Tag Archives: Blueway

Winners, BIG Little River Paddle Race 2017-04-29

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Adel, Georgia, June 4, 2017 — Dwight Griner of Berrien County, Georgia won for the fifth time. A dozen other boats received prizes, as a record number of people paddled in the Fifth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, April 29, 2017. Tifton and Tift County had the most paddlers, but the awards show more boats from Moultrie and Colquitt County. Lowndes had the second most paddlers, and there were two people each from Cook and from far-away Houston and Harris Counties, and one from Thomas County.

Dwight Griner winner closeup

This year’s BLRPR included three popular new attractions: Continue reading →

Pictures: Woods Ferry Tract to Suwannee Springs 2017-05-20

Springs and sand like snow, red and yellow water, chatting as we go, Woods Ferry to Suwannee Springs on the Suwannee River, May 20, 2017, with Hands Across the Sand at noon. Even though everyone had a trash bag, there was surprisingly almost no trash to pick up until we got to Suwannee Springs. Here are some pictures, a few videos, and a google map showing the locations.

Update 2021-09-23: Water levels were 36.34′ on the Suwannee Springs USGS gauge and 49.47′ on the White Springs gauge.

What is the name of this spring?

Upriver across the spring, 30.3695100, -82.8887100

It’s in SRWMD’s Continue reading →

Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee, 2017-05-20

Here’s Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee River, with boats, during the WWALS outing from Woods Ferry Tract to Suwannee Springs Saturday.

Picture by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS.

Here’s an out-take from the making of, as Gretchen attempted to Continue reading →

Here

Lots more pictures now posted of this sunny Suwannee River outing past springs and sand like snow, plus Hands Across the Sand.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Woods Ferry to Suwannee Springs, Outing and Hands Across the Sands, Suwannee River 2017-05-20

Update 2023-04-13: Pictures.

Due to low water, we’re moving the May 20th outing downstream! With lunch, swim stops, and bon-bons, of course. Bring bug spray and the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. If you don’t have a boat, there are many outfitters, or let us know and many of us have spare boats.

Two outfitters advise there should be enough water on this route to avoid much boat dragging. There is a slight 30% possibility of afternoon thunder showers. Same date, same time, same river: just a bit downstream.

When: 9AM Saturday May 20, 2017, meet to shuttle
10AM: Start paddling
12PM noon: Stop for Hands Across the Sand
“Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy”
2-3PM: Finish some time around then

Put In: Mile 158.0, Woods Ferry Tract Launch, in Suwannee County, Florida

GPS of Entrance: to Woods Ferry Tract 30.343508, -82.855187

Paddle Distance: 8.0 river miles

Paddle Duration: 4 hours

Event: facebook, meetup

Directions to Put In: From Live Oak, travel north on Continue reading →

Water low but passable, White Springs to Swift Creek, Suwannee River 2017-05-20

Update 2017-05-17: OK, the water’s gotten too low at the original location, so we’re moving downstream to Woods Ferry Tract Launch to Suwannee Springs.

Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee Saturday! The river is quite low (48.78 feet NAVD on the White Springs gage), but it looks doable from the put-in and take-out. A ranger at Stephen Foster State Park told me paddling from White Springs to Swift Creek would be doable, perhaps with a few dry spots. I’ll also call a local outfitter or two for their opinions.

White Springs down from ramp

Meanwhile, bring bug spray (gnats) and a rope (to pull your boat over sand bars), and we’re still on for 9AM Saturday 20 May 2017. See the outing announcement for more details.

Plus: that’s the day of Hands Across the Sand, “Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy”. WWALS has been saying that for years, so somewhere on the Suwannee we will stop and do Hands Across the Sand against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and for solar power.

White Springs low spot

Continue reading →

BIG Little River Paddle Race 2017-04-29

Here are a few pictures (also on facebook) and videos (video playlist) from the Fifth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race. ~~Later~~ you’ll see pictures of each winner coming in and being awarded. Winners posted, plus news coverage.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Check in at Red Roberts Landing 31.1920876, -83.5208021

Continue reading →

Paddle or Race, Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio 2017-04-27

Scott James had already been talking to WWALS Outings Chair Phil Hubbard about the BIG Little River Paddle Race Saturday morning at Reed Bingham State Park, so he knew some good questions to ask on his Talk 92.1 FM Radio show this morning. Scott also had this morning’s Valdosta Daily Times, which has a nice writeup on the paddle race on the top of page 5A.

Remember to register online or at the event Saturday morning. On-site registration is at Red Roberts Landing, from Exit 41 on I-75.

You do not have to actually race, you can just paddle. But the long-time winner has some real competition this year, with multiple people training seriously to win that $50 first place prize. You could win one of many other prizes, for young, old, male, female, or single, double, or triple kayak or canoe.

Come on down and paddle, eat the lunch grilled by Phil Hubbard, and bid in the silent auction!

And you can get tickets for the kayak raffle, either at the race or online.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Charlie Walker dried off in time on KIX 99.5 FM for the BIG Little River Paddle Race 2017-04-26

Last year paddling the Withlacoochee River Charlie Walker fell in before we got to Langdale Park, but he’s dried off now and ready for the BIG Little River Paddle Race.

As we discussed this morning on KIX 99.5 FM, come on down to Reed Bingham State Park between Adel and Moultrie Saturday morning at 8AM, and stay for the the grilled lunch and the silent auction. You do not have to train by paddline upstream; you can just paddle the excellent course three miles downstream past cypress, pines, great blue herons, turtles, and fish. Don’t pet the alligators and they won’t bother you.

Remember to register online or at the event Saturday morning. And you can get tickets for the kayak raffle, either at the race or online!

Here’s the video. Continue reading →

Video: BLPR and Neighbor Steve Nichols, WVGA 105.9 FM 2017-04-26

You don’t have to race, but some paddlers are training big-time, so come on down 8AM Saturday morning to Red Roberts Landing for the BIG Little River Paddle Race, the grilled lunch, and the silent auction.

The Little River is so low that if you fall in, you can just stand up.

Remember to register online or at the event Saturday morning.