Tag Archives: Alapaha River

Valdosta wastewater and flood prevention public meeting by WWALS 2016-10-27

New WWTP, 30.8327808, -83.3283234 Update 2016-10-23: Seen from the air.

Update 2016-10-19: PDF flyer.

Come hear about the $60 million in wastewater fixes Valdosta just finished, what remains to be done, and what they’re doing about flood prevention for the entire Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida. You can ask questions in this first of a new WWALS Quarterly Speaker Series, and the people organizing this work will be there to answer:

  • Henry Hicks, Utilities Director, about wastewater
  • Emily Davenport, Assistant Director of Engineering, about flooding, and
  • Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, about solar power for utilities.

When: 6PM Thursday October 27th

Where: Valdosta City Hall Annex
Multipurpose Room
300 N Lee St.
Valdosta, GA 31601 Continue reading

Nell Patten Roquemore to be honored tonight in Valdosta by Scouts 2016-09 -20

A chance to see a living legend from Lakeland honored tonight in Valdosta.

Book cover Dean Poling, VDT, 18 September 2016, Scouts honor Roquemore

VALDOSTA — Nell Patten Roquemore has written two books on Lakeland and Lanier County history.

She spearheaded the project of murals being located throughout her native Lakeland.

And Roquemore has been designated as the first woman to receive the prestigious Distinguished Citizen’s Award given by the Boy Scouts of America South Georgia Council.

Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is scheduled to speak in her honor Tuesday during the award banquet, according to organizers.

“I am thrilled to be the first woman chosen and I am truly honored by the selection,” Roquemore said in a statement. “There is no finer Continue reading

WWALS Adopt-A-Stream Cleanup at Berrien Beach Landing (GA 168) –Gretchen Quarterman 2016-09-10

WWALS collected many bags of trash and four mattresses Saturday in the Rivers-Alive Cleanup at Berrien Beach Launch on the Alapaha River.

At Berrien Beach (with permission) Thanks to Bret Wagenhorst for organizing this annual cleanup. Special thanks to the three members of Valdosta State’s Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) for joining in, and a student from UGA Tifton!

This outing was also part of the Great Suwannee River Cleanup, and we’ll have some more of those this year. This particular cleanup was at Berrien Beach Landing in Berrien County on the Alapaha River Water Trail. Thanks to Al Browning and the landowner for access to the sands of Berrien Beach in Lanier County.

See also the Video: #NoDAPL #NoSabalTrail —WWALS 2016-09-10.

More WWALS outings:

Continue reading

Video: #NoDAPL #NoSabalTrail –WWALS 2016-09-10

“WWALS, the Waterkeeper® Affiliate for the upper Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, supports the Standing Rock Sioux against D.A.P.L.”

So say we all about the oil Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota and the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, in this video. You can join us today at 5:30 PM on the Suwannee River in Florida or Saturday morning on the Withlacoochee River in Georgia. News media are invited. We’ll be taking more video for social media: have your say!

Continue reading

Successful Cleanup at Berrien Beach on the Alapaha River 2016-09-10

We collected many bags of trash and four mattresses (not pictured) Saturday in the Rivers-Alive Cleanup at Berrien Beach Launch on the Alapaha River. Special thanks to the three members of Valdosta State’s Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) for joining in!

Group picture

Continue reading

Cleanups at Berrien Beach on the Alapaha and on the Suwannee River 2016-09-10

This weekend, it’s Rivers-Alive Cleanup at Berrien Beach Launch on the Alapaha River, 4PM Saturday September 10th 2016; follow the link for details.

And a group out of Gainesville, Florida, Current Problems, has an annual Great Suwannee River Cleanup 2016:

It’s time to register for the Great Suwannee River Cleanup! This is number 7! You may schedule your cleanup for anytime in September, October, or November. The first week of December is okay, too. We hope river conditions will be good this year and encourage lots of you to join in. Our goal this year is to pass the 100,000 pound mark. We’re close enough we can do it!

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Hike to Dead River Sink from Alapaha River 2016-11-06

An easy hike following Alapaha River as it flows into the Dead River and disappears into the Dead River Sink: you don’t see this just anywhere!.

Update 2016-10-15: Be aware the path does get steep and rough towards the sink, and there are mosquitoes and chiggers.

Bring water, a snack, and bug repellent.

No boat required. Really: you don’t want to try to boat up the Dead River. But you do want to see the Dead River Sink.

When: 10AM Saturday November 6th 2016

Duration: 2-3 hours

Where: Jennings Bluff Landing, 30.579864, -83.039308

Event: facebook, meetup.

This outing is Free! But we encourage you to join WWALS today to support our fun outings and important work: /donations/. Continue reading

WWALS Outings, Rivers, and Pipeline on Chris Beckham drive-time radio WVGA 105.9 FM 8:00 7:30 AM 2016-09-02

8AM Friday morning WWALS will be on Chris Beckham’s drive-time radio show. WWALS president John S. Quarterman will be talking about Saturday morning’s Suwannee River paddle outing and other outings upcoming on the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers, along with other developments on the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, along with many other things WWALS does. Plus what you can do about the FERC rubberstamp of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline drilling under the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers.

When: 8:00 7:30AM Friday September 2nd 2016

Where: Continue reading

Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area

Update 2017-04-28: Sandhills and wildlife at Alapaha WMA
WWALS is gratified that people are contacting us about the WMA, but we’re just reporting on it, we do not run it.
Contact information for the Alapaha WMA:
Greg Nelms, Wildlife Biologist, Game Management, Wildlife Resources Division, GA-DNR
(229) 426-5267 | M: (404) 985-6424

Update 2016-10-20: WMA check-in hunt does not count towards Georgia bag limit.

Update 2016-10-18: Video of Deserter Lake in the Alapaha WMA and hunting dates and bag limits.

Halfway between Tifton and Ocilla on the Alapaha River in Irwin County, apparently announced only by a public hearing in July about hunting reglations: Line Map: Alapaha River WMA the new 7,000-acre Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). There’s an information kiosk off of US 319. , with the sign-in kiosk and campground across the WMA: from Ocilla take US 319 S, left onto Hawthorn Ln, right onto Palm Rd, right onto Farm Rd.

Update 2016-08-30: According to Greg Nelms, Wildlife Biologist, DNR, the main entrance will be off of US 319; there is already a WMA sign there. It’s not quite open yet; they’re still working on roads. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for September 30th. The first hunting season will be an archery hunt on October 1st; hunters can go in at noon the previous day to set up stands.

Here’s the announcement of the public hearing: GA DNR/Wildlife Resources Division/Game Management, 6 July 2016, Proposed Regulations for Alapaha River WMA; Public Hearing Scheduled,

The new regulations, probably adopted unchanged, and which seem to consist of dates and conditions for hunting seasons for various game animals, are online here.

Several maps are linked in for Continue reading

Anhinga Trek on the Georgia Southern Rivers Birding Trail

Sites in WWALS watersheds include Paradise Public Fishing Area (PFA) at the headwaters of our Withlacoochee River, Reed Bingham State Park on our Little River, Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) upstream from our Alapaha River, and Stephen C. Foster State Park at the headwaters of our Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp, all on the Anhinga Trek of the Southern Rivers Birding Trail.

You can buy a license for any of these parks or WMAs from the state, and you can also see anhingas and other fascinating wildlife on our water trails.

Or come along on upcoming WWALS outings: Continue reading