Tag Archives: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp

Mostly Clean Rivers 2023-09-28

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Update 2023-09-30: Clean Alapaha River 2023-09-28.

The only place on the Withlacoochee River that tested bad for Thursday was the most stagnant location: Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

There was significant E. coli in the other locations, as well as in the Alapaha Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp, but none of the others were above the 410 cfu/100 mL one-time test limit.

There was rain Tuesday, but effects of that seem to have been mostly gone by Thursday.

So I’d avoid Langdale Park, which you can’t drive into anyway.

Other than that, happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-09-28]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-09-28

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Monday upstream (good) and the Friday four weeks ago, September 1st, downstream (not bad).

No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida in the past two weeks.

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner for testing the Alapaha River last week at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach: both showed zero E. coli. Can’t get better than that. Continue reading →

Clean rivers, filthy creeks 2023-08-03

Crawford Branch above Valdosta was above the one-time test limit for E. coli, and Sugar Creek which drains most of Valdosta was even higher, above the alert limit, in WWALS sampling for Thursday.

But the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested good.

More WWALS volunteer water quality testers reported this week, but we are still short-handed. Maybe you’d like to become a WWALS tester; please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/DzWvJuXqTQi12N6v7

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Rain fell hard today, but only briefly, so most of the rivers are probably OK for fishing, swimming and boating this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow morning on Yes Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2023-08-05. Continue reading →

Yes Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2023-08-05

Come help us clean up more trash jams we found last time.

Most of it is legacy trash from Valdosta.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, August 5, 2023

Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, 6499 Knights Ferry Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Floating trash jam 2023-04-08 and on-land trash 2022-12-17]
Floating trash jam 2023-04-08 and on-land trash 2022-12-17

Continue reading →

Clean Rivers 2023-06-08

Update 2023-06-16: Very bad upstream Withlacoochee River 2023-06-15.

The Withlacoochee River and Little Rivers tested good for Thursday, and the Alapaha River for Tuesday. Unless it rains, happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend.

Or join us tomorrow on the Suwannee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2023-06-10.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map, 2023-06-08]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map, 2023-06-08

No new sewage spills have been reported. in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and for Friday a week ago downstream. Continue reading →

Videos: Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08

Here are some videos I took of the main trashjam from the WWALS Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08.

It’s not all gone, but boats can pass by now. We had to leave much trash there due to time, and there is more in other spots up and down the river.

[Collage @ Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08]
Collage @ Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08

Thanks again especially to Josh Tison who reported the big trash jam blocking the river and brought a crew with chainsaws to deal with it, and to Russell Allen McBride for leading this WWALS outing, as well as to everyone else who came and helped.

Here is a WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qz_O7f4LVH2mZY2mJ2F9PGa Continue reading →

Pictures: Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08

Update 2023-05-04: Videos: Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08.

Josh Tison reported the Withlacoochee River blocked by a trash jam. He and Marla Tison and Bobby Higgs came out to help clear it, with chainsaws, on Yet Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2023-04-08.

An alligator jumped off the target trash jam just after I nosed my boat into it. Russell Allen McBride and Josh Tison walked on it. It was covered with trash, as were many other spots along the river.

The combination of trash brands again indicates it came from Valdosta: Cookout, Bojangles, and Jackson Hewitt, for example.

All this floating Valdosta trash is in Brooks County, because the county line between Brooks and Lowndes County is the east bank of the Withlacoochee River. And three Brooks County people came with their motor boat and chainsaws to clean up some of it.

[Collage, Cleanup, KF to Nankin, 2023-04-08]
Collage, Cleanup, KF to Nankin, 2023-04-08

Russell Allen McBride remarked, “As the leader of this outing it was sad that I had to have everyone leave several of the trash spots to have room and time for the main one.”

With now three trash traps and more promised, Valdosta is starting Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-04-06

Update 2023-04-15: Clean Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers 2023-04-13.

According to all the recent test results we have, the Withlacoochee River is pretty clean from E. coli. However, it’s raining upstream now, and predictions are for more rain tomorrow.

I’m still planning to paddle on Yet Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2023-04-08. If we’re quick, we may be finished before more than a drizzle falls.

If you want to paddle, swim, or fish this weekend, I’d recommend do it Saturday morning before the rain has much time to wash contamination out of creeks.

[Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-04-06]
Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-04-06

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida since the tiny inland High Springs spill Thursday a week ago.

There is the matter of Valdosta’s followup testing after their February sewage spills, but the only bad results from that were Wednesday and Thursday a week ago, and that was in the Alapaha River basin. Continue reading →

Yet Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2023-04-08

Update 2023-05-02: Pictures: Cleanup below Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08.

Clean up more trash jams we found last time on the Withlacoochee River. Plus someone has reported a trashjam blocking the river.

All Valdosta city officials are invited, especially Mayor, Council, City Manager, City Engineer, Stormwater Manager, and, as special guests, the City Marshalls. If you don’t have a boat, we will supply one.

Russell promises to grill hamburgers at the end.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, April 8, 2023

Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Cleanup at floating trash jam, banners at start 2022-12-17]
Cleanup at floating trash jam, banners at start 2022-12-17

Last Time: Pictures: Another Knights Ferry to Nankin Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-17. Continue reading →

On-land cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sullivan Launch, 2023-02-25

Meet at 9am at Sullivan launch, clean up, caravan to FL-6 bridge by 11am, or earlier if we finish before then. No boats needed: this cleanup is on land.

Afterwards, optional Knights Ferry cleanup depending on where the water level is at by then.

Thanks to Amy Meyers for leading this cleanup, and for becoming the new WWALS Outings Committee Chair!

When: 9 AM, Saturday, February 25, 2023

Put In: Sullivan Launch. This is off of CR 150 (NE Bellville Road) east of Pinetta, south of the road, downstream of river bridge, right (west) bank, in Madison County, Florida.

GPS: 30.595667, -83.26

Take Out: FL 6 Bridge. West of the river, turn north off of FL 6 onto Withlacoochee Shores Lane; stay right to stay on that. Turn right on NE Chervil Drive to the FL 6 right of way. Turn left to go to the river.

[Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116]
Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116
on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Continue reading →

Pictures: Trash at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2023-02-09

Will Hart and Amy Meyers got some interesting pictures at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp while practicing their new skill of water quality testing.

Really, boaters and outdoor partiers, leaving the places like this does not encourage people to paddle on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

[Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear]
Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear

I know Lowndes County Litter Control comes by weekly and cleans up. But people who leave this mess are wasting tax dollars with extra work.

The individual pictures are below. Continue reading →