Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Clean rivers 2022-11-17

Update 2022-12-09: Almost clean rivers 2022-12-08.

All test results good, no rain, no sewage spill reports: happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend!

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

I hate to be right, but when I warned last Friday that the rain the day before would probably wash contamination into the creeks and rivers, Valdosta’s testing that Friday caught the contamination. US 41, GA 133, and even US 84 showed far too much E. coli, with Fecal coliform at US 41 and GA 133 ten times the E. coli. Knights Ferry also showed E. coli higher than the one-time test limit.

By the time WWALS tested Sunday, most of that had already washed downstream or gotten diluted. We did still see high results at Franklinville and Langdale Park on the Withlacoochee River, and at several creek locations. Continue reading

Pictures: Hahira Veterans Day Parade 2022-11-11

I didn’t know there was a Hahira Veterans Day Parade.

Turns out that’s because there wasn’t one since the 1950s, until Friday. WWALS was invited to participate, so we did.

[Hahira Veterans Day Parade, WWALS Booth, Inside]
Hahira Veterans Day Parade, WWALS Booth, Inside

Among the many WWALS members who are veterans, Vanessa and Nick Kroening rode in the parade with their children Jonah and Primrose. Continue reading

Good river water quality, but rain 2022-11-10

Update 2022-11-15: Creeks bad, mostly OK River Water Quality 2022-11-13.

For once my recommendation is not directly based on the most recent water quality test results, rather on the weather. Because of the recent rain, I wouldn’t paddle on the Withlacoochee or Little Rivers except downstream from the GA-FL line. The Alapaha and Suwannee will probably be OK.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

All WWALS water quality results for Thursday are pretty clean, with several of them actually showing zero E. coli. No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River basin in Georgia or Florida (yet). Valdosta did get high numbers at US 41 and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River last week, but their Monday results (the most recent we’ve seen from them) are normal. Continue reading

WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade 2022-11-11

Update 2022-11-13: Pictures: Hahira Veterans Day Parade 2022-11-11.

WWALS was invited to participate in the annual Hahira Veterans Day Parade. Some WWALS veterans will be in the parade; others are invited to help at the WWALS booth.

All WWALS members are also invited to help at the booth.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 11 AM, Friday, November 11, 2022

Put In: Downtown Hahira, between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

Event: facebook,

[WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade]
WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade

Continue reading

Headliner Sweet William Billy Ennis @ Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2022-08-20

Thanks, Sweet William Billy Ennis, for winning last year and returning this year to headline the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

[Dying Man Blues --Sweet William Billy Ennis]
Dying Man Blues –Sweet William Billy Ennis

Here’s a WWALS video playlist: Continue reading

Video: Summary of water quality testing at Lowndes County Commission 2022-10-11

Most of the Lowndes County Commissioners were not familiar with the water quality testing WWALS is doing, and now they are.

[Summary of WWALS water quality testing @ LCC 2022-10-11]
Summary of WWALS water quality testing @ LCC 2022-10-11

Here’s the video: Continue reading

Pictures: Alapaha, Dead Rivers, Sink 2022-10-02

Not many miles, but packed with sinks, a beach, two rivers, and the big one: the Dead River Sink, on October 2, 2022. Thanks, Dennis Price, for leading us, and for chainsawing our way in.

[Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02]
Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02

Thanks to Randy Madison for the ropes that got the boats up the cliff at the Confluence.

Thanks to Phil Royce for helping haul a couple of boats up the Jennings Bluff stairs.

More pictures are below. They’re also in a facebook photoset.

See also facebook photosets by: Continue reading

WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12

Update 2023-10-29: Pictures.

Join us at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

The Alapaha Station Celebration theme this year is “Alapaha Strong! On November 12 the celebration will deliver a parade and free entertainment.” Plus food vendors.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, November 12, 2022

Put In: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad Street, Alapaha, Georgia 31622

GPS: 31.38103, -83.222412

[2019 Alapaha Station Celebration]
2019 Alapaha Station Celebration

Continue reading

Pictures: Lee St. Detention Pond Cleanup 2022-10-21

Those of us who came to the Friday morning trash reporting cleanup at Valdosta’s Lee St. Detention POnd got some bags of trash and reported a couple of Click ‘n’ Fixes.

Y’all come this afternoon, 2PM, Sunday, October 23, 2022, for another Click ‘n’ Fix reporting and cleanup, led by Bobby McKenzie. Park at Mr. B’s IGA, 1405 N Lee St., Valdosta, GA 31601. We’ll forage for trash from there.

[Trash, trash trap, banners]
Trash, trash trap, banners

The goal is to stop the trash before it gets into One Mile Branch, whic flows into Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River. Valdosta can do what its Stormwater Permit requires and educate businesses to keep trash from escaping their parking lots. Or it can enforce Valdosta’s trash ordinances. The more people reporting such violations, the more likely something will be done.

Thanks to Mr. B for keeping the parking lot at Mr. B’s IGA pretty clean. There is room for improvement, in putting trash cans in the parking lot. He said he would consider it.

It turns out the strip of land with the drainage ditch just south of Mr. B’s IGA is Continue reading

WWALS at Brooks County Skillet Fest, 2022-10-15

Update 2023-10-17: Pictures.

Food and fun in a park. Maybe you’d like to help at the WWALS booth.

[WWALS Booth, Skillet Fest]
WWALS Booth, Skillet Fest

When: 9 AM, Saturday, October 15, 2022

Put In: Brooks County Courthouse, 100 Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia 31643

GPS: 30.785667, -83.559660 Continue reading