Tag Archives: Alapaha

Blocked: Hotchkiss Landing closed by big blocks of concrete, October 2010

Why was a public road, Old State Road, blocked by concrete blocks from late 2010 through at least early 2012, right at Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River in Lowndes County, Georgia?

According to two witnesses, this is what Old State Road at Hotchkiss Landing looked like shortly after the Lowndes County Commission decision of 26 October 2010 to keep the road open:

Seen from north side
Picture by Cactus Clyde on flickr, who wrote:
“Alapaha River a mile upstream pf the US84 bridge (on the Hotchkiss Road) east of Naylor, GA- river level 77.96′ at Statenville, GA on 12/11/11. No acces on the west side any longer- this was taken looking west.”

April Huntley says “It happened right after the decision to not close the road.” Chris Graham says this was “Few days after we won.” According to the date on that picture, the road was still blocked 11 December 2011.

Google Earth shows that same blockage for 14 January 2012 in imagery taken by NASA, and that’s also what the current google map shows:

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Alapaha River trip 2009, ending at Hotchkiss Landing

In 2009 Bret Wagenhorst of Tifton organized a canoe trip on the Alapaha River. He says:

I believe we had nearly 15 people on that trip. The put in was at Burnt Church, just above the Boy Scout camp outside of Lakeland. The take out was the state road that is being proposed to be closed due to lack of use. The photos are in an album on my Facebook page. I believe it is titled “Alapaha River Trip”. The last photo of the album shows lots of people at the take out— the state road access that “is hardly ever used”! Feel free to copy any of the photos you like.

Since his facebook album requires facebook login to view, I’ve copied it to a flickr set. That last picture sure does look like Hotchkiss Landing:

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Alapaha River at Hotchkiss Landing, Naylor, Lowndes County, GA, 1 Feb 2013

Scouting for a potential WWALS outing (since scheduled for 16 February 2013, two WWALS board members and three local residents went to look at Hotchkiss Landing on Old State Road at the Alapaha River in Lowndes County. Here are a few pictures; we also have videos, some of which will follow.

Looking west (upstream):

Looking west (upstream) Continue reading →

WWALS February Event, Alapaha River, Hotchkiss Landing

When: 1PM, Saturday, February 16, 2013
Where: Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River, Old State Road, Naylor, GA

The WWALS river outing for February is planned for the Hotchkiss landing.

B.Y.O.B.: Bring your own boat (there are none for rent at this location).

However, some folks have canoes with room in them so don’t let lack of a vessel stop you from joining us.

We have a local host and parking is available at a local land owners property.

Facebook event.

Oil drilling in our aquifer?

There’s a bill in the Florida House to drill for oil in a state park in the same aquifer we drink out of.

A group is organizing through facebook and reddit and elsewhere to oppose this bill:

Save Blackwater River State Forest

An alliance of citizens committed to protecting the beautiful Blackwater River State Forest from proposed House Bill 431, that would allow oil and mining in the forest.
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WWALS in the Tifton Gazette

The Tifton Gazette carried the WWALS press release on Page 8A, Tuesday, January 15, 1013:

Page 8A Picture, Tuesday, January 15, 2013

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Veteran River Conservationist Gordon Rogers spoke to new WWALS Watershed Coalition

WWALS logo WWALS Watershed Coalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Veteran River Conservationist Gordon Rogers spoke to new WWALS Watershed Coalition

Adel, GA, 9 January 2013 — A local watershed group formed in June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, invited Gordon Rogers, Flint Riverkeeper, to its first meeting of the new year to bring his experiences with the Altamaha, Satilla, and Flint Rivers to its conservation efforts on behalf of local blackwater rivers in south central Georgia.

Gordon Rogers speaks to WWALS board

Three newcomers, Garry Gentry, Dave Hetzel, Al Browning, Bret Wagenhorst, Gordon Rogers, Karan Rawlins, Gretchen Quarterman

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Our WWALS Watersheds

Update 2016-03-03: Please see Streamer on the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha.

WWALS Watersheds Here in our WWALS watersheds in south central Georgia, instead of a single big river like the Flint or Altamaha, our many small blackwater streams meander through cypress swamps and remnants of longleaf pine forests. Tannin from oak roots produces the tea color that is one of many attractive features of our streams.

Maybe you, like me, have trouble keeping track of the watersheds of the Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha and Little River Systems. U.S. EPA has much useful information about every U.S. watershed. On the right is a map I got EPA’s My WATERS Mapper to make by clicking on a point near Valdosta (a point just north of Tifton also works) that was close to all three WWALS watersheds known to that Graphical Information System (GIS):

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WWALS at Reed Bingham State Park 2012-10-22

WWALS had a brief canoe and kayak outing at Reed Bingham State Park Sunday, led by Bret Wagenhorst. Heading out, and some coppices of native trees.

Heading out Coppices Continue reading →

Adopt-A-Stream water quality testing training with WWALS 2012-08-25

Students getting water from creek for Adopt-A-Stream water quality testing training.

Students getting water from creek for Adopt-A-Stream water quality testing training.

Angela Bray of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC), assisted by Richard Battenn of SGRC and Al Browning, taught an Adopt-A-Stream water quality testing workshop Saturday 25 August 2012 in Valdosta.

Here’s a video playlist.

A few highlights:

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