The wind was brisk but died down as soon as we started paddling on a warm winter night, to see the sun set and the moon rise over Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia.
![[Banners, Sunset, Moonrise]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-18--banks-lake-full-cold-moon-pictures/2021-12-18--many.jpg)
Russell even saw an osprey nest. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Banks Lake
Banks Lake Full Cold Moon Paddle, 2021-12-18
Update 2021-12-23: Pictures.
Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle. Dress warmly in layers.
When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, moonrise 5:10 PM, sunset 5:33 PM, Saturday, December 18, 2021
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Lights: You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset. You must wear a PFD. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Boats:
Bring your own if you have it.
Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
Please ask for boats at least 2 days prior to the event:
on the web form on
https://wwals.net/outings,
or on the facebook event, the meetup,
or call 850-290-2350.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members.
You can pay the $10 at the outing, or online:
https://wwals.net/outings
We recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/#join
![[Moonhead Shirley, 18:14:40, 31.0386478, -83.0772416]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-12-22--banks-lake-solstice-moon-paddle/20181222_181440.jpg)
Moonhead Shirley, 18:14:40, 31.0386478, -83.0772416, 2018-12-22.
Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle, 2021-11-19
Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia.
When: Gather 4:45 PM, launch 5:15 PM, moonrise 5:50 PM, sunset 5:32 PM, end 7 PM, Friday, November 19, 2021
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Lights: You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset. You must wear a PFD. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Boats: Kayaks are available to borrow but please let us know at least 2 days prior to the event. Bring your own if you have it. Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members.
You can pay the $10 at the outing, or online:
https://wwals.net/outings
We recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/#join
![[Sunset and moonrise by Russell McBride 2020-10-01]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-11-19--full-beaver-moon-banks-lake/sunsetmoonrise.jpg)
Sunset and moonrise by Russell McBride 2020-10-01
Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon Paddle 2021-10-20
Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle, and the last full moon paddle before the time change in November, after which we will have to meet earlier.
When: Gather 6 PM, launch 6:30 PM, moonrise 7:12 PM, sunset 6:54 PM, end 8 AM, Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Lights: You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset. You must wear a PFD. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Boats: Kayaks are available to borrow but please let us know at least 2 days prior to the event. Bring your own if you have it. Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members.
You can pay the $10 at the outing, or online:
https://wwals.net/outings
We recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/#join
![[Passing the fishing pier]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-09-20--banks-lake-full-moon-pictures/20210920_190645.jpg)
Passing the fishing pier, 2021-09-20. Photo: John S. Quarterman.
Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Suwannee Rivers in GA-EPD Triennial Review Update 2021-09-13
We appear to be the poster child for Recreational redesignation of waterbodies by GA-EPD.
![[Prioritization of Nominated Waterbodies]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-09-13--epd-recreational-redesignation-update/9_13_2021_Triennial_Review_Public_Meeting-0019.jpg)
Prioritization of Nominated Waterbodies; blue marks prioritized waterbodies.
That’s a slide from today’s update meeting.
Not all our blue prioritized waterbodies were redesignated: not Banks Lake nor Grand Bay. But the Withlacoochee and Alapaha segments were redesignated. We may have gotten more river miles redesignated than anywhere else in Georgia.
![[Stretches redesignated Recreational]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-09-01--ga-epd-triennial-recreational/map-redesignated.jpg)
Stretches redesignated Recreational
on the
GA-EPD map.
As you can see, GA-EPD stuck to considering swimming as most important for what they call primary recreation, which is what they require for Recreational redesignation. Thanks to all of you who sent in swimming pictures and locations. You can keep sending those in, especially for the Suwannee River. Thanks to those cities and counties and Chambers of Commerce that sent in letters of support. Continue reading
More Recreational redesignation of waterbodies still possible –GA-EPD 2021-09-01
In addition to the Alapaha and Withlacoochee River segments GA-EPD has accepted to be redesignated Recreational, according to today’s update letter several others still could be considered with certain additional information, and still more can be nominated. This would be for the next Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards, which starts next year, 2022.
Read the whole thing here: PDF.
Excerpts related to the Suwannee River Basin are below. I’ve added a few comments in [square brackets].
The following waterbody segments are being proposed for designated use change to recreation for the 2019 Triennial Review. EPD has received complete nomination packages for each of these waterbody segments, including thorough documentation of year-round primary contact recreation throughout the length of the segment, current and planned investment data, and letters of support from community and stakeholders. A map of these waterbody segments can be found at
https://arcg.is/1i0ezv
Stretches redesignated Recreational on the GA-EPD map.
- Alapaha River – Cherry Creek to Stateline
- Alapaha River – Willacoochee River to Dampier Branch
[Those two Alapaha River stretches omit Sheboggy Boat Ramp downstream from Alapaha, and Lakeland Boat Ramp, Pafford’s Landing, and Rowetown Church Landing downstream from Lakeland.]- Withlacoochee River – Tiger Creek to State Line
[Plus Reed Bingham State Park Lake on the Little River was already Recreational, even though it does not appear on the above GA-EPD map. The rest of the Little River we can resubmit.]
Incomplete nomination packages were received for the following waterbodies. EPD will continue to solicit information from the nominators to complete these packages. If EPD receives complete nomination packages, EPD will review the complete packages and consider changing the designated use of these waterbodies to recreation as part of the 2022 Triennial Review:
Missing Documentation of year-round primary contact recreation:
Continue reading
Parts of Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers to be Recreational –GA-EPD 2021-08-11
Update 2021-09-01: More Recreational redesignation of waterbodies still possible –GA-EPD 2021-09-01.
GA-EPD picked a subset of the river stretches they previously said they would consider for Recreational designation: in the Georgia Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards: parts of the Alapaha River, and a smaller part of the Withlacoochee River.
There’s an online Update Meeting next month.
![[Header, Suwannee River Basin]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-08-11--ga-epd-rule-change/many.jpg)
So that’s the Alapaha River from the Willacoochee River to Dampier Branch, and from Cherry Creek to the state line. I guess you can still paddle from Willacoochee Landing @ GA 135 to Berrien Beach Boat Ramp @ GA 168 without getting into any non-Recreational stretches. But Lakeland Boat Ramp and Pafford’s and Burnt Church Landings are right out. But you can paddle from Hotchkiss Road Landing to Naylor Boat Ramp, Mayday Landing, Statenville Boat Ramp, and on to Florida.
Redesignated Recreational is the Withlacoochee River from Tiger Creek (at Spook Bridge, just below US 84) to the state line. So Knights Creek, Nankin, and State Line Boat Ramps can all be Recreational, even though they’re all downstream of Okapilco Creek and all those cattle in Brooks County, but Langdale Park Boat Ramp and Troupville Boat Ramp are not designated Recreational, despite the Valdosta Mayor’s letter of support.
However, the big win is that anything at all got redesignated. In previous cycles, GA-EPD declined to consider such a thing. And we can reapply next time.
Completely missing from this list are: Continue reading
Video: Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle 2021-08-22 –Suwannee Riverkeeper & Scott James 2021-08-12
This Sunday, paddle out with us to see the sun set and the moon rise, with bats, in the Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle!
It’s only $10 for non-members, and free to non-members, as Scott James reminded us on his radio show last week.
With free boat rental, thanks to the Lakeland-Lanier County Chamber of Commerce.
And WWALS membership is only $25 for individuals or $40 for a family.
https://wwals.net/donations/#join
![[Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-08-12--scott-james-video/many.jpg)
Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle
For more details of this evening paddle just west of Lakeland, Georgia, see: https://wwals.net/?p=56344
Here’s WWALS video of that radio interview: Continue reading
Pictures: Banks Lake Full Strawberry Moon paddle 2021-06-24
Good turnout for a Thursday paddle! 26 paddlers enjoyed great weather, bats, and the Full Strawberry Moon through clouds at Banks Lake NWR.
Each full moon, it’s only $10 per paddler with free boat rental thanks to the Lakeland-Lanier Chamber of Commerce and Banks Lake Outdoors. Or the whole thing is free with WWALS membership, which starts at $25 individual or $40 family.
![[26 paddlers, cypress, bat tree, moon]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-06-24--banks-lake-full-strawberry-moon-pictures/many.jpg)
26 paddlers, cypress, bat tree, moon
This time we were joined by Bird Chamberlain and almost all of Dirty Bird and the Flu, one of our headliners at the Fourth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, 7-11 PM, Saturday, August 21, 2021, at the Turner Center Art Park, Valdosta, GA. Continue reading
2021 deadline extended again! and Scott Perkins singing Hoochie Coochie for the Withlacoochee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting 2020
Our host, Sementha Mathews, of Turner Center Art Park, asked us to extend the deadline one more week. So we did, to July 21, 2021!
Send in your song now through this entry form:
https://forms.gle/tWrqas7qPWDKgpqF6
Yes, we have some songs. But, we want more!
Our most recent songwriter wrote his song yesterday and sent it in.
Come on, songwriters, make the competition fierce for that $300 cash First Prize, with $300 equivalent in studio time!
And for the $50 prize for best song from within the Suwannee River Basin, and $50 for best song from without.
And for the plaques for best in each song genre.
Everybody else, tickets will be on sale soon, to listen to our two headliners, Scott Perkins and his band Little Perks in Paradise from Atlanta, and Valdosta’s own Dirty Bird and the Flu. Each of the three judges will also play, even before we get to the finalists and the judging. With food by Hibachi Hwy and drinks by The Pour House.
Here’s Scott Perkins singing his song, Hoochie Coochie for the Withlacoochee, in the 2020 Contest:
Scott Perkins singing Hoochie Coochie for the Withlacoochee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting 2020
Videos by Phillip Plumlee and John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),
Turner Center Art Park, Valdosta, Georgia, August 22, 2020.
Much more about the Contest is here, including song submission form,
contest Rules, and, soon, tickets:
wwals.net/pictures/2021-08-21–songwriting/
Georgia Beer Company is back as our top tier sponsor. We have more sponsors, and we can use more!
To encourage more songwriters, here’s a facebook event. But remember to send in your song through the entry form!
About WWALS: Continue reading