Tag Archives: I-75

6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle Set for March 15, 2025 –City of Valdosta PR 2025-01-28

City of Valdosta press release:

The City of Valdosta and Lowndes County are excited to announce the 6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, a collaborative event promoting clean waterways and outdoor activity. This year’s paddle will take place on Saturday, March 15, 2025, beginning at Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

[6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle]
6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle

Participants are encouraged to gather at the boat ramp at 8 a.m., with the paddle officially starting at 10 a.m. The event offers two options for paddlers: a two-hour trip to Berta’s Kitchen or Sugar Creek or a full four-hour journey ending at the Troupville Boat Ramp. Along the route, paddlers will travel under the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, past the Wood Valley Subdivision, Sheri Run, and under the I-75 and GA 133 highway bridges.

This annual event highlights the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways.

Continue reading →

Cancelled: Re-reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02

Update 2024-01-31: Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2024-02-11.

Cancelled on account of Withlacoochee River in flood after Hurricane Idalia, and our chainsaws don’t work underwater, the Re-reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02.

[FB: Cancelled due to river flood levels after Hurricane Idalia]
FB: Cancelled due to river flood levels after Hurricane Idalia

We will reschedule; new date to be announced.

The US 41 Withlacoochee River Gauge currently reads 124.42 feet. Our WWALS paddle recommendations are: Highest safe 12.7 feet, 123′ NAVD. Lowest boatable 5.7 feet, 116′ NAVD. And at the current level, the target deadfall is about eight feet underwater.

Valdosta US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River Gauge
Valdosta US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River Gauge

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Re-reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02

Update 2023-09-01: Cancelled: Re-reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02.

Again hoping for cleaner river water, this time we are aiming at 9 AM, Saturday, September 2, 2023, to chainsaw one big deadfall between I-75 and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River, and maybe a few more between GA 133 and the Little River Confluence.

On this new date, we may also use a put-in closer to our main deadfall target. Bring a rope on at least one end of your boat for lowering it in there. Bring a chainsaw if you really know how to use it, but you do not have to saw to join us.

Our main target this time is one remaining big deadfall between I-75 and GA 133.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Friday, September 2, 2023

Put In: Meet at the back of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602 and we’ll go to the put-in from there.

GPS: 30.861764, -83.318854

[FB: Crowe Deadfall 2022-07-30; Riverhill Drive Deadfall 2022-10-16; Reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02]
FB: Crowe Deadfall 2022-07-30; Riverhill Drive Deadfall 2022-10-16; Reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-09-02

Continue reading →

Rescheduled: Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2023-06-24

We are rescheduling this Saturday’s chainsaw cleanup, due to water level too high and more rainfall predicted all week causing the Withlacoochee River to stay high.

We are merging it with the other cleanup on the same stretch of the river: Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River Cleanup 2023-07-22. Russell Allen McBride will lead the regular cleanup, and Phil Hubbard will lead the chainsaw cleanup. The groups of paddlers will probably proceed at different speeds. See:
https://wwals.net/?p=62071

Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/614883607025723

Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/withlacoochee-alapaha-suwannee-rivers-wwals-outings/events/293624535/

[Gauges, target deadfall]
Gauges, target deadfall

The Skipper Bridge gauge has predictions of water levels. Which show Continue reading →

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-06-24

Update 2023-06-20: Rescheduled: Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2023-06-24 to merge with Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River Cleanup 2023-07-22.

We need volunteers to pick up trash while a few people chainsaw some deadfalls.

Our main target this time is one remaining big deadfall between I-75 and GA 133.

Yes, this stretch from Sugar Creek to Troupville is the same as for the plain old cleanup a month later.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, June 24, 2023

Put In: Meet at the back of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602 and we’ll put in at the railroad tracks.

GPS: 30.861764, -83.318854

[A deadfall between I-75 and GA 133, and a previous deadfall]
A deadfall between I-75 and GA 133, and a previous deadfall

Continue reading →

Valdosta sewage spill into Lake Sheri, Withlacoochee River 2022-09-23

Update 2023-11-09: GA-EPD Consent Order on Valdosta for One Mile Branch fish kill and sewage spills 2023-09-15.

Valdosta had yet another small sewage spill, this time on Friday, September 23, 2022, into Lake Sheri, which drains into the Withlacoochee River just upstream from I-75.

[Report and map: Valdosta Lake Sheri sewage spill 2022-09-23]
Report and map: Valdosta Lake Sheri sewage spill 2022-09-23

Most likely that spill was too small to affect the river, but those poor people who live on Lake Sheri, which already had three sewage spills upstream this summer.

The GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report for Monday, September 26, 2022 shows that 1,250 raw sewage spill as Continue reading →

Bad GA 133 and US 84, Withlacoochee River 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-16: Clean Rivers 2022-09-15.

Bad news in Valdosta’s upstream Withlacoochee River water quality results.

Too high E. coli at both GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) and US 84.

Best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for now in those stretches.

[Chart, Swim Guide]
Chart, Swim Guide

We also see high Fecal coliform for Monday at US 41 (North Valdosta Road), but OK E. coli. That is usual for after a big upstream rain, and you can see 0.61 inches on the Skipper Bridge gauge for the previous day.

But at GA 133 and US 84, Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2022-07-30

Update 2022-10-17: Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup with pizza, Withlacoochee River 2022-10-16.

Update 2022-08-09: What made them? Pictures: Tracks, GA 133, Withlacoochee River 2022-07-30.

Everything went exactly as planned for Chainsaw Cleanup Returns, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, if the plans included two trucks getting stuck, several chainsaws getting stuck, and the whole thing taking more like ten hours than three, with no lunch.

[Banners, Chainsaws, Trash, River]
Banners, Chainsaws, Trash, River

But we cleared a bunch of deadfalls, collected many bags of trash, and recorded where the remaining deadfalls and trash are for later expeditions. That makes this stretch much more paddlable between Sugar Creek and Troupville on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

The water level on the Valdosta US 41 gauge was 6.05′ (116.35′ NAVD88).

Thanks to the three new chainsawers, Shawn O’Connor and Grant and Art Herring, and regulars Bobby McKenzie and Russell Allen McBride. And thanks to the Good Samaritan who gave me a ride to my truck so I could use my logging chain to pull Bobby’s truck out at the take-out. Plus thanks to the two different vehicles that were used to pull my truck out at the put-in.

Note for next time: if you add a four-mile river paddle with a slow boat to chainsawing many deadfalls and the same people picking up many bags of trash, it takes longer.

There are many more Continue reading →

Paused, not stopped: Northern Turnpike Extension toll road 2022-08-05

Two more versions of what’s happening to the toll road project: “paused” until they come up with options to “address concerns” or “include” concerns.

[FDOT PR, NTE Project Update, Study Area]
FDOT PR, NTE Project Update, Study Area

There is nothing about satisfying community concerns. There is a statement that they will “continue to refine and develop viable corridor concepts for this area”. They’re going to write a report despite this “pause”, and sooner or later they will plow ahead. Nevermind no need for any of those alternative routes has ever been established. Watch for that Report so you can comment No Build.

This pause is just a feint because of all the community objections thus far. Don’t let this pause cool your objections. More toll roads means more clearcutting and runoff, more pollution from that runoff, more development and more water withdrawals, lower levels in the Floridan Aquifer, rivers, and springs. And all that traffic is aimed up US 19 across the Suwannee River to Madison County. Water is more important than profit for developers and toll road builders.

FDOT and NTE say they will Continue reading →

Florida scraps proposed toll road routes for I-75 and others 2022-08-03

Update 2022-08-05: Paused, not stopped: Northern Turnpike Extension toll road 2022-08-05.

It’s good news, but watch out: “Instead, FDOT will look at making improvements along Interstate 75 and possibly other corridors to relieve traffic congestion.”

[No four routes]
No four routes

Nobody has ever demonstrated any need for such a toll road, or for these I-75 “and possibly other” road expansions. The M-CORES committee deliberated for a long time and reported no need. The succeeding plan for four potential routes from Wildwood to US 19 did not dispute that lack of need, but plowed ahead anyway. FDOT said the legislature said (in SB 100) that the Northern Turnpike Extension was “in the strategic interest,” yet the new process would determine a need. It did not.

Instead, Continue reading →