Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle, probably with bats.
When: Gather 7:15 PM, launch 7:45 PM, moonrise 8:30 PM, sunset 8:14 PM, end 9:30 PM, Friday, May 5, 2023
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Continue readingUpdate 2023-08-27: Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Florida Campsites, Withlacoochee River 2023-07-15.
Join us for a leisurely paddle by second magnitude Hardee Spring and other springs, as well as Fennels Funnel, a sinkhole leading to the extensive M2 Blue cave system, and Chitty Bend East Distributary, where some of the Withlacoochee River runs into the woods into some swallets.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2:30 PM, Saturday, July 15, 2023
Put In: Sullivan Launch, The first public access point in Florida to the blackwater Withlacoochee River, Sullivan launch is a narrow concrete launch with free parking and a picnic area, but no picnic tables. It is in the Sullivan Tract of Twin Rivers State Park. From Pinetta, Madison County, FL, travel east on CR 150; turn right at the bridge and follow road to the launch south of the river bridge. Downstream it’s 8.8 miles or about 4.4 miles to paddle to Florida Campsites Ramp. First thing you’ll see is the twisted remains of the old Bellville Bridge, and on the right bank the Pinetta gauge.
GPS: 30.595667, -83.26
![[Hardee Spring, 2015-10-24]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-07-15--withlacoochee-springs-slough/KIMG2746.jpg)
Hardee Spring, 2015-10-24 on the WWALS
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
Update 2023-04-29: Nankin filthy, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-27.
WWALS tests were clean for Thursday on the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.
Rain is predicted, but not much.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
Happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend!
The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday week before last downstream. They generally Continue reading
Sun, moon, bats, and planets, on a balmy night, last full moon at Banks Lake.
Come on out tonight at 6:45 PM and see for yourself!
![[Sunset, Bats, Planets, Moonrise @ Banks Lake 2023-03-07]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-03-07--banks-lake-full-worm-moon-pictures/many.jpg)
Sunset, Bats, Planets, Moonrise @ Banks Lake 2023-03-07
Join us on a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia.
Will Hart and Amy Meyers will lead this one for their first time.
Also, Amy Meyers is the new Chair of the WWALS Outings Committee.
When: Gather 5:30 PM, launch 6 PM, moonrise 6:54 PM, sunset 6:35 PM, end 8 PM, Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
![[Banks Lake Boat Ramp, Boats on the lake, sunset, moonrise 2021-02-2021]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-03-07--banks-lake-full-worm-moon/many.jpg)
Banks Lake Boat Ramp, Boats on the lake, sunset, moonrise 2021-02-2021
Meet at 9am at Sullivan launch, clean up, caravan to FL-6 bridge by 11am, or earlier if we finish before then. No boats needed: this cleanup is on land.
Afterwards, optional Knights Ferry cleanup depending on where the water level is at by then.
Thanks to Amy Meyers for leading this cleanup, and for becoming the new WWALS Outings Committee Chair!
When: 9 AM, Saturday, February 25, 2023
Put In: Sullivan Launch. This is off of CR 150 (NE Bellville Road) east of Pinetta, south of the road, downstream of river bridge, right (west) bank, in Madison County, Florida.
GPS: 30.595667, -83.26
Take Out: FL 6 Bridge. West of the river, turn north off of FL 6 onto Withlacoochee Shores Lane; stay right to stay on that. Turn right on NE Chervil Drive to the FL 6 right of way. Turn left to go to the river.
![[Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-02-06--wq/20230202_163906.jpg)
Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116
on the WWALS
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Update 2023-02-21: Valdosta says it spilled 672,250 gallons of sewage into the Knights Creek floodplain 2023-02-21.
WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall tested two sites in the Alapaha River Basin Saturday, and got good results at both. And she videoed a waterfall on Mud Swamp Creek.
![[Mud Swamp Creek @ Old Clyattville Road, Alapaha River @ Sasser Landing 2023-02-18]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-02-18--wq/many.jpg)
Mud Swamp Creek @ Old Clyattville Road, Alapaha River @ Sasser Landing 2023-02-18
The site at Old Clyattville Road is upstream on Mud Swamp Creek from where Knights Creek comes in, and the site at Sasser Landing on the Alapaha River is downstream from where the Alapahoochee River carries Mud Swamp Creek water into the Alapaha. So if the Valdosta sewage spill of Wednesday, February 15, 2023, ever had any effect on the Alapaha River, that contamination has apparently washed downstream or has been diluted. Continue reading
Will Hart and Amy Meyers got some interesting pictures at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp while practicing their new skill of water quality testing.
Really, boaters and outdoor partiers, leaving the places like this does not encourage people to paddle on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.
![[Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-02-09--kf-trash/kf.jpg)
Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear
I know Lowndes County Litter Control comes by weekly and cleans up. But people who leave this mess are wasting tax dollars with extra work.
The individual pictures are below. Continue reading
According to WWALS results for Thursday, happy boating, swimming, and fishing in our rivers this weekend!
Provided you like high water and are prepared to deal with overhanging limbs and getting lost in the floodplain.
I might avoid the Alapaha River at Sasser Landing, due to Valdosta’s Wednesday February 15th probably major spill into Knights Creek.
Valdosta’s other two sewage spills this month, Wednesday, February 8th into Hightower Creek above Sugar Creek and Saturday, February 11th into Cherry Creek probably were too small to have any significant effect on the Withlacoochee River. The WWALS Sunday tests on Cherry Creek and the river appear to have verified that lack of effect for that one, and regular test results after the Hightower Creek one ditto.
No other recent sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida: just Valdosta. Continue reading
![[Happy paddlers]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-05-26--full-flower-blood-super-moon-pictures/big/20210526_204947.jpg)
![[Chart, River, Swim Guide Map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2023-04-20--wq/many.jpg)