In today’s Sunday April 10th 2016 Valdosta Daily Times:
The Georgia House on March 22nd by an unprecedented 34 ayes to 128 nays rejected easements for Sabal Trail
to drill our Withlacoochee and other Georgia Rivers. This was a historic victory by the Georgia Water Coalition, including Georgia Sierra Club, WWALS, Flint Riverkeeper, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, plus SpectraBusters, and thanks to all of you who called their state reps.
That same day, Continue reading
On the north side of US 41, there’s good access from Val Del Road to the Withlacoochee River.
From US 41 (North Valdosta Road), turn north on Val Del Road,
and your next right is a turnoff to a gravelled road that bends sharply right into the woods, which leads back to the north side of US 41 and down to the Withlacoochee River.
It was a bit muddy in the rain this morning, but there were no big potholes,
and the river slope is easy access.
The river was high, 9.8 feet, but still well below the 15 foot flood level
on the
US 41 Gage on this bridge.
Update 2016-03-28: “It’s the most votes I’ve ever gotten on anything.” —Neill Herring of Georgia Sierra Club.
Tuesday and today, Georgia’s elected legislators stood up for the people against a fracked methane pipeline invader:
Y’all! We don’t win votes on the House floor every day, and the effort to keep the state easements for the Sabal Trail pipeline was truly a joy to watch. R’s, D’s, lawyers, community folk, everyone pitched in and it “went down in flames” 34-128 — AJC [Atlanta Journal Constitution] reporter’s words, not mine! Congrats to all the Georgia Water Coalition….
That’s how Georgia Sierra Club’s Colleen Kiernan summed up what happened Tuesday to the river drilling easements for Spectra Energy’s fracked gas Sabal “Sinkhole” Trail pipeline. Yes, the same Spectra of the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) Project, PennEast, Atlantic Bridge, South Texas Expansion, the West Coast Pipeline in British Columbia, and far too many other unnecessary pipeline invasions throughout North America.
Georgia Water Coalition organized this excellent result, including Continue reading
Valdosta, February 28, 2016 — Two VSU students took First and Second Prizes Saturday for logos for
the
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT),
at a Workshop at VSU, with an art exhibit and silent auction,
and talks on history, archaeology, hydrogeology, and safety,
organized by WWALS Watershed Coalition, the Waterkeeper® Affiliate for the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, and upper Suwannee Rivers.
“These logo winners reflect the beauty and unusual nature of our blackwater rivers,”
said logo contest organizer Julie Bowland, a VSU Art Professor.
She aded,
“I’ve already heard talk that we may use both of these logos, one for color, and one for black and white.”
Eboni Patterson (center) won First Prize for the circle logo.
Ann Reid (left) won Second Prize for the river trace logo.
Both were congratulated by contest organizer Julie Bowland,
who handed them checks from WWALS.
The prizes were contributed by Continue reading
One of the remotest segments of the Withlacoochee River, yet
with easy access, and when the water was high enough. 
Also one of the least-attended WWALS outings, because we
hadn’t really gotten the hang of
announcing outings yet. But that just made it more intimate for
the three of us who went. I got especially intimate with the river,
choosing to swim twice. I always choose to swim when the water
comes up to meet me…. Eventually I learned not to lean towards
the side you’re tipping towards.
The closest USGS gauge is Continue reading
The FERC FEIS isn’t a permit, the Army Corps hasn’t issued a permit, GA-EPD is still considering an air quality permit for the Albany, GA air compressor, and it’s still possible to stop the GA-DNR easements for drilling under Georgia rivers including the Withlacoochee and Okapilco Creek. This is all regardless of whether FDEP issues its drilling permit for the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers. You can still help stop this invasion by the “Sinkhole Trail” of our local lands, water, and air.
Among the press recently by Politico, Law360, Natural Gas Intelligence, the Suwannee Democrat, the Ocala StarBanner, the Palm Beach Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Valdosta Today, and others, is this long local piece. Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 20 December 2015, EPA reverses stand on impact pipeline would have on aquifer,
In addition, according to FERC, Sabal completed analysis of the subsurfaces where the pipeline is proposed.
That’s what FERC’s announcement of its Final Environmental Impact Statment (FEIS) said, but where is the LiDAR, as Continue reading
Several Suwannee County Commissioners are studying the difficult and constantly-changing subject of energy, although the Chairman said he had already made up his mind,
Carl McKinney’s droll legend refers on his picture refers to Chris Mericle
as “Jasper man”.
The map shows sinkholes near the proposed pipeline path across the Suwannee River
and the Falmouth Cathedral Cave System.
at the Suwannee County Board of Commissioners meeting last night.
They did nothing about a further resolution against Sabal Trail,
although numerous citizens (many of them WWALS members)
from Suwannee County and nearby counties helped discuss the situation.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 16 December 2015, The future of energy: Debate takes over Suwannee commission meeting,
Following the Suwannee County Commission’s decision last week not to formally oppose the Sabal Trail pipeline entering its jurisdiction, the public engaged commissioners in a debate over the future of energy.
At Tuesday evening’s commission meeting, several members of the public discussed with commissioners the advantages of solar power, Florida’s energy needs and environmental stewardship.
During public comment, local resident Debra Johnson asked Continue reading
“We see no reason to risk local citizens’ property, or taxes, or their drinking water,
or any part of the ecology for a profit for a company from some other state,” on WTXL in Florida’s state capital, Tallahassee, yesterday.
Brittany Kleinpeter, WTXL, Tallahassee, Florida, 14 December 2015, Environmental Group is Not Surprised by Judge’s Decision, Continue reading
You’ve seen Gretchen’s pictures;
here are some more,
including on land along the pipeline path through sinkholes,
of the informal outing from Suwannee River Campsites to Suwannee River State Park
past where Sabal Trail wants to gouge its 36-inch fracked methane pipeline under the Suwannee River.
This was Sunday 15 November 2015, days before the Tuesday the
Suwannee County, FL Commissioners unanimously voted a resolution to move Sabal Trail’s compressor station.
Suwannee BOCC
filed that resolution with FERC,
and has already
decided to vote again Continue reading
A nice Sunday afternoon from Suwannee Campsites to Suwannee River State Park.
WWALS held an informal outing for visitor Johanna deGraffenreid, Coastal Campaign Manager for Gulf Restoration Network, where she’s so newly hired she doesn’t have a picture on their staff page yet. You’ll be able to see her in action when Continue reading