Dr. Ken Sulak, USGS, Retired, sent us some things to look for as we paddle the last stretch of the Alapaha River on February 5, 2022.
![[Pictures and Maps, Lower Alapaha River Bridges]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-08--history-last-stretch-alapaha-river/many.jpg)
Pictures and Maps, Lower Alapaha River Bridges
For your upcoming [5] Feb Alapaha adventure, some of your folks might be interested in the history of three crossing sites you will encounter. So, here you go very briefly: Continue reading
Yesterday I asked members of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) to pass resolutions supporting the Okefenokee Swamp and the Suwannee and St. Marys Rivers against a proposed titanium strip mine. SGRC’s members include 18 counties, which is almost all the Georgia Suwannee River Basin counties, and 45 municipalities. Some of them have already passed such resolutions: Valdosta, Waycross and Ware County, Homeland, Kingsland, and St. Marys.
You can ask your local city or county government to pass a similar resolution.
The previous resolutions are on the WWALS website:
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/
Update 2024-03-14: Atkinson County.
Update 2024-02-29: And Hamilton County, Florida, making four counties downstream on the Suwannee River from the Okefenokee Swamp: Ware, Clinch, and Echols Counties, Georgia, and Hamilton County, Florida.
Update 2024-02-06: And Berrien County.
Update 2024-02-01: and Nashville 2024-01-08.
Update 2024-02-01: Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) supports HB 71, Okefenokee Protection Act, January 5, 2024
Update 2024-01-25: and Savannah.
Update 2023-10-24: and DeKalb County.
Update 2023-09-12: and Clinch County.
Update 2023-08-07: and Echols County.
![[Suwannee Riverkeeper; Okefenokee Swamp, mine site]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-09--sgrc-okefenokee-tpm/many.jpg)
Suwannee Riverkeeper; Okefenokee Swamp, mine site
You can also
ask GA-EPD for a moratorium on mining permits,
or to deny the permits,
or at the very least to examine them very thoroughly and produce the equivalent of the Environmental Impact Statement that the Army Corps should have been working on.
https://wwals.net/?p=55092
You can also use Protect Georgia form to end a message to your Georgia statehouse delegation.
Floridians, this mine site is upstream from Florida, and you can also use these forms.
Thanks to SGRC Council Chair Joyce Evans and Assistant Director Chris Strom for inviting me to come speak to SGRC.
See also Continue reading
We livestreamed the Fourth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest over facebook live and zoom. This is the zoom video, for those who want to see how the whole thing went.
![[Musicians, others, and winners]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-08-21--songwriting-zoom/many.jpg)
Musicians, others, and winners
Yep, this is the whole thing, from soundcheck to teardown. In between, headliner Little Perks in Paradise plays, three judges perform as a band, then nine finalists perform for the judges, the judges pick winners, and the First Prize winner, Sweet William Billy Ennis, sings again.
Here’s the video: Continue reading
Update 2022-01-02: Withdrawn but will return: subdivision in aquifer recharge zone near Little River, Lowndes County, GA @ LCC 2021-12-14
When the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) held a Public Hearing Monday for a rezoning for a subdivision in an aquifer recharge zone, WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman spoke against it. Three hundred other people opposed the rezoning. The Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend denying it.
But GLPC does not decide: the Lowndes County Commission will do that on December 14, 2021. And the County Commissioners can, if they choose, change the lot size or approve the rezoning as proposed.
This is what to watch for on that upcoming agenda: REZ-2021-28 Windy Hill S/D, 7532 Miller Bridge Rd., 0010 022, 34 ac., Community well & septic, EA to R1.
![[Gretchen, speakers, aquifer recharge zone]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-11-29--wwals-against-subdivision-in-recharge-zone/many.jpg)
Gretchen, speakers, aquifer recharge zone
Here is the LAKE video of Gretchen speaking, at 19:56. Continue reading
Featuring as their number one BIG thing was “River Camp Project”, in a presentation about One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL), which was far the longest item at 33 minutes at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session on November 8, 2021.
![[One Valdosta-Lowndes, River Camp Project, Dr. Carvajal, Origins]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-11-08--ovl-river-camp/many.jpg)
One Valdosta-Lowndes, River Camp Project, Dr. Carvajal, Origins
You may recognize that as Troupville River Camp, for which WWALS submitted an application to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) in 2019. Back then there was no cash match available. Now both Valdosta and Lowndes County have funds to purchase Land Between the Rivers from Helen Tapp, at the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River. Helen sent GA-AL Land Trust to walk the land a month ago, and probably soon a conservation easement will be worked out. Meanwhile, Troupville River Camp and Troupville Nature Park are prominently featured in the WWALS Vision for Water Quality and Access in Lowndes County Georgia 2020-12-02. That Vision was input to the Master Plan Update process for Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), and the resulting VLPRA Master Plan incorporates the River Camp and other river access and facilities as priorities.
Add the possibility of Valdosta buying for parkland the 300+ acres of the Cherry Creek Mitigation Bank. And the potential for Sugar Creek downstream of Baytree as an urban recreational creek.
It’s good to see One Valdosta-Lowndes interested in river and creek access and recreation.
Below are videos by Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), which also has the rest of the meeting. Continue reading
Update 2023-01-05: News again: Valdosta’s 2021 resolution against the strip mine proposed too near the Okefenokee Swamp 2023-01-01.
Yesterday the most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin passed a resolution opposing the proposed Twin Pines Minerals (TPM) strip mine or any others within ten miles of the Okefenokee Swamp. The resolution further asks the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reverse its abdication of oversight, asks GA-EPD for a moratorium on all mining permits until effects are settled of the recent court overruling of 2020 Clean Water Act changes, as well as to reject the TPM permits, or at least to review those applications as thoroughly as the Army Corps would, and asks the Georgia legislature to prevent such strip mines near the Swamp or any blackwater rivers in the Suwannee River Basin.
You can also ask the state to stop this mine: https://wwals.net/?p=55092
Continue readingThanks to all our sponsors of the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, this Saturday, October 23, 2021, down the Withlacoochee River from Georgia three miles into Florida, and back.
Thank you Adel Outfitters, Azalea City Music Academy, Banks Lake Outdoors, B’s Backporch BBQ, Dry Pocket Apparel, Madison Outpost Adventures, Okra Paradise Farms, Olympia Shooting Range Paintball, Sunbelt Running CLub, and Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA),
Tickets are
$30 online or at the event.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wwals-boomerang-paddle-race-2021-tickets-168646372841
You could be the winner of the $100 First Prize, or win in one of the many categories.
Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are welcome to register starting at 9 AM, Saturday, October 23, 2021, to be on the water by 10:45 AM. There will be prizes, and food, and drink.
You do not even have to bring a boat, if you reserve soon and let us know what type of boat you need: kayak or canoe, single or tandem. Free boat rental is provided by Madison Outpost Adventures of Lee, Madison County, Florida, and VSU CORE of Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Boomerang mastermind Bobby McKenzie says, Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, GA, October 15, 2021 — We have a group coming three hours from Dublin, GA, to paddle down the Withlacoochee River from Georgia three miles into Florida, and back upstream, in the WWALS Boomerang, one week from now, Saturday, October 23, 2021. Last year’s winner came from Tallahassee, FL. In one week, you could be the winner of the $100 First Prize! Or win in one of the many categories.
Today is the last day for the
$20 early bird tickets.
Later it’s $30 online or at the event.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wwals-boomerang-paddle-race-2021-tickets-168646372841
Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are welcome to register starting at 9 AM, Saturday, October 23, 2021, to be on the water by 10:45 AM. There will be prizes, and food, and drink.
You do not even have to bring a boat, if you reserve soon and let us know what type of boat you need: kayak or canoe, single or tandem. Free boat rental is provied by Madison Outpost Adventures of Lee, Madison County, Florida, and VSU CORE of Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Boomerang mastermind Bobby McKenzie says, “Water levels were steadily dropping and now they are rising slightly.” We have a plan if the Withlacoochee River is running too fast to paddle up; we’ll just straighten out the course to go to Sullivan Landing.
“This is a great way to bring the outdoors community together and showcase the recreational opportunities we have to offer locally,” Bobby McKenzie added. “This event caters to all ages and skill levels, you can either blaze ahead and take first place overall, or push yourself for a personal achievement on the main course or one of the modified routes. You can even just come do a leisurely paddle with like minded outdoor enthusiasts. Just remember to make your way back before the time expires, at most will be 2.5 hours.”
State Line Boat Ramp is at Continue reading
Helen Tapp sent Georgia-Alabama Land Trust to look at her Land Between the Rivers for a conservation agreement. Their Regional Stewardship Manager, Rachel Mingea, came and got the full experience, from the wildest areas near the Withlacoochee River to Old Broad Street to the Little River Confluence viewscape.
She even met Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter at Troupville Boat Ramp. They were both enthusiastic about getting something worked out and moving on to the county or Valdosta or some combination purchasing those 74 acres to add to the 49-acre park around Troupville Boat Ramp to make a Troupville River Park nature preserve, with a Troupville River Camp on it, all at the site of Troupville, the former county seat of Lowndes County.
Here are a few pictures. Continue reading
Only two of us showed up at Pafford’s Landing for the July Alapaha River cleanup, due to the weather and the state of the access road. But the Marines were there, with recruits! We got 60 pounds of trash, and the Marines rescued my boat.
![[Pafford's Landing, trash, Alapaha River, Marines, boat, bags, potholes]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-07-24--paffords-landing-cleanup-pictures/many.jpg)
Pafford’s Landing, trash, Alapaha River, Marines, boat, bags, potholes
See also Bobby McKenzie’s facebook video of Marines helping clean up.
Pafford’s Landing is just east of Lakeland, Georgia. It’s a few thousand feet downstream from Lakeland Boat Ramp on GA 122. Both are part of the Alapaha River Water Trail. Continue reading
![[Mayor and Riverkeeper]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-11-11--valdosta-okefenokee-resolution/many.jpg)
![[Sponsor Banner]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-10-23--boomerang/banner-WWALS-Boomerang2021-0001.jpg)
![[Flyer]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-10-23--boomerang/big/WWALS-Boomerang-Flyer-2021-0001.jpg)
![[Little River Confluence, possible landing for Troupville River Camp, Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Rachel Mingea of GA-AL Land Trust, Oak clearing at Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-10-14--ga-al-land-trust-land-between-the-rivers/many.jpg)