Tag Archives: Lanier County

Banks Lake Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, 2020-06-07

Update 2020-06-06: Gator and bats, sunset, no moon, at Banks Lake 2020-06-05.

Leisurely sunset paddle and watch the June Full Strawberry Moon rise over the lake.

No, there’s no curfew in Lanier County now (confirmed with the Lanier County Sheriff), and since there’s no shuttle on this outing, we can all stay 6 feet apart on land 10 feet apart on the water.

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in the Grand Bay–Banks Lake ecosystem. We usually see birds, bats and alligators. Sunsets are usually spectacular, and the full moon over the tree tops reflected in the lake is a sight to see.

When: Gather 7:30 PM, launch 7:50 PM, Friday, June 5, 2020

Moon and sun: Sunset 8:33 PM, Moonrise 8:41 PM

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.

GPS: 31.035097, -83.097045

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.

Boats: Kayaks are available to borrow but please let us know at least 2 days prior to the event. Bring your own if you have it.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members, optional during this virus pandemic period. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

[Sunset behind cypress]
Sunset behind cypress on Banks Lake Full Storm Moon Paddle 2020-02-09.

Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Flower Moon Paddle, 2020-05-07

Leisurely sunset paddle and watch the May Full Flower Moon rise over the lake.

No, there’s no curfew in Lanier County now (confirmed with the Lanier County Sheriff), and since there’s no shuttle on this outing, we can all stay six feet apart on l and 10 feet apart on the water.

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in the Grand Bay–Banks Lake ecosystem. We usually see birds, bats and alligators. Sunsets are usually spectacular, and the full moon over the tree tops reflected in the lake is a sight to see.

When: Gather 7:30 PM, launch 7:50 PM, Thursday, May 7, 2020

Moon and sun: Sunset 8:16 PM, Moonrise 8:46 PM

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.

GPS: 31.035097, -83.097045

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.

Boats: Kayaks are available to borrow but please let us know at least 2 days prior to the event. Bring your own if you have it.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members, optional during this virus pandemic period. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

[Moonrise cypress arc (MM)]
Photo: Monica McKenzie, Moonrise cypress arc (MM), 2020-02-09.

Continue reading →

Gear Swap at Banks Lake: find a new boat, maybe try it out, or get rid of an old one 2020-03-07

Sent to the media Wednesday (see also PDF):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gear Swap at Banks Lake: find a new boat, maybe try it out, or get rid of an old one

[2020-02-26--gear-swap-pr-0001]
2020-02-26–gear-swap-pr-0001

Lakeland, Georgia, February 26, 2020 — Here’s something new: a fun-filled day of promoting paddle activities and trying various boat designs, at Banks Lake on the first Saturday of March. This new event by WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) should help paddlers find a new boat or get rid of an old one. If the owner permits, you can try out a boat right there on Banks Lake. This should help get everyone ready to kick off a new paddling season in the great Suwannee River Basin.

[Bret Miller, NWXpeditions, outfitting a paddler]
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, of Bret Miller of NWXpeditions, 2020-02-09

WWALS Outings Chair Bobby McKenzie, who thought up this Gear Swap, says, “Many thanks to Continue reading →

Pictures: WWALS Light Parade at Banks Lake 2019-12-21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lakeland, Georgia, December 24, 2019 — Five boats participated in the first-ever WWALS Light Parade on Banks Lake, with 30 to 40 viewers on the fishing pier, at the winter solstice, Saturday, December 21, 2019.

[Parade]
Parade

“We had lots of spectators and enjoyed the evening with our S’Mores and hot chocolate!” said Shelby Miller, whose idea this WWALS Light Parade was.

The winners were:

1st place: Bobby McKenzie

[Bobby McKenzie paddling]
Bobby McKenzie paddling

2nd place: Eli Harrell

[Eli Harrell]
Eli Harrell

3rd place: Allison Ray

[Allison Ray and daughters]
Allison Ray and daughters

Bobby McKenzie donated back to WWALS his $50 first prize. Shelby Miller donated the $50 split between the second and third place winners.

[Bobby McKenzie and Eli Harrell]
Bobby McKenzie and Eli Harrell

It was good that Allison’s two daughters paddled as well. The rain did hold off but the wind did not, it was Continue reading →

Gear Swap, Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 2020-03-07

Something new: a fun filled day of promoting paddle activities, trying various boat designs. Aiding paddlers with finding a new boat or getting rid of an old one. If the owner permits, you can try out a boat right there in Banks Lake. This should help get everyone ready to kick off a new paddling season in the great Suwannee River Basin.

Many thanks to Lanier County, Banks Lake Outdoors, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their cooperation in this event.

When: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday, March 7, 2020

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County.

GPS: 31.035097, -83.097045

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Bring: yourself. If you have something to swap, bring that. If you want to try out a boat, bring usual personal flotation device, and boat paddles, or there will be loaners. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $5 (five dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Banks Lake Boat Ramp
Banks Lake Boat Ramp, December 22, 2018

Continue reading →

Pictures: Cleanup, Alapaha River, Lakeland and Pafford’s Landing 2019-10-12

A fun couple of hours and a truckload of #Rivers Alive trash picked up in and around the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Pafford’s Landing, on the Alapaha River Water Trail, yesterday, October 12, 2019.

[WWALS #RiversAlive Alapaha River]
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, WWALS #RiversAlive Alapaha River

Continue reading →

ARWT Sign to Pafford’s Landing: Cleanup this Saturday 2019-10-12

Stay to the left to go to Lanier Boat Ramp first, then come back and take the right fork to Pafford’s Landing for the WWALS and Rivers Alive cleanup this 10 AM this Saturday, October 12, 2019, on the Alapaha River near Lakeland, Georgia. It’s free!

[With roads]
With roads

You can also help pay for these Alapaha River Water Trail road signs Continue reading →

Rivers Alive Cleanup, Lakeland and Pafford’s Landing, Alapaha River 2019-10-12

Rivers Alive clean up at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Pafford’s Landing on the Alapaha River near Lakeland, Georgia, on the Alapaha River Water Trail.

When: Gather 10:00 AM, Saturday, October 12, 2019

Put In: Lakeland Boat Ramp, head east from Lakeland on GA 122, turn right at the Lakeland Boat Ramp sign, immediately turn left along the side of the highway, to the boat ramp at the Alapaha River.

GPS: 31.045456, -83.047068

Take Out: Pafford’s Landing. Take GA 122 east from Lakeland, turn at the sign, go into the woods, to the west side (right bank) of the Alapaha River, in Lanier County, Georgia.

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.
No need for a boat, but you can bring one if you want to. It’s only a quarter mile from Lakeland Boat Ramp to Pafford’s Landing, but you may find some trash if you paddle that.

Free: This outing is free to everyone! We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Turnoff in sight, Eastbound

Continue reading →

AGL pipeline explosion settlement deferred again by GA-PSC for state-wide safety: needs to add LNG 2019-09-19

For more time to examine where gas detectors are needed throughout the state, GA-PSC has again deferred voting on the AGL settlement. As Commissioner Jason Shaw said at the first deferral Tuesday, they want to “make sure that all across the state we can make sure that this type of equipment…” is available.

Plus GA-PSC should take a hard look at AGL subsidiary Pivotal LNG’s Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) liquefaction facilities and truck and train routes from them to Jacksonville, Florida, especially since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has shirked its oversight duties for inland LNG facilities.

AGL pipeline map, Georgia
Georgia, AGL Pipeline Map, in Homerville, GA pipeline explosion, by John S. Quarterman, 17 August 2018

AGL has pipelines all over the state of Georgia. I don’t know any reason to believe any of them are any safer than the one that goes from my property in Lowndes County to Homerville in Clinch County (and to Moody Air Force Base, to parts of Valdosta, to Ray City in Berrien County, and to Lakeland in Lanier County).

The map above is the newest I could find online. It was last updated in 2008, more than a decade ago. No doubt AGL can provide the PSC with more current mapping data. Maybe the PSC could require AGL to provide an updated map to the public.

The Public Map Viewer by the Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration (PHMSA) is no help: it does not include AGL’s distribution pipelines such as the one to Homerville.

PHMSA was sufficiently concerned about the Homerville Coffee Corner explosion that it wrote on AGL’s report to PHMSA: Continue reading →

Sunrise at Banks Lake, Time Lapse Video by Guy Bryant 2019-07-29

Found this on YouTube. Thanks, Guy Bryant and Amy Sturkey. Everyone is invited to come see the opposite, the sun set, (and the moon rise) at Banks Lake, Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Sunset at Banks Lake by Guy Bryant 2018-07-29

Here’s the video: Continue reading →