Update 2022-03-02: Trash beyond fence not finished at Flying J, I-75 exit 2 2022-02-26.
Thanks, Flying J and Lowndes County Code Enforcement, for finishing cleaning up what was a huge mess of trash at Exit 2 on I-75 in Lowndes County, Georgia.
Back in August, a WWALS member called Code Enforcement, and I followed up. Code Enforcement responded quickly, came to an agreement with the company, and Continue reading
Update 2021-05-02: WWALS has printed 10,000 z-fold brochures for each of two water trails, through a generous grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR). Plus Georgia Beer Company is a new sponsor, adding to a long list of cities, counties, tourist councils, and development authorities that have assisted with money or letters or resolutions of support. The images here are updated to what we printed. Contact us to get printed copies of these brochures: they’re free to individuals or to groups that will distribute them to the public.
![[ARWT front and back, WLRWT mapside]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-17--wt-brochure-proofs/many.jpg)
ARWT front and back, WLRWT mapside
There’s still room for sponsor logos on these proofs of brochures
ready to print 10,000 copies of each to distribute in Georgia and Florida on I-75 and elsewhere.
This will be is the third edition of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) brochure,
and the first-ever Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) brochure.
You can join this opportunity for only $500 per sponsor to help defray the cash match for the grant, online, or contact us. Or maybe you’d like to contribute to our water trail signs.
WWALS is currently updating all our online water trail maps and web pages.
You can help:
https://forms.gle/qXkPr7eCK51P4X4u7
There are also many other ways you can participate in the activities and advocacy of WWALS:
https://wwals.net/donations/
See: https://wwals.net/maps/alapaha-water-trail/
The two previous ARWT brochure editions, 10,000 copies each, lasted about four years. This one has Continue reading
Update 2019-12-19: Cleanup finishing at Flying J, Exit 2, I-75, Lowndes County, GA 2019-12-10.
I must compliment Lowndes County Code Enforcement, the Flying J, Dynamis, and Deep South Sanitation, about this cleanup at the Flying J, Exit 2, I-75, Lake Park, Georgia, about a mile from the GA-FL line.
On August 23, 2019, I sent this picture and the location to Lowndes County Code Enforcement:
Code Enforcement Director Mindy Bates responded within the hour: Continue reading
Maybe you’d like to show up 2PM tomorrow, Tuesday, January 15, 2019, and encourage the Marion County, FL, BOCC to adopt into the county’s Comprehensive Plan a Resolution they passed June 5, 2018, which would help head off future road boondoggles. The resolution opposes any Coastal Connector highway routes through Marion County.
![[DRAFT Areas of Opportunity, 4/6/2016]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-01-15--marion-co-fl-ear-amendment/06052018-MCBOCC-RESOLUTION-Rejecting-Alternative-Corridors-Proposed-for-Coastal-Connector-0005.jpg)
DRAFT Areas of Opportunity, 4/6/2016
When: 2PM, Tuesday, January 14, 2019
Where:
McPherson Governmental Complex,
601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471
What: Item 14.B.4. on the agenda is adopting the resolution into the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Event: facebook
As juries recently decided about easement for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline (which Marion County also opposed), “full compensation” is not the same as “just compensation” for road rights of way, either:
J. It must be recognized that the issue is not simply the payment of “full compensation” to owners of the most valuable equine and agricultural properties in Marion County. Rather, it must be recognized that as a result of any of these corridors, the required right-of-way acquisitions and resulting construction of the proposed facility will not only damage, but may destroy many of these important operations in Marion County, and consequently, negatively impact the economic vitality and long-range growth of Marion County; and
Gouging pipelines or highways through farm or horse land or under rivers destroys what they traverse. No amount of compensation would be sufficient.
If you’re nearby, this would be good opportunity to stand up for water, environment, and property rights.
WWALS member Janet Barrow sent them this letter. EAR is Continue reading
East on I-10 just before I-75 southbound crosses: a 74.5 MW FPL solar farm in Columbia County, Florida, well along in construction. I don’t think any newspaper ever called the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline a windfall:
Solar photos: Carl McKinney, Lake City Reporter. Sorry I forgot who sent me this picture of the newspaper front page.
FPL PR 31 July 2018, Construction begins on FPL’s four newest solar power plants, Continue reading
For discussion and getting the word out, there’s a new facebook group, Dangerous Liquefied Natural Gas on Trains/Trucks.
In a March 3, 2016, letter, the Federal Railroad Administration warned Florida East Coast Railway of the danger of transporting Liquefied Natural Gas on the same tracks as high-speed passenger rail. What could go wrong? Do the math…. If an LNG container is breached, accidentally or intentionally, the liquid begins to warm, resulting in a Flammable Vapor-Cloud that can be blown around by the wind, igniting everything in its path. In Fernley, Nevada, the Flammable Vapor-Cloud fire from a tanker truck loaded with 10,000 gallons of LNG appeared to have been caused by static electricity. Flames shot 40 feet into the air and fire officials evacuated the area. The fire burned for a couple of days, before eventually burning itself out.
Photo: Howard Salmon, for Tahoe Daily Tribune, of Fernley, NV, LNG tanker truck fire, 2005-09-14
As that facebook group says, if you want to help stop fires like that from happening in Florida or Georgia, you can contribute to the WWALS legal fund for the pending case against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for shirking its inland LNG oversight duty.
Thanks to Continue reading
Update 2018-07-24: Deadfalls and an oxbow cutoff downstream by Troupville, with a map including the deadfall in this post.
Yet another deadfall in the Withlacoochee River, this one just upstream from the I-75 bridge, discovered by intrepid WWALS explorer Aaron Sirmons.
Deadfall
Finding out what’s in the rivers is part of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
More pictures: Continue reading
You could learn to wakeboard next to I-75. Thanks to Luke Tilt at Valdosta Wake Compound for two wakeboard lesson tickets for the silent auction at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 7PM Thursday, May 31, 2018:
They are valued at $65 apiece. The passes include all gear needed to participate as well as a one-on-one instructor. Open to any level of rider. This lesson is the easiest and safest way to learn how to ride a wakeboard on the water.
Photo: Wakeworld, January 2017, of Terry Bailey
VWC: Instagram
@valdostawakecompound, website
http://valdostawakecompound.com/,
off of I-75 Exit 13, at 2314 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, 229-375-3060.
VWC was recently featured in a video by the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority, and VWC is on Georgia Tourism. That’s about 3 and 1/2 hours South of Atlanta, 3 hours North of Orlando, and 3 hours NorthEast of Tampa.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is also on Georgia Tourism.
Date and Time: Thu, May 31, 2018 Continue reading
Received 28 September 2017 from Lowndes County Utilities Director Steve Stalvey:
John,
This is the information I sent to the State concerning the spills related to Irma on Tuesday 9-12-17. Continue reading
Lowndes County (not Valdosta) spilled sewage Saturday that may have reached the Withlacoochee River. The county also had “several” lift station spills during Tropical Storm Irma.
After tonight’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, I asked Utilities Director Steve Stalvey whether the county had spilled any sewage this month. He said yes, Saturday (September 23, 2017), about 25,000 gallons from the force main on Val Tech Road. He said it was due to Continue reading
![[Fence keeping trash in]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-12-10--flying-j-exit-2/20191210_140540.jpg)
![[Trash in gap]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-23--exit-2-flying-j-trash/20190823_091403.jpg)
![[Still more trash]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-23--exit-2-flying-j-trash/20190823_091624.jpg)
