Tag Archives: Georgia

Water Trails and River Camps @ Paddle Georgia 2019-06-17

Last night at Paddle Georgia, #PaddleGA2019, Gwyneth Moody explained Georgia Water Trails, Edwin McCook explained the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail and its River Camps, and Katie Conrad explained the Suwannee Headwaters Project, which is about arranging camping betweent the Okefenokee Swamp and White Springs, in Georgia and Florida. Here are videos of what Edwin and Katie said.

[Georgia Water Trails --Gwyneth Moody]
Georgia Water Trails –Gwyneth Moody

Yes, Edwin left copies of the SRWT Pamphlets, which we will have at the Suwannee Riverkeeper table at Camp Suwannee tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday.

See also the WCTV report of that same day, River Camp between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers? 2019-06-17.

River Camp between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers? 2019-06-17

The private land between Troupville Boat Ramp and the Little River Confluence would be perfect to roll into the park containing the boat ramp, just west of Valdosta, Georgia. It would be a perfect place for a River Camp like those on the Suwannee River in Florida.

[Helen Tapp]
Helen Tapp

Local conservationist looking to transform 70 acres for the public, Emma Wheeler, WCTV, 17 June 2019,

LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) — One South Georgia property owner is looking to put more than 70 acres to good use.

The land sits at the confluence of the Little River and the Withlacoochee River. It has been privately owned since the 1800’s, but it could become a new asset to the community.

Thick forest and white sand winds all along the river extending from the Troupville Boat Ramp. Property owner Helen Tapp calls it the “Land Between the Rivers.” It has been in her family for generations, but now she wants to see it used for something bigger.

“This place wants to be part of the community,” Tapp said. “It’s a Continue reading →

Valdosta and Lowndes County greet Paddle Georgia at Land Between the Rivers 2019-06-15

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll, representing the Mayor, greeted Paddle Georgia, #PaddleGA2019, and Gwyneth Moody at Land Between the Rivers, with Helen Tapp representing the landowners, at the Withlacoochee River Confluence. Donald O. Davis of the Lowndes County Historical Society provided background.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Valdosta and Lowndes County greet Paddle Georgia at Land Between the Rivers 2019-06-15
Video by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),

Golf cart shuttle courtesy of The Battery Source, driven by WWALS members Conn and Trudy Cole and Gretchen Quarterman.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Withlacoochee Crossing 2013-07-01

Two new sites on the Withlacoochee River from the Lowndes County Historical Society, for Day 2 and Day 3 of #PaddleGA2019.

Day 2 of Paddle Georgia went by this site of Spain’s Ferry and Spain’s Bridge:

[Spain Ferry and Spain's Bridge]
Spain Ferry and Spain’s Bridge

Day 3 (today) will go by this site of Warner’s Ferry at the GA-FL line:

[Warner's Ferry]
Warner’s Ferry

The entire July – October 2013 newsletter of the Lowndes County Historical Society is on the WWALS website, courtesy of Donald O. Davis, the Museum’s Director.

We will add Spain’s Bridge and Warner’s Ferry to the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Before the day 1 route of Paddle Georgia 2019-06-14

Down at the Little River Confluence, Troupville Boat Ramp, and downstream to Spook Bridge. Before #PaddleGA2019.

[Downstream Withlacoochee River, 10:48:15, 30.846955, -83.347810]
Downstream Withlacoochee River, 10:48:15, 30.8469550, -83.3478100

While WWALS was welcoming Paddle Georgia boats and boaters, Emma Wheeler of WCTV came to visit, greeted by Shirley Kokidko of WWALS. Continue reading →

Sabal Trail shakey gas flow and Phase II 2019-06-11

Apparently some people in Albany, GA and Dunnellon, FL were surprised when Sabal Trail a week ago sent FERC “Notice of Commencement of Construction – Phase II Sabal Trail Project Facilities”, which means for the compressor stations in those two locations. But that notice was merely that “bona fide construction activities commenced on May 29, 2019.” FERC rubberstamped Phase II back in January, and Sabal Trail has been reporting on site clearing, gravelling, etc. for months.

[Aerial]
Albany Compressor Station site Aerial from 2019-01-17 STT filing

Meanwhile, Sabal Trail still can’t keep the gas flowing through its stranded asset pipelines. There never was any “need” for that gas in Florida, where Florida Power & Light (FPL)’s customers are stuck with the $4 billion construction bill. While FPL’s parent NextEra Energy never mentions Sabal Trail any more. NextEra brags instead about being a world leader in solar and wind energy.

[All (2017-06-14--2019-06-11)]
All (2017-06-14 — 2019-06-11)

When John Peconom of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) inked that rubberstamp back in January, the schedule was Continue reading →

Videos: Naylor Boat Ramp should be finished in two weeks @ LCC 2019-06-10

The Naylor Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River should be finished in about two weeks, said Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard in yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

Below are videos of that meeting by Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE). Continue reading →

Renewable solar and wind power now, not coal, gas, or nuclear –WWALS to GA PSC 2019-06-10

Drawing from eight years of speaking at Southern Company Stockholder meetings, and from that Homerville, Georgia explosion that destroyed Coffee Corner and sent three women to the hospital with third-degree burns, here’s a summary of the comments we filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission today. If you can’t go to the GA-PSC hearings tomorrow and the next day about the Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan, you can also send a comment letter asking the PSC to stop Georgia Power locking in fossil fuels and make them get on with sun and wind pwoer on a smart grid.

[AGL fines, more solar, coal ash disposal, and mercury]

  1. Yes, fine AGL more than $2 million for that Homerville, GA explosion.
  2. Require Georgia power to buy 12 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, not 1 GW.
  3. Make Georgia Power pay to dispose of the coal ash it produced, properly on its own property.
  4. How about make the companies that put mercury in the air to come down in our rivers pay for the costs to recreational fishing.
  5. Stop throwing money down the Plant Vogtle nuclear hole.
  6. Demand Georgia Power get on with wind power.

This about sums it up: Continue reading →

Fecal coliform worse than E. coli, Valdosta testing 2019-05-07

While the numbers were way down at US 84 on May 7, bacterial counts were up upstream on the Withlacoochee River, and on Mud Swamp Creek; up more in Fecal coliform than E. coli. These readings seem to indicate nonpoint sources.

Withlacoochee

[Fecal coliform Graph, Withlacoochee River Basin]
Fecal coliform Graph, Withlacoochee River Basin

The high readings are all from stations upstream of Valdosta’s Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the low reading at US 84 is downstream of the WWTP. Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Flower and Osprey Moon Paddle 2019-05-18

We saw the pair of nesting ospreys at their nest, on the Banks Lake Full Flower Moon Paddle.

[Osprey, nest, bird watcher]
Osprey, nest, bird watcher

The sunset was impressive.

[Among paddlers]
Among paddlers

The moon came out from behind the clouds.

[Luna paddler]
Luna paddler

Paddlers of all Continue reading →