Tag Archives: ARWT

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28

That was possibly the best full moon view ever, at the Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28, just after the Costume Contest.

[Banners, Sunset, Moonrise, Jupiter, Bats, Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon 2023-10-28]
Banners, Sunset, Moonrise, Jupiter, Bats, Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon 2023-10-28

The moon rose before the sun was set.

Jupiter was halfway between the moon and the horizon.

Bats were visible and audible (and smellable) in the cypress trees, even though they said it was too chilly to come out.

For humans the temperature was delightful.

All that and the return of Elizabeth Brunner, who had not joined us since I think January!

Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.

Thanks to Kimberly Godden Tanner for hosting, including getting the key from Banks Lake Outdoors, distributing the boats, and getting people signed in.

Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner for leading, including the safety lecture and showing people around on the lake.

Thanks to Lisa Adkins Montisano for some additional pictures.

There are more pictures below.

See also facebook photosets by: Continue reading →

Pictures: Halloween Full Moon Costume Contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-07: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28 2023-10-28.

All the Ghouls & Gals won prizes, at the WWALS family friendly 1st Annual Full Moon Halloween Float costume contest fundraiser at Banks Lake in Lakeland, Ga., just before the Full Hunters Moon Paddle.

[Participants, winners, and organizers, WWALS Halloween costume contest at Banks Lake 2023-10-28]
Participants, winners, and organizers, WWALS Halloween costume contest at Banks Lake 2023-10-28

Thanks, Rindy Kennedy, for organizing!

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -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

WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2023-11-11

Join us at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

The schedule starts with a parade at 10:30 AM.

The star attraction is Mandy Barnett, the “torch singer with the chameleon-like chops” who was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2021 by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith.

Plus food and other vendors.

WWALS members, come help at that WWALS booth!

When: 9 AM, Saturday, November 11, 2023

Put In: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad Street, Alapaha, Georgia 31622

GPS: 31.38103, -83.222412

[WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2022]
WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration, pictures from 2022

Continue reading →

Pictures: WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12

Last year, back at the first festival WWALS ever attended, Alapaha Station Celebration at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

[WWALS booth and float, Town of Alapaha, raffle kayak, music @ Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12]
WWALS booth and float, Town of Alapaha, raffle kayak, music @ Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12

We’ll be back this year, Saturday, November 11, 2023.

WWALS members, maybe you’d like to help at the WWALS booth? Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-07: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28 2023-10-28.

Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle, right after the Halloween full moon costume contest.

When: Gather 5:40 PM, launch 5:45 PM, moonrise 6:45 PM, sunset 6:48 PM, end 7:45 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2023

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

[Banners, Boating witch, Lights 2020-10-31]
Banners, Boating witch, Lights 2020-10-31

Continue reading →

Halloween Full Moon Costume Contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-03: Pictures: Halloween full moon costume contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp 2023-10-28.

Hey, Ghouls & Gals! Looking for a spooky one of a kind Halloween experience? Conjure up your best costume and come join the WWALS family friendly 1st Annual Full Moon Halloween Float costume contest fundraiser at Banks Lake in Lakeland, Ga.! (Extra points for light up and glow in the dark costumes IF you stay to paddle with us.)

When: Gather 4 PM, Costumes judged 4:30 PM, end 4:50 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2023

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

[Costumes at Banks Lake 2020-10-31]
Costumes at Banks Lake 2020-10-31

Continue reading →

Clean Rivers, filthy Sugar Creek 2023-10-05

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers all tested good for Thursday, October 5, 2023.

But Sugar Creek was way too high in E. coli. Is Valdosta still leaking sewage from that River Street spill?

Yet downstream at GA 133 the Withlacoochee River was good.

There has been no rain this week.

So happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

Except Langdale Park, which is still walk-in only.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-10-05]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-10-05

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Monday upstream (good) and the Friday five weeks ago, September 1st, downstream (not bad).

Valdosta’s last week upstream results corroborated what WWALS saw after last week’s rain.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner for testing the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach: both showed very little E. coli.

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman for testing State Line and Nankin Boat Ramps and Folsom Bridge Landing @ GA 122 on the Little River.

Thanks to Heather Brasell for testing upstream on the Alapaha River last Saturday. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha River 2023-09-28

Update 2023-10-13: Filthy creeks and Withlacoochee River 2023-10-12.

Kim Tanner sampled for WWALS the last two weeks on the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp at GA 122 (on the left) and at Naylor Park Beach at UA 84 (center). She got clean results both weeks.

[Two clean weeks on the Alapaha River]
Two clean weeks on the Alapaha River

For last Thursday she got zero E. coli at both locations: can’t get better than that. For this Thursday she got 230 cfu/100 mL at Lakeland and 33 at Naylor. 230 is above the 126 preferred monthly mean, but well below the 410 one-time sample limit.

She did note that there is still no trash can at Naylor Beach (see right picture). Presumably Hurricane Idalia did away with it.

As reported yesterday, there has been no rain since Tuesday, and no new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida in the last two weeks.

So happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend on the Alapaha River.

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

Thanks to Continue reading →

Mostly Clean Rivers 2023-09-28

Update 2023-09-30: Clean Alapaha River 2023-09-28.

The only place on the Withlacoochee River that tested bad for Thursday was the most stagnant location: Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

There was significant E. coli in the other locations, as well as in the Alapaha Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp, but none of the others were above the 410 cfu/100 mL one-time test limit.

There was rain Tuesday, but effects of that seem to have been mostly gone by Thursday.

So I’d avoid Langdale Park, which you can’t drive into anyway.

Other than that, happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-09-28]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-09-28

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Monday upstream (good) and the Friday four weeks ago, September 1st, downstream (not bad).

No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida in the past two weeks.

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner for testing the Alapaha River last week at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach: both showed zero E. coli. Can’t get better than that. Continue reading →

About WWALS River Revue on The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM 2023-09-14

Update 2023-09-15: Last call for tickets for WWALS River Revue, on Talk 92.1 FM 2023-09-18.

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about the WWALS River Revue sit-down fundraising dinner, with cash bar, silent auction, and new songs in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, all 6-10 PM, Friday, September 22, 2023, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.

Tickets are available only online in advance, by Monday, September 18th:
https://www.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2023/

[The Spotlight Show, WWALS River Revue]
The Spotlight Show, WWALS River Revue

On the radio, we will talk about some of what WWALS does that this fundraiser supports, including water trails, paddle outings including bats on Banks Lake, and cleanups, including chainsaw cleanups. Continue reading →