Tag Archives: GA 133 Withlacoochee River Bridge

Pictures: Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26

The water level was not too low on the Little River, but it was too low on the Withlacoochee River for the WWALS jon boat with outboard. So, there was no chainsawing.

We’ve been waiting for the Withlacoochee River to get down to a level where we can do a walking chainsaw cleanup. With no rain in sight, it will be plenty low next Saturday, so that will be the time.

[Water too low for jon boat outboard, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26]
Water too low for jon boat outboard, Withlacoochee River, Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26

Thanks to TJ Johnson for driving an hour from Live Oak to get there with chainsaws to lead this expedition, and for helping haul the jon boat back upstream on muscle and trolling motor batteries after the outboard did not restart after Trashy Shoals. Continue reading →

Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene 2024-10-26

Update 2024-10-27: Pictures.

Kayaks and canoes and jon boats are invited to join the WWALS jon boat with 9.9hp outboard seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect. After Hurricane Helene, there are probably new ones. We will go as far up as we can and have time for with sawing, maybe to the GA 133 Bridge, the I-75 Bridge, or even Sugar Creek.

Nobody has to use a saw of any kind. You can collect trash, photograph, video, pull limbs out of the way, or just paddle.

First we will jaunt downstream past the cleaned-water Outflow of Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant and Spring Branch to pick up a couple of PFAS water sample collection devices we planted on September 14. If they’re still there after the hurricane.

If you’re paddling, you can just turn left at the Little River Confluence and go on up the Withlacoochee River.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, October 26, 2024

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

[Upstream Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26, From Troupville Boat Ramp, After Hurricane Helene]
Upstream Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-10-26, From Troupville Boat Ramp, After Hurricane Helene

Continue reading →

Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup pictures 2024-08-17

Update 2024-08-19: Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25.

Evidently nobody had been there since Hurricane Debby, because there were several new deadfalls, most small, one big, and another huge, before we got to I-75. Those and others could use more attention at lower water, but kayaks can get through now. That was our goal on this Upstream Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup.

We put in at Troupville Boat Ramp, went 1/3 of a mile down to the Little River Confluence, and turned left and up the Withlacoochee River.

There was remarkably little trash. Some locations with a few bottles or styrofoam in branches are noted in the pictures; all have GPS coordinates.

[Several small deadfalls, one big one 2024-08-17, Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup]
Several small deadfalls, one big one 2024-08-17, Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup

Thanks to Quen Metzler for leading this chainsaw cleanup and doing much of the sawing.

I also sawed with both saws, but there are no pictures, because then Quen was busy holding the boat steady.

Here are some video snippets:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qz0i9YNkM5S5-1zx3fbZQrF&si=iHgSY-2Js-zgjh99

The Valdosta (US 41, North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River Gauge read about 120.83 feet NAVD88 at 9:00 AM when we upstream on the Withlacoochee River from the Little River Confluence, and 120.64 when we reached the I-75 Bridge at 11:39 AM. That’s more than 2 feet below Action Stage, which is 123 feet. The current was still plenty fast and strong to contend with.

The Hahira (GA 122) Little River Gauge was at about 139.36 feet NAVD 88 when we started moving, and 139.56 when we took out at Troupville Boat Ramp. That’s more than 8 feet below Action Stage, which is 148 feet.

Thanks to Wild Green Future for the generous grant that paid for the 9.9hp outboard motor and the 24-inch Husqvarna chainsaw that we used on this outing.

For more Continue reading →

Watch out: contamination washing downstream, Withlacoochee River 2020-12-21

Update 2020-12-27: Bad Knights Ferry and Nankin, Christmas Day, Withlacoochee River 2020-12-25.

Sometimes you hate to be right: the high E. coli WWALS testers Michael and Jacob Bachrach saw Thursday at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp turned up for Friday in Valdosta’s results. Probably that contamination washed on down past the state line into Florida over the weekend.

[Watch out: US 41, GA 133, Knights Ferry, Nankin, Withlacoochee River]
Watch out: US 41, GA 133, Knights Ferry, Nankin, Withlacoochee River on Swim Guide.

Plus, after rain Sunday, Valdosta got too-high results at US 41 and GA 133. That’s probably still washing downstream now. Continue reading →