosk there. Lowndes County Public Works will make and plant road signs on US 84 pointing at the Naylor Boat Ramp. Then it will be good to go on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). You can still help to pay for the rest of the ARWT road signs.
Meanwhile, you can drive or walk in to see Continue reading
WWALS member Elizabeth Reynolds recently discovered one of our favorite spots, Jennings Bluff Spring, below Jennings Bluff Cemetery on the Alapaha River Water Trail. We’ve been there on several Dead River Sink hikes, and she also went back and this time sent some pictures, posted below with permission.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival WWALS is holding 7PM Thursday, May 31, 2018 at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta, GA is about:
Celebrating fifty years of Wild and Scenic River designations by Congress, this film festival showcases frontline issues and activism with stunning cinematography. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that individuals propel the groundswell of the environmental movement. Collectively, we CAN make a difference!
There aren’t any Wild & Scenic rivers in the Suwannee River Basin, although maybe after seeing this film festival, people will be motivated to fix that.
We have river gems unknown even to most of the people who live here: the Alapaha, the Little, the Withlacoochee, and the Suwannee River.
Some Atlantans paddled the Alapaha River Water Trail last month, and confirmed its A+ rating for scenery. Even portaging around a deadfall didn’t dampen their spirits.
Consensus: we love the Alapaha!
Photo: Robert Marshall of
First Camp: a beach on a point
When retired outfitter Continue reading
Looks like plenty of water at Pafford’s Landing to do another leg of the 2018 Alapaha Quest.
The Statenville Gauge showed Continue reading
WWALS would like to thank the Berrien County Board of Commissioners and staff for years of cooperation about the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) and the many landings on it in Berrien County, as well as the one landing in Berrien County on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Here is a letter from September 2016 granting WWALS permission to put signs on county property at all the water trail landings it names, and a Commission vote to change two access points from having Landing in their name to be called instead Sheboggy Boat Ramp and Berrien Beach Boat Ramp.
Thanks to Continue reading
Thanks, GDOT, for planting the ARWT road signs!
Here are the signs for Lakeland Boat Ramp on GA 122 for the Alapaha River Water Trail, put in the ground by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) the other day, along with signs for eight other landings. You can help pay for these signs.
Sunday 2PM in Valdosta, the Committee meets about the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. And song submissions are open!
When: 2-3 PM Sunday 29 March 2018
Where:
Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, 270 Norman Dr, Valdosta, GA 31601
aka Cheddar’s Casual Cafe,
Off I-75 Exit 16, US 84, West Hill Avenue.
What:
More judge candidates, and event logistics including sponsors, food, beverages,
and the crawl afterwards, when finalists will play at local venues in Cedar Key.
Like every committee meeting, you can also participate by telephone;
inquire within for how.
Event for the committee meeting: facebook, meetup
Event for the songwriting contest: facebook, meetup
Map: Google Street View
Randy Patten used to say he’d never seen an alligator on the Alapaha River in Lanier County, but he just saw a log with eyes and a tail.
He also changed his mind about something else:
I have been against the publication and the making public of our river for people kayaking it, due to the fact that we couldn’t get people out of the river if they got in trouble.
Well, after a couple of years of planning with the assistance of the county commissioners, and volunteer firefighters, and everybody that would assist, we now have signs, 24 actually, up and down the river, from Atkinson County to Echols County. So every few miles you’ll see a sign with a phone number. And later on, when I get close to one I’ll go live again and show you what they look like.
But it makes it a lot nicer to know that if we have people looking at its beauty, which should never be kept a secret, but if something does happen, we have the ability to come get you. Continue reading
This morning I was on The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols on 105.9 FM WVGA, Valdosta, Georgia, which Steve says reaches 100,000 people. We talked about all the things we said we would: Troupville cleanup, water trails, paddle race, film festival, songwriting contest, outings, and more.
Here’s the video extracted from WVGA’s facebook live.
Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols Drive-time Radio 2018-04-24
Video by Black Crow Media for WVGA 105.9 FM, Valdosta, GA
I don’t know why the video is mirror-flipped, but below are a few stills right-way around.
If you want to see the whole morning’s video, it’s on the show’s website. This interview runs about -23:40 to -1:20.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Troupville cleanup, Interview
Hi, Helen, Interview
Tires and a boat, Interview
Metal signs, Interview
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, Interview
BIG Little River Paddle Race, Reed Bingham SP, 2018-04-28, Interview
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Cedar Key, 2018-06-23, Interview
Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Valdosta, 2018-05-31, Interview
Newsletter: Tannin Times, Interview