Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Clean Rivers 2022-06-02

Update 2022-06-11: Five Rivers Clean 2022-06-09.

Seventh week: all rivers clean! Happy swimming, fishing, and boating in the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.

For example, tomorrow morning, Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-04.

Of course, there can be undetected local water quality problems (see below). But all the WWALS sites tested Thursday got clean results. While there is a prediction of rain today and tomorrow, if it’s like what we’ve been seeing, it will be light and won’t wash much contamination into the river. No sewage spills have been reported in Georgia or Florida in the past week. So have a good weekend.

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Wednesday upstream and Wednesday of last week downstream. Those were all clean, too.

But earlier contamination was detected in Valdosta results. Continue reading →

Clean All Rivers 2022-05-26

Update 2022-06-03: Clean Rivers 2022-06-02.

All tested sites Thursday were clean on five rivers: Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers. No sewage spills have been reported in Georgia or Florida in the Suwannee River Basin for the last week. It hasn’t rained much, and no rain is predicted for the weekend.

So happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend!

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday of last week downstream. Those were all clean, too. Continue reading →

Trash at No Water No Beer 2022-05-07

Update 2022-05-20: Videos: Valdosta Mayor announces first trash trap @ VCC 2022-05-19.

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman spoke about WWALS at the Valdosta Public Works No Water No Beer festival at Georgia Beer Co.

Booth, speech, kayak

Here’s the video of Valdosta Public Works Director introducing and WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman speaking. Continue reading →

Mayor, Council, volunteers, helped WWALS clean up Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2022-05-07

Update 2023-07-22: Pictures: Sugar Creek Withlacoochee River on-land cleanup 2023-07-22.

Update 2023-05-18: Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River Cleanup 2023-07-22.

Update 2022-05-16: Trash at No Water No Beer 2022-05-07.

When Russell says don’t bring a boat to a cleanup, bring a boat for use as a garbage scow. Fortunately, Valdosta Mayor Scott James brought a boat. He and Council Andy Gibbs helped clean up at Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, in that Council district. We filled that kayak with trash, floated it down the river, loaded it on the Mayor’s truck, and he drove it straight to No Water No Beer at Georgia Beer Co. (his idea).

The Mayor and Phil Hubbard sawed off some deadfalls, clearing passage in the creek. Thanks to them and all the other volunteers for this cleanup. Special thanks to Russell for organizing it.

Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, trash, Valdosta Mayor and Council

Of course, cleanups don’t solve the trash problem. Fortunately, Continue reading →

Pictures: Pafford’s Landing cleanup 2022-04-16

Here are pictures and commentary by WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman at the WWALS Earth Day Pafford’s Landing cleanup on the Alapaha River.

Meanwhile, I’d like to know what we need to do to get people from Lakeland and Lanier County to come clean up? What happened to the regular cleanups apparently promised by the Sheriff and the County Commission? Must we call in the Marines every time to clean up Pafford’s Landing?

After previous cleanups in Lanier County, the county dump accepted all the trash we got from the river, including tires. Why not these three tires this time?

The dump did accept the approximately 300 pounds of bagged trash. Thanks to the Marine recruits for helping bag it.

Also, Hooters, KFC, Hardees, Chick-fil-A, and Budweiser, maybe if you didn’t produce so much single-use trash, there wouldn’t be so much of it thrown away.

Begin, Volunteers, Marines, Trash

Shirley and I were the volunteers to sign in and we waited for other WWALS members or Lanier County people to help out but no more came. We are looking fresh and clean at 9AM. Continue reading →

Pictures: Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2019-03-23

It was a ten!

It was a fine spring day for thirteen miles on the Alapaha River from Mayday to Statenville. Cypress, oaks, pines, tea-colored water, and a sandy lunch spot.

See it in these pictures by Gretchen Quarterman.

Collage

The water level was about 9 feet or 85.1′ NAVD88 on the Statenville Gauge. That’s higher than our old recommended maximum, so we’re raising the max to 10 feet (86.1′ NAVD88). Continue reading →

Winners, BIG Little River Paddle Race 2022-04-30

Adel, GA, May 3, 2022 — Nineteen canoeists and kayakers set out on a beautiful blue-sky morning on Saturday, April 30, 2022, and one from far away won the BIG Little River Paddle Race.

Carl Fuller, First Prize Winner

They paddled three miles from Red Roberts Landing to the Colquitt County boat ramp on Reed Bingham State Park Lake.

Carl Fuller already in the lead.

The overall winner was Continue reading →

WWALS @ A Day in the Woods, Gaskins Forest Education Center, 2022-04-23

Come to the Gaskins Forest Education Center near Alapaha, Georgia, for an education opportunity about the piney woods and WWALS and the Alapaha River Water Trail.

When: Setup 12 PM, festival starts 1 PM, ends 5 PM, Saturday, April 23, 2022

Put In: Gaskins Forest Education Center, 3359 Moore Sawmill Rd., Alapaha, Georgia 31622.

GPS: 31.345454, -83.178356

Free: This event is free.

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/#join

Event: facebook

Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman from 2018 festival

Continue reading →

All rivers bad water quality 2022-04-07

Update 2022-04-15: Clean Rivers 2022-04-15.

Best to avoid the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers this weekend. In very unusual results, all three were too high in E. coli at GA 122, and the Withlacoochee was way too high at Nankin Boat Ramp.

The Ichetucknee tested clean for Tuesday at TREPO’s Hodor Park.

You might try lakes that are not downstream from likely rivers, such as Banks Lake and Grassy Pond, and maybe Reed Bingham State Park, but we have no data on those lakes.

In good news, no sewage spills have been reported in Georgia or Florida. Of course, certain cities (Quitman, Ashburn) almost always report a week or more late, so stay tuned on that.

Chart, rivers, Swim Guide

The most recent data we have from Valdosta is for Monday upstream, which was before the Wednesday and Thursday rains. So WWALS data is what we have to go on, and the WWALS results are pretty bad. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha River Outing, Hotchkiss Road to US 84 2014-08-24

This was a nice, short, one-mile paddle on the Alapaha River from Hotchkiss Road Landing beyond US 84, past the then-future site of Naylor Boat Ramp. All on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Thanks to Chris Graham for leading this paddle.

Hotchkiss Road Landing, Shoals, Naylor Beach, US 84 bridge, Alapaha River