Tag Archives: Dead River Sink

Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park –Byron Herder 2026-06-25

Leave a reply

Byron Herder, who owns the Alapaha River Rise, just upstream from the Alapaha River on the Suwannee River, sent this:

I don’t think I can make it Saturday. Here is some history and data on the area of put in near Gibson. Was the capitol of Florida for thousands of years before Spanish contact. Largest pyramids in Florida. Was site of San Ugustin de Urihica for Spanish missionaries. First large battle in what is now US history called Napituca.

What’s happening Saturday is Gibson County Park to SRSP Paddle, Suwannee River 2026-06-27.

https://wwals.net/?p=70541

[Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park --Byron Herder 2026-06-25]
Some history and data on the Suwannee River near Gibson Park –Byron Herder 2026-06-25

Here are the images Byron sent, with sources for those that I could find. Continue reading →

Alapaha Sturgeon Rescue –Kenneth Sulak 2010-09-12

Ken Sulak sent this story today, about rescuing Gulf Sturgeon from the dry bed of the Alapaha River, back in September 2010.

The Alapaha River often goes dry in late summer and fall, because what little water it has after evapotranspiration goes down the Dry River distributary into the Dead River Sink, and only emerges about 19 miles downstream at the Alapaha River Rise and Holton Creek Rise, both on the Suwannee River upstream from the Alapaha River Confluence.

Dug deep into photo files – found a few images from 12-13 Sept 2010 rescue of 4-5 sturgeon stranded in a pool in the otherwise dry Alapaha. I no longer have access to USGS files since the current regime has decided to cutoff all retired emeritus scientists from their stored data. So I could not determine exactly where this was located, exact number of fish rescued, or their lengths. This was a 2-day effort. I will ask Mike Randall to pull up the field logs and see if he can find the relevant data.

[Sturgeon Rescue from Dry Alapaha River --Kenneth Sulak while at USGS, September 12-13 2010]
Sturgeon Rescue from Dry Alapaha River –Kenneth Sulak while at USGS, September 12-13 2010

We drove in on an SRWMD gated entry using one of their ATVs, followed a trail along riverbank, then up the dry river bed by 4-wheel ATV. Mike Randall and I waded into the pool with large landing nets (the smallest net shown here) and also a two-brail seine. After a lot of chasing the fish around we managed to net them all. I was in the water to begin with, but then took photos while the younger guys chased the fish around and managed to capture them. That was not easy. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha River Rise Hike 2025-11-01

Thanks to landowner Byron Herder for inviting us to go see the Alapaha River Rise from his surrounding property after we hiked from the Dead River Sink to the Dry Alapaha River. About half a dozen of us took him up on that, include WWALS Board member Bret Wagenhorst.

The Rise is just upstream of the CR 249 or CR 751 Bridge, aka Nobles Ferry Bridge, which is just upstream of Gibson County Park and the Alapaha River Confluence with the Suwannee River. That’s about eighteen river miles downstream from the Dead River.

[Alapaha River Rise Hike. Thanks, Landowner Byron Herder. Where Dead River Sink water Rises, 2025-11-01]
Alapaha River Rise Hike. Thanks, Landowner Byron Herder. Where Dead River Sink water Rises, 2025-11-01

As Byron pointed out, the Alapaha River Rise is not just a first magnitude spring, at a daily flow of 383.9 million gallons per day (mgd), it dwarfs all the others in the Suwannee River Basin. (There are five with more flow, on Crystal River and Rainbow River.)

Second most flow in the Suwannee River Basin is Holton Creek Rise at 157 mgd, a bit upstream on the Suwannee River. That’s also the other place dye came back up from the Dead River Sink in the 2016 Alapaha Swallets Dye Trace Project.

Both Rises have more flow than can be accounted for by the Dead River Sink alone, even adding in the other sinks in the Alapaha River slightly upstream of the Dead River. Continue reading →

Pictures: Dead River Sink Hike with a Geologist 2025-11-01

Update 2025-11-06: Pictures: Alapaha River Rise Hike 2025-11-01.

We climbed over, under, and around much Hurricane Helene deadfall on what Dottie Price called a “Class 5 Meander” from the Dead River Sink to the Dry Alapaha River.

Thanks to 30 people who came, to Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price for leading this expedition, and to Dottie Price for the additional pictures. See also the facebook video by Christiaan Ard.

[Dead River Sink Hike, Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price, Meander to the Dry Alapaha River, 2025-11-01]
Dead River Sink Hike, Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price, Meander to the Dry Alapaha River, 2025-11-01

There was a false start at Jennings Bluff Cemetery, where Dennis told the lemmings to go back up the bluff, because of too much deadfall. Continue reading →

Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River

Hahira, Georgia, October 30, 2025 — Join us this Saturday, November 1, 2025, on an approximately 3 mile or 4 hour hike on the Dead River and the dry Alapaha River bed, led by Practicing Geologist Dennis James Price of Hamilton County, Florida.

[Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River, November 1, 2025]

Continue reading →

Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River 2025-11-01

Hahira, Georgia, October 30, 2025 — Join us this Saturday, November 1, 2025, on an approximately 3 mile or 4 hour hike on the Dead River and the dry Alapaha River bed, led by Practicing Geologist Dennis James Price of Hamilton County, Florida.

[Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price 2025-11-01]

We will meet at 9:30 AM at Jennings Bluff Cemetery. On a short stop there, we will climb down a steep bank to explore a spring. Then we will drive into public lands to the Dead River Sink where we will hike out to the Alapaha River and hike the river bed.

From Jennings, Florida, go south on US 41 approximately 2.25 miles and turn left onto NW 25th Lane, which dead ends at the Jennings Bluff Cemetery on the Alapaha River. GPS: 30.56693, -83.035297

This area has recently been designated a State of Florida Geological Site.

Much of the year, the Alapaha River is dry for the last eighteen miles from Jennings Bluff to the Suwannee River, because its water flows into the Dead River and down into the Dead River Sink. On June 22, 2016, several Florida agencies put fluorescent green dye into the Dead River Sink. The dye came back up four days later in the Alapaha River Rise, and eight days later in Holton Creek Rise, both off of the Suwannee River.

Bring sturdy boots or shoes, clothes for woods with stickers, water, and snacks.
Also Continue reading →

Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff 2025-11-01

Update 2025-11-06: Pictures: Dead River Sink Hike 2025-11-01.

Update 2025-10-30: Press release, Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River 2025-11-01.

Join us on an approximately 3 mile or 4 hour hike on the Dead River and the dry Alapaha River bed.

Initial meetup at Jennings Bluff Cemetery. Short stop there where we will climb down a steep bank to explore a spring. Then a drive into public lands to Dead River Sink where we will hike out to the Alapaha River and hike the river bed, led by Practicing Geologist Dennis James Price.

This area has recently been designated a State of Florida Geological Site.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, November 1, 2025

Put In: Jennings Bluff Cemetery. On US 41 go approximately 2.25 miles south from center of Jennings and turn left onto NW 25th Lane, which dead ends at the cemetery on the Alapaha River.

GPS: 30.56693, -83.035297

[Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price 2025-11-01]
Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price 2025-11-01

Continue reading →

Video: How Humans Affect the Aquifer, a WWALS Webinar by Dennis Price, 2025-06-19

Update 2025-07-25: SRWMD & SJRWMD aquifer recharge project update @ SRWMD 2025-07-08.

Dennis Price, P.G., of Hamilton County, Florida, asked, “Are we just a water tower for Jacksonville?”

He showed us “the history of surface and ground water in the flatwoods in south Georgia and north Florida in the Suwannee River Basin. Historic water levels and how we have changed these levels. Changes beginning with forestry then farming, and population growth. Ideas for correcting the problems.”

[How Humans Affect the Aquifer, WWALS Webinar by Dennis Price, Are we just a water tower for Jacksonville? 2025-06-19]
How Humans Affect the Aquifer, WWALS Webinar by Dennis Price, Are we just a water tower for Jacksonville? 2025-06-19

This applies to the Floridan Aquifer proper and the other aquifers above it, all below the Suwannee, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers, the Okefenokee Swamp, and their tributaries.

Here is the WWALS video of this WWALS Webinar:
https://youtu.be/o4s1jPN0EVI

Some still images are appended.

Thanks to WWALS Board Member Janet Martin for organizing this webinar and for introducing Dennis.

Thanks to everyone who attended.

See the announcement of this webinar for Dennis’ resume and other background.
https://wwals.net/?p=67740

See also: Continue reading →

How Humans Affect the Aquifer, a WWALS Webinar, by Dennis J. Price, P.G., 2025-06-19

Dennis Price, P.G., of Hamilton County, Florida, says, “I plan on going through the history of surface and ground water in the flatwoods in south Georgia and north Florida in the Suwannee River Basin. Historic water levels and how we have changed these levels. Changes beginning with forestry then farming, and population growth. Ideas for correcting the problems.”

This applies to the Floridan Aquifer proper and the other aquifers above it, all below the Suwannee, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers, the Okefenokee Swamp, and their tributaries.

When: 12-1 PM, Thursday, June 19, 2025

Put In: Register to join with zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FdxNg0QeSB-ngQLGUaIWKw
WWALS Board Member Janet Martin will give a brief introduction.
Questions and answers will be at the end.

[How Humans Affect the Aquifer, a WWALS Webinar 2025-06-19, in north Florida and south Georgia, by Dennis J. Price P.G.]
How Humans Affect the Aquifer, a WWALS Webinar 2025-06-19

Continue reading →

Waterkeeper Alliance advocates EPA and USACE restore longstanding protections for the nation’s waters 2025-04-23

Suwannee Riverkeeper, among 64 U.S. Waterkeepers, joined Waterkeeper Alliance and Environmental Integrity Project in asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and restore longstanding protections for the nation’s waters.

[Waterkeeper Alliance advocates EPA and USACE restore longstanding protections for the nation’s waters 2025-04-23]
Waterkeeper Alliance advocates EPA and USACE restore longstanding protections for the nation’s waters 2025-04-23

Most of this long comment letter is applicable to the Suwannee River Basin. For example, related to the ongoing Georgia attempts to define which rivers and creeks are navigable: “lUnder the agencies’ Pre-2015 Regulatory Definition, all tributaries to traditionally navigable waters, interstate waters, impoundments, and ‘other waters’ are categorically defined as ‘waters of the United States.’” For example, see Valdosta sewage into Sugar Creek and Quitman sewage and cattle manure into Okapilco Creek, both into the Withlacoochee River in Georgia, upstream from Florida and the Suwannee River.

The comment doesn’t mention the Floridan Aquifer, but there are mentions of “Large numbers of rivers and streams… that briefly flow subsurface and then reemerge as surface waters.” and river-connected “subsurface flows and springs” elsewhere. Subsurface flows are important in the Suwannee River Basin and the Floridan Aquifer.

The Florida Basin Managment Action Plans (BMAPs) supposedly intend to reduce by 85-95% the leaching of fertilizer nitrates through the soil and subsurface limestone into springs and rivers, causing algae blooms and crowding out native vegetation, to the detriment of manatees and other wildlife.

See also the Dead River Sink where the Alapaha River goes underground and comes back up in the Alapaha River Rise on the Suwannee River. Continue reading →