Tag Archives: Cleanup

Alapahoochee River Cleanup, 2024-07-21

Update 2024-07-22: Pictures: Alapahoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-07-21.

Join us for a river cleanup including many deadfalls, some interesting creeks, an old steel bridge, some rapids, and Turket Creek Waterfall.

Most paddlers will paddle and collect trash, and some of us will have chainsaws.

This is a relatively strenuous paddle, so it is not recommended for beginners. It’s only 2.83 river miles, but it’s jam-packed.

Thanks to Bird Chamberlain, who lives nearby, for leading this outing.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 2 PM, Sunday, July 21, 2024

Put In: GA 135 Alapahoochee Landing, Between Jennings, Florida, and Statenville, Georgia, in Echols County, 3/4 mile upstream of the GA-FL line and west of Pear Tree Lane, north side of road, left (west) bank.

GPS: 30.62845, -83.0893

[Alapahoochee River, Cleanup 2024-07-21, GA 135 to, Sasser Landing]
Alapahoochee River, Cleanup 2024-07-21, GA 135 to, Sasser Landing

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Chainsaw Cleanups –Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar 2024-04-11

Update 2024-05-01: Video: Chainsaw Cleanups –Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar 2024-04-11.

Phil Hubbard, longtime WWALS paddle outings leader, will tell us why he started a series of chainsaw cleanups two years ago.

Does everybody have to saw on a chainsaw cleanup? What else can people do? Who else has been involved? What did we not expect?

Important points, such as: How to order pizza with a chainsaw, and how to tattoo your chainsaw bar. Also: maybe wrap up before dark.

[WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups, Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar 2024-04-11, Withlacoochee River, Suwannee River, and soon others]
WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups, Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar 2024-04-11, Withlacoochee River, Suwannee River, and soon others

Have we finally accomplished the initial goals after 17 or 18 chainsaw cleanups?

Have they all been on two stretches of the Withlacoochee River? Nope, also downstream on the Withlacoochee and on the Suwannee River. Where to chainsaw cleanup next: maybe on the Santa Fe River in Florida, or the Alapaha River or the Little River.

This webinar will be by zoom, noon-1 PM, Thursday, April 11, 2024.

Register in advance with zoom for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpdeyqrT4rH91Y0CaBM7TxVd2WoIblH5Vj

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

WWALS Board President Sara Jay Jones will give a brief introduction, Phil will speak for about 45 minutes, and we will have questions and answers.

“I think I’m the only one who has been on every chainsaw cleanup, Continue reading →

A 19th-century navigable definition does not work for 21st-century river economies

Update 2024-07-26: Help keep paddle access to Georgia rivers 2024-07-22.

We never had bales of cotton boated down the Withlacoochee River, because there are too many shoals.

[19th-century navigable definition; 21st-century river economy]
19th-century navigable definition; 21st-century river economy

But we do get fishing both from the shore and in paddle and power boats up and down our rivers, and for other recreation, There are massive investments by nearby cities and counties and other organizations in cleaning up the rivers for those purposes.

The state of Georgia needs to revise its 19th-century definition of navigability and passage to match the 21st-century present.

The antique 19th-century definition

The Georgia 1863 definition says a navigable stream “is capable of transporting boats loaded with freight in the regular course of trade either for the whole or a part of the year.” See Georgia Navigability Report, 3rd Edition and O.C.G.A. 44-8-5 (2010)

Some people once tried boating down the Withlacoochee River to the Suwannee to establish commerce. They sold the remains of the boat and returned to the former Lowndes County seat of Troupville, at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River. Atlanta Constitution, January 29, 1889, Continue reading →

Crowe Deadfall chainsaw cleanup 2024-03-01

Bobby McKenzie was right to be worried about the Crowe Deadfall, a big oak seen for years across the Withlacoochee River between I-75 and GA 133.

Yesterday evening we cleared that and two other deadfalls.

By cleared, I mean at the Crowe Deadfall stay way left: there’s a narrow passage for the Fifth Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. See you at Langdale Park Boat Ramp this morning.

[Three deadfalls cleared between Troupville and I-75 2024-03-01]
Three deadfalls cleared between Troupville and I-75 2024-03-01

Thanks to Georgia Power for the grant that makes tickets to this paddle free.

Thanks to Flint Riverkeeper Gordon Rogers for the jon boat. Thanks to Wild Green Future (WGF) for the grant that bought the 9.9hp outboard, the 86lb-thrust trolling motor, the batteries, and some other gear.

 -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/

Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek –Phil Royce 2024-02-03

Thanks to Shawn O’Connor for leading this chainsaw cleanup, Saturday a week ago, from Langdale Park to Sugar Creek on the Withlacoochee River.

This is in preparation for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, March 2, 2024.
https://wwals.net/?p=64095

Phil Royce drove an hour from Live Oak, Florida, and Gary Koch drove two hours from Ocala, Florida, saying it was better to stop trash upstream. In addition to regulars Russell Allen McBride and Bobby McKenzie, Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson came to see us off; he’s second from left in the banner picture. More on that in a later post.

These pictures are by Phil Royce. Phil had to leave early, so his portage pictures are before we came along and sawed a river passage.

[Banners, bass fisher, chain saws, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek 2024-02-03]
Banners, bass fisher, chain saws, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek 2024-02-03

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading →

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River, and Okefenokee Swamp on Scott James radio talk921.com 2024-02-02

We also talked about the future Troupville River Camp and Nature Park, in addition to defending the Okefenokee Swamp from a proposed stripmine, chainsaw cleanups, and the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, which will go around the river frontage of the pending Troupville Park.

This was Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman on the Scott James radio talk show on talk921.com, Friday, February 3, 2024. I referred to him as Mayor, because Scott James Matheson is also the Mayor of Valdosta, Georgia.

We also prominently mentioned Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter.

And Helen Tapp, from whom the county in December 2022 bought the 71 acres from Helen Tapp down to the Little River Confluence to add to the 44 acres already owned by Parks and Rec to combine for the proposed park.

[Mayor and Chairman's Paddle, Withlacoochee River, Okefenokee Swamp, and Troupville River Camp and Nature Park on Scott James radio talk921.com 2024-02-03]
Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River, Okefenokee Swamp, and Troupville River Camp and Nature Park on Scott James radio talk921.com 2024-02-03

Here is a WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QwydpvXE-C4BTMUQqv4yfCg&si=CLMEdlCi8TM3d_Q6 Continue reading →

Pictures: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-01-27

We got some deadfalls out of the way of canoe and kayak paddling, between Langdale Park Boat Ramp and Sugar Creek on the Withlacoochee River, January 27, 2024.

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading and doing the most sawing, to Shawn O’Connor for sawing, to Russell Allen McBride for collecting trash, and I also sawed, although I did not video myself doing it.

The weather was sunny and warm. The water level was about 119.3 NAVD 1988 on the US 41 (North Valdosta Road) USGS gauge.

[Got some deadfalls, more to do, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek, 2024-01-27]
Got some deadfalls, more to do, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek, 2024-01-27

Join us tomorrow, February 3, to get more. The water level is down to 118.4, so it should be about a foot lower tomorrow than last Saturday, which should make our job easier.

Or join us February 11 for the Sugar Creek to Troupville chainsaw cleanup.

These chainsaw cleanups are in preparation for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, March 2, 2024, which will run from Langdale Park three miles to the early takeout at Sugar Creek, then another four miles to Troupville Boat Ramp.

Here’s a WWALS video of last Saturday’s chainsaw cleanup:
https://youtu.be/4hrVr93KQnw

Don’t try this at home.

Continue reading →

Paddles, Chainsaws, and Okefenokee Swamp on The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM 2024-02-01

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, February 1, 2024.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about chainsaw cleanups, the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, the Okefenokee Swamp, the Ichetucknee Springs and River, and the 2024 WWALS River Revue coming up this September.

[Suwannee Riverkeeper on The Spotlight Show, 6-7 PM, Thursday, February 1, 2024]
Suwannee Riverkeeper on The Spotlight Show, 6-7 PM, Thursday, February 1, 2024

https://www.facebook.com/events/792834679536648/

 -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/

Try again: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2024-01-27

Update 2024-02-02: Pictures: Got some deadfalls, more to do, Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2024-01-27 2024-01-27.

Rescheduled again due to water too high and temperature too cold.

Come help us remove some deadfalls that are impeding canoe and kayak paddling. There are probably also new ones after Hurricane Idalia.

Bring a chainsaw if you really know how to use it. Or a handsaw, or sawzall.

But you do not have to use any kind of saw to join us. You can take pictures, or help move sawed limbs aside, or collect trash.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, January 27, 2024

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[IG: Easy and hard deadfalls 2021-05-15 for 2024-01-27]
Easy and hard deadfalls 2021-05-15 for 2024-01-27

Continue reading →

The Real Trash Problem is the Producers, and How to Stop It 2023-12-23

The Crying Indian was Italian, and that ad was paid for by the producers of single-use trash, to shift blame onto individuals. Here’s what can be done about that trash.

Sure people shouldn’t litter, but Anheuser-Busch and other beer makers, as well as Nestlé, Coca Cola, and Walmart, should stop making and selling disposable bottles and cans.

[Single-use trash, The fake Crying Indian, and what can be done about that]
Single-use trash, The fake Crying Indian, and what can be done about that

Fifty years ago those things had deposits on them, and people would collect them for the cash. That could be useful to a lot of people, and a lot more cleanups would happen. Sure, there was still trash back then, but not as much.

People still do in Hawaii and nine other states: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Vermont, plus Guam. They don’t have nearly as big of a litter problem.

But Georgia or Florida do not have such container deposits. Maybe we should change that.

No, recycling will not solve this problem. There’s no market for plastic to recycle, and recycling has been pushed by big oil for years as an excuse to make more plastic throw-away containers. Laura Sullivan, NPR, 11 September 2020, How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled.

You’ve probably seen the famous ‘Crying Indian’ ad from 1971:

Crying Indian
A Keep America Beautiful advertisement by the Ad Council, which was launched in 1971. (Ad Council) – Original Credit: (HANDOUT)

Well, the “Indian” was Italian-American, and that ad was part of a campaign by the trash-producer front group Keep America Beautiful. Continue reading →