Tag Archives: Columbia County

Pictures: Cypress Creek South (CR 6) to Cone Bridge, Suwannee River 2019-05-04

We saw many creeks, a few birds, some karst caves, many sandy beaches, and a deadfall, on the Suwannee River from CR 6 to Cone Bridge Ramp, Saturday, May 4, 2019. We started in Hamilton County, Florida, and ended up in Columbia County.

[Cypress Creek South (CR 6) to Cone Bridge, 2019-05-04, Creeks, karst, and a deadfall on the Suwannee River]
Cypress Creek South (CR 6) to Cone Bridge, 2019-05-04, Creeks, karst, and a deadfall on the Suwannee River

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this expedition, and to everyone else who paddled.

The river was at about 51.26 NAVD88 on the White Springs gauge.

There are more pictures below. Continue reading →

Ockolocoochee, Little River 1889-01-29

Who knows the Ockolocoochee River? No, not the Ochlockonee River; that’s a bit to the west.

[Withlacoochee River labeled Suwanee R. in 1823 Irwin and 1834 Lowndes County maps; current WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail map]
Withlacoochee River labeled Suwanee R. in 1823 Irwin and 1834 Lowndes County maps; current WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail map

You do know the Ockolocoochee River as the Little River, of the Withlacoochee, of the Suwannee.

Here is news from 1889 that also includes the boat that didn’t survive from Troupville to Ellaville, which was apparently not a paddlewheel steamer. Continue reading →

Exploring the Santa Fe River: Origins –Joanne Tremblay 2023-11-03

Joanne Tremblay says, “I was inspired to create a visual of the river’s path so folks could get a better understanding of its changes it goes through before it becomes the spring-laden stretch that most are familiar with. All my own footage, paddles are a composite from my own at different times.”

[Cover]
Cover

My favorite is this slide, “I will not repeat this journey”, about Worthington to Bible Camp Road: “Seven miles through tangled woods”. Continue reading →

Big Shoals State Park, move portage to Hamilton County, meeting 2023-10-25

Today, in White Springs, Florida State Parks is holding a public meeting about Big Shoals State Park and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center.

I have a prior engagement, but you may want to go.

When: 3-7 PM, Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Where: White Springs Tourism Building, 10499 Spring Street, White Springs, Florida 32096

More: https://floridadep.gov/parks/public-participation

[Maps and Flyer, Hamilton County Parks Meeting, Big Shoals State Park 2023-10-25]
Maps and Flyer, Hamilton County Parks Meeting, Big Shoals State Park 2023-10-25

The agenda is basically show up, look at the materials, ask questions. Continue reading →

SRWMD to acquire Camp & Abel Tract, Hamilton County, Suwannee River 2023-03-14

If I’m reading this correctly, SRWMD discussed maybe buying only one of two tracts, or maybe just getting a conservation easement, and then decided to buy both of these tracts on the Suwannee River in Hamilton County.

This is on the agenda for next Tuesday’s Board Meeting of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD).

9 AM, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at SRWMD HQ, 9225 Co Rd 49, Live Oak, FL 32060.

GoTo Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2418452120888926044

Public Comment Form Link: www.MySuwanneeRiver.com/Comments

[Camp & Abel 1 & 2]
Camp & Abel 1 & 2

The tracts are rather far apart, Tract 1 being upstream from FL 6 across from Columbia County, and Tract 2 being downstream from Woods Ferry River Camp, which is across the river in Suwannee County.

Also on the agenda is an agreement with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) for above-ground and underground water laboratory analysis.

I didn’t see anything interesting in the Continue reading →

Alligator, Church, Peoples Bridge, Suwannee River –Ken Sulak 1880-07-13

Ken Sulak has more about Peoples Bridge on the Suwannee River, including the church the bridge was built for, and when an alligator ate a man in 1880.

Apparently this was a little-known peril of deer hunting. Of course, alligator attacks on humans are very rare: that’s why this one was news.

[Alligator story, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Peoples Bridge]
Alligator story, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Peoples Bridge

I have contacted the Oak Grove Baptist Church, still in existence continuously from the 1870s. The contact person knew nothing about the long gone People’s Bridge 1.2 mi due West from the church. She referred my inquiry to the pastor, unfortunately very new and from up north. So, he knows nothing about the old history. I was hoping the church maintained an archive, or a birth-death-burial log, or an annotated master bible. No luck on that so far.

Continue reading →

Peoples Bridge, Suwannee River 2022-11-27

Update 2022-12-13: Alligator, Church, Peoples Bridge, Suwannee River –Ken Sulak 1880-07-13.

Ken Sulak remarked, “I also want to visit the ‘Peoples Bridge’ site on the Suwannee a few miles downstream of the Cone Bridge. This was a wooden foot and wagon bridge possibly built by the congregation of the Oak Grove Church around 1870 so folks on the Hamilton side could attend church on the Columbia side.

“The double row of old cutoff timber pilings emerges at low water.”

The pilings are supposed to be visible when the White Springs Gauge is below 51.0 feet.

[Emerged tops of cutoff pilings of the People's Bridge. --Ken Sulak]
Emerged tops of cutoff pilings of the People’s Bridge. –Ken Sulak

Does anybody know the whereabouts or history of this Oak Grove Church?

Continue reading →

Pictures: State Line to Turner Bridge, Suwannee River 2022-03-06

Maybe the most remote section of the Suwannee River, from the GA-FL line to Roline and Turner Bridge: here are pictures of the second day of the WWALS March 5-6, 2022, riverbank camping outing.

[Decamping, GA-FL line, Roline, Turner Bridge]
Decamping, GA-FL line, Roline, Turner Bridge

As usual, expedition leader Shirley Kokidko was worried before we were even on the water. Many thanks for leading this one, Shirley. Continue reading →

Good water quality, Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers 2022-08-12

Pam Thomas and the WWALS testers at TREPO got very good water quality results for Friday on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers.

[Chart, Rivers, Map]
Chart, Rivers, Map

They tested two Ichetucknee River locations and one on the Santa Fe, all private parks owned by Three Rivers Estates Property Owners (TREPO). Continue reading →

Video: Turner Bridge to FL 6, Suwannee River 2021-12-16

Here’s a video of the mid-December 2021 Ken Sulak Suwannee River paddle, the part from Turner Bridge to Cypress Creek South Launch at FL 6.

FL 6 bridge, Suwannee River 2021-12-16

The images are ten seconds apart. You can see Mike Byerly’s canoe parked over one of the Lally columns of Turner Bridge in the river. You can see Ken Sulak drop a magnet to confirm that it is metal. Continue reading →