Tag Archives: conservation

6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle Set for March 15, 2025 –City of Valdosta PR 2025-01-28

City of Valdosta press release:

The City of Valdosta and Lowndes County are excited to announce the 6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, a collaborative event promoting clean waterways and outdoor activity. This year’s paddle will take place on Saturday, March 15, 2025, beginning at Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

[6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle]
6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle

Participants are encouraged to gather at the boat ramp at 8 a.m., with the paddle officially starting at 10 a.m. The event offers two options for paddlers: a two-hour trip to Berta’s Kitchen or Sugar Creek or a full four-hour journey ending at the Troupville Boat Ramp. Along the route, paddlers will travel under the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, past the Wood Valley Subdivision, Sheri Run, and under the I-75 and GA 133 highway bridges.

This annual event highlights the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways.

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Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-03-14

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle. Maybe the bats will be flying.

When: Gather 7 PM, launch 7:20 PM, moonrise 8:14 PM, sunset 7:40 PM, end 9 PM, Friday, March 14, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Worm Moon, Banks Lake 2025-03-14, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Maybe with bats]
Full Worm Moon, Banks Lake 2025-03-14, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Maybe with bats

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Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29

The WWALS Board has unanimously appointed Kimberly Godden Tanner and Janet Martin Massengale as Co-Chairs of the WWALS Outings Committee. They have already decided who will lead each of the Banks Lake Full Moon outings for the whole year. Their main task is to facilitate the Outings Committee in getting outings scheduled and successfully held.

Shirley Kokidko will continue to handle meetup.com for WWALS outings.

[Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Janet Martin Massengale]
Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Janet Martin Massengale

For WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see: https://wwals.net/outings

Maybe you would like to request an outing:
https://forms.gle/RcUbpX2AVNQ7wRco9

For more about the Outings Committee, see:
https://wwals.net/about/committees/#wwals-outings

Maybe you would like to apply to join the Outings Committee: https://forms.gle/YofiUxQAmHz42NgC6 Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-08

Update 2025-02-08: Pictures: Troupville upstream Withlacoochee chainsaw cleanup 2025-02-08.

Join us between the Little River Confluence and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

You can collect trash, take pictures, or just paddle along.

If you do have a chainsaw and know how to use it, bring it along. Or a sawzall or a handsaw: especially good for underwater small limbs.

We will be using the WWALS jon boat with 9.9hp outboard, bought with a generous grant from Wild Green Future.

Kayaks and canoes are welcome. You can also participate by walking along the riverbank. If you have a jon boat and outboard, you can bring that.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, February 8, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

[Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-08, Troupville Boat Ramp, You do not have to saw]
Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-08, Troupville Boat Ramp, You do not have to saw

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Cleaner but still dirty Sugar Creek 2025-01-24

Update 2025-01-31: Clean New, Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers; Sugar Creek finally OK 2025-01-29.

As Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes promised Friday, results from the Valdosta water quality samples that day are on the city’s website.

There’s good news and bad news.

[Cleaner but still dirty, Sugar Creek 2025-01-24, Baytree Road bad, Gornto Road worse]
Cleaner but still dirty, Sugar Creek 2025-01-24, Baytree Road bad, Gornto Road worse

The good news is: E. coli counts at Gornto Road are down to 2,500 from 8,900 cfu/100 mL a week before. Continue reading →

Pictures: Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta GA 2025-01-25

Update 2025-03-08: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-16.

Thanks to the four Alpha Phi Alpha of VSU.

[Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU]
Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU

Thanks to Scotti Jay Jones and Sara Squires Jones for organizing this cleanup near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on One Mile Branch, along the Azalea City Trail in Valdosta, Georgia.

Donovan Henderson of Alpha Phi Alpha found the Zacadoo’s cup. Continue reading →

Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-02-12

Update 2025-02-13: Pictures: Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12.

Join us or a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, Georgia, on GA 122.

When: Gather 5:30 PM, launch 5:55 PM, moonrise 6:35 PM, sunset 6:18 PM, end 7:30 PM, Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12, Sunset, Moonrise, Possibly bats]
Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-02-12, Sunset, Moonrise, Possibly bats

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Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-02-22

Update 2025-02-15: Because the river was still closed for hurricane debris removal, Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-04-05.

Rescheduled to February 22, 2025, because of park closure.

Join us on a leisurely paddle on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, starting at Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, past many springs, taking out at the US 129 Boat Ramp.

When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, February 22, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.

GPS: 29.986107, -82.760109

[Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2025-02-22, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp]
Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2025-02-22, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp

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Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20

Update 2025-01-26: Cleaner but still dirty Sugar Creek 2025-01-24.

Due to the ice storm, nobody sampled this week since Monday: not WWALS and not Valdosta.

So here is what data we do have from Friday about Sugar Creek (filthy), Sunday about Franks Creek and the Withlacoochee River (good), and Monday about the New River in Tifton (good).

Valdosta Utilities drew samples today from Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, and their results should be up tomorrow on their 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing web page. More about Sugar Creek below.

Most of the river gauges we follow couldn’t handle the sleet, snow, or rain Wednesday, so we don’t know how much preciptation fell. From the few that did register, probably up to an inch or more.

Which means more contamination probably washed into the waterways.

Since the weather prediction is freezing at night and cold during the day this weekend, I wouldn’t be paddling. If you must go out in a power boat while the rivers are up a bit, best not to get the water on you.

Or join us tomorrow for an on-land cleanup on One Mile Branch at Wainwright Driver in Valdosta, on the Azalea City Trail.
https://wwals.net/?p=66659

[Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20]
Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20

Sugar Creek

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Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle: Langdale Park to Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-15

Update 2025-03-10: Rescheduled due to low water to March 22, Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22.

Join us for a leisurely paddle on the Withlacoochee River: three miles to Sugar Creek with early takeout, and another four miles to Troupville Boat Ramp, around all the river frontage of the land recently purchased by Lowndes County for Troupville River Camp and Nature Park.

Paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter. Shuttle vans provided by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA). Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.

Boats: Bring your own if you have it.
VSU CORE Outdoors will bring some boats for free.
To reserve a boat, please use this eventbrite ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.com/myevent?eid=1272573675119

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 15, 2025

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

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Langdale Park to Troupville 2025-03-15, Early Takeout Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Little Rivers]
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Langdale Park to Troupville 2025-03-15, Early Takeout Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Little Rivers

Safety: Be on time. If you miss the safety briefing, you cannot paddle with us.
Each person in a boat, no matter how young or old, must wear a PFD. Continue reading →