Tag Archives: Blueway

Arnold Springs, Mozell Spells, Withlacoochee River 2017-10-14

Update 2025-10-13: better picture format, and links to the previous parts.

A fine fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper, diving and landowners at Arnold Springs, Old Clyattville Road Bridge, exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, Horn Bridge. and Mozell Spells (State Line Ramp). Thanks to all who came to paddle from as far as two hours from Gainesville, Florida and four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Clear spring water, 2017-10-14, 15:13:01, –jsq for WWALS 30.6410851, -83.3367726
Blue-green Arnold Springs water meets tea-colored Withlacoochee River water.

The Quitman Gauge (US 84) read 2.17 feet (85.67 NAVD88), which was slightly above our recommended low level, and just fine for Arnold Springs. Here are some pictures and a Google Map. A few videos will follow.

This part of the outing was all in Georgia, but we paddled downstream from Florida to get there; see Continue reading →

Lanier County Commission, Lakeland, Georgia 2025-08-11

I went to thank the Lanier County Commission for letting WWALS use the boats at Banks Lake Outdoors in our Full Moon Paddles. WWALS Outings Committee Co-Chairs Kim Tanner and Janet Martin are getting good use out of those boats.

Lanier County Commission, Lakeland, Georgia, 2025-08-11, Boats at Banks Lake Outdoors, Comprehensive Plan and ARWT

And to ask if they mind if we put a small shed inside the outdoor fence for the paddles and PFDs so they don’t get left out in the rain and the sun. They said yes, they would accept that free gift.

This is what Janet suggests we get:

Continue reading →

Echols County Comprehensive Plan Transmittal Hearing 2025-06-03

The Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) is mentioned numerous times in the Echols County Comprehensive Plan 2025-2030, as is Suwannee Riverkeeper, including in the 5-Year Community Work Program Update for projects “Promote Suwannee River Boat Ramp” and “Work with private organizations to keep the river passable”.

Echols County Comprehensive Plan, with water trails: Alapaha and Suwannee

Sitting up front at this Transmittal Public Hearing were County Manager Alan Levesque and Alexandra Arzayus, Planner II, Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). Thanks to them for organizing the series of meetings that led up to this one. The Echols County Commission is expected to vote Thursday to transmit this plan to the state of Georgia. Continue reading →

Installed: Troupville Boat Ramp water trail signs 2025-04-01

New water trail signs replace the old, shot-up ones at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River just downstream from GA 133.

Installed: water trail signs at Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River @ GA 133, Thanks, VLPRA & GA-DNR 2025-04-01

Thanks to Herman Gordon of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for coming down to help install the new signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Herman is preparing for the April 19th Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. I think he was relieved that WWALS, Valdosta, and Lowndes County rescheduled it because of high water on the previous date.
https://wwals.net/?p=67242

Thanks to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) that paid for (most of) the cost of these and other signs.

GA-DNR’s own signs about “Clean Your Gear” and “Don’t Release It Here!” have also been shot up. Gordon and I are contacting them about that.

And I’ve already left a message for Lowndes County Public Works about the large potholes on the entrance road. Continue reading →

Mayday Landing ARWT Signs 2025-02-26

Update 2025-04-01: Installed: Troupville Boat Ramp water trail signs 2025-04-01.

Thanks again to Echols County Manager Alan Levesque and Road Crew, the signs are planted for Mayday Landing on the Alapaha River.

Mayday Landing, Alapaha River, ARWT Signs Planted 2025-02-26, At-Water and Road: Thanks, Alan Levesque & Echols County Road Crew

Both the road signs and the at-water signs were paid for (80%) by a generous grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR). The signs were made by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), but the state could not plant the signs, because Howell Road is not a state or federal road. But the county could, and Echols County did.

Like the Statenville Boat Ramp signs, I delivered the Mayday signs to Echols County at a Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Update meeting the day before.

Mayday Landing is at 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649. It is on the left bank, the east side of the Alapaha River, south of Howell Road, north of the railroad bridge, in Echols County.

It is towards the middle of the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.
https://wwals.net/maps/alapaha-water-trail/ Continue reading →

ARWT signs planted at Statenville Boat Ramp 2025-02-26

Update 2025-03-12: Mayday Landing ARWT Signs 2025-02-26.

Thanks to Echols County Manager Alan Levesque and the Echols County Road Crew for planting the Statenville Boat Ramp signs next to the ramp.

ARWT signs planted, Statenville Boat Ramp 2025-02-26, Thanks, Alan Levesque, Echols County Manager

I delivered them the previous day at an Echols County Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Update meeting. Continue reading →

Statenville Boat Ramp, Alapaha River 2025-02-25

The Alapaha River is moving fast at Statenville Boat Ramp, just upstream of the GA 94 bridge and west across the river from Statenville, Georgia, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
https://wwals.net/maps/arwt

Statenville Boat Ramp, Alapaha River 2025-02-25, GA 94 Bridge, Sky Dog

The Statenville Gauge read 9.61 feet (85.71 feet NAVD88), with 1580 cubic feet per second of discharge (2.04 kcfs).

Sky the Suwannee Riverkeeper Dog came along to sniff out the situation.

More pictures and videos below. Continue reading →

On The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025-03-06

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
https://talk921.com

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about

the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River, March 15,
https://wwals.net/?p=66833
the WWALS River Revue with the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, September 6,
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025
plus chainsaw cleanups, the Okefenokee Swamp, Ichetucknee Springs and River, and water quality testing.

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, etc. on The Spotlight Show, Talk921.com, Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6-7 PM

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1164828191815898

-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/

Griffis Fish Camp Suwannee River Water Trail signs planted –Richard Fowler 2024-12-15

Thanks to Richard Fowler for these pictures of the WWALS Suwannee River Water Trail signs being planted at Griffis Fish Camp.

Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River Water Trail signs, planted 2024-12-15, Photos: Richard Fowler

Thanks to Linda Tindall for digging and leveling, to Shirley Kokidko for pouring, and to camp manager Walter Hickox for advising on where to plant the signs.

Thanks to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) for the generous grant that paid for these signs, the signpost, the concrete, and the screws.

See also the other pictures of this sign planting, and also at Fargo Ramp:
https://wwals.net/?p=66605

And pictures of the paddle Shirley organized the previous day from Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp down the Suwannee River back to Griffis Fish Camp:
https://wwals.net/?p=66675 Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Cold Moon Paddle 2024-12-15

Thanks, Kim Tanner, for leading this paddle.

Banks Lake Full Cold Moon, Banks Lake NWR, Lakeland, GA 2024-12-15

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

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.