Tag Archives: Little River

Reroute: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

Same date, slight reroute: Sugar Creek to Troupville.

Please be at the bottom of the Bertas Kitchen parking lot by 8AM so we can try to be on the water by 9AM.

Join us for a leisurely paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the Withlacoochee River.

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River, 8 AM, April 19, 2025

Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for shuttle vans.
Thanks to Valdosta Boys & Girls Club for bringing youth and boats to paddle.

Thanks to Steve Miller for bringing a golf cart to help put in and take out.
Thanks to Gee Edwards for leading this expedition, Phil Royce for being sweep, and to Phil Hubbard and Phil Royce for chainsawing the route.

When: Gather 8 AM, shuttle ASAP, launch 9 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, April 19, 2025

Put In: Salty Corner Landing, at the bottom of the parking lot for Bertas Pizza Kitchen, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.8625, -83.31875 Continue reading →

Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09; Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

Update 2025-04-18: Clean Rivers and most creeks; dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16.

Drum roll, please!

The long-awaited, yet unexpected: clean Sugar Creek!

Even after the rain Monday.

Also the Little River was clean upstream and down, and the Withlacoochee River was clean near Valdosta.

But downstream the Withlacoochee River was dirty. Makes me wonder what happened in Quitman?

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

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

The rivers are still down to boatable levels (except for the Santa Fe at the Ichetucknee River Confluence).

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Clean upstream but Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

Continue reading →

Clean Little & Withlacoochee Rivers, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-01

Update 2025-04-04: Dirty upstream, clean downstream: New and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-03.

Avoid Sugar Creek after rains, at least downstream from Baytree Road.

I sampled Tuesday, hoping to get low E. coli so we could all put that long-term Sugar Creek sewage spill behind us. But the results were very bad, as in Too Many to Count (TNTC) at Gornto Road and 4,933 cfu/100 mL at the WaterGoat. The alert limit is 1,000, so many times that.

Why? Most likely the banks and bed of Sugar Creek are still contaminated from the sewage spill and the rains washed some of that into the creek. Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes assures me the sewage bypass is working. Even though its pump wasn’t running when I went by there, he says it turns on as needed.

The good news: the Withlacoochee River downstream at GA 133 was pretty clean. Apparently rainwater in the river diluted the contamination from Sugar Creek. The Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp was even cleaner. So downstream on the Withlacoochee River you should have no problems this time from Sugar Creek.

After rains, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-01, Clean Little River &, Withlacoochee Rivers

The usual weekly WWALS water quality report will be published tomorrow (Friday). Continue reading →

Installed: Troupville Boat Ramp water trail signs 2025-04-01

New water trail signs replace the old, shot-up ones at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River just downstream from GA 133.

Installed: water trail signs at Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River @ GA 133, Thanks, VLPRA & GA-DNR 2025-04-01

Thanks to Herman Gordon of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for coming down to help install the new signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Herman is preparing for the April 19th Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. I think he was relieved that WWALS, Valdosta, and Lowndes County rescheduled it because of high water on the previous date.
https://wwals.net/?p=67242

Thanks to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) that paid for (most of) the cost of these and other signs.

GA-DNR’s own signs about “Clean Your Gear” and “Don’t Release It Here!” have also been shot up. Gordon and I are contacting them about that.

And I’ve already left a message for Lowndes County Public Works about the large potholes on the entrance road. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19

Update 2025-03-29: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26.

It’s a good weekend for boating, if you are experienced and like water high and fast.

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good water quality results both upstream and downstream of Sugar Creek for Wednesday, and there has only been a sprinkle of rain since.

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The Withlacoochee River at Pinetta is too high to paddle, as is the Suwannee at Fargo and the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers near where they join.

Avoid those spots, and happy high and fast water fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating this weekend.

If you are experienced, join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Expert paddle with jon boats: Troupville to Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River.

The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle has been rescheduled to April 19th.

For these and other WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend

Continue reading →

Rescheduled: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

Rescheduled again due to high water, this time to April 19, 2025.

Join us for a leisurely paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the Withlacoochee River. You can choose 3 miles or 11 miles.

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

When: Gather 8 AM, shuttle by 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, April 19, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.
By the boat ramp, see the WWALS water trail signs about the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536 Continue reading →

Langdale Park and Troupville Boat Ramp 2025-03-14

Reminder: we’ve rescheduled and rerouted the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle to next Saturday, March 22, 2025, from Troupville Boat Ramp to Spook Bridge:
https://wwals.net/?p=67188

Langdale Park underwater 2025-03-14, Troupville Boat Ramp OK, Mayor & Chairman’s Paddle is 2025-03-22 from Troupville

For why that was a wise decision, see these pictures of Langdale Park today. The entrance road is underwater starting about halfway to Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

Meanwhile, Troupville Boat Ramp is doing pretty well.

Also, the Withlacoochee River is dirty with E. coli this week; see the weekly WWALS water quality report:
https://wwals.net/?p=67213

So come on down next Saturday, March 22, to Troupville Boat Ramp, between 8 and 9 AM, for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. Continue reading →

Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12

Update 2025-03-21: 2025-03-21: Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19.

Avoid the Withlacoochee River this weekend, and perhaps beyond.

Valdosta Utilities got too-high E. coli at GA 133 and US 84, and WWALS tester Russ Tatum also got too high at Holly Point, down near the Suwannee River, all for Wednesday.

Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12, More rain coming 2025-03-15, First Flush, Avoid the rivers

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

The big rain Sunday probably did first flush, which means it washed the woods the wildlife had been using as a latrine. And I’d bet it washed some remaining sewage residue out of Sugar Creek. The bypass is operational, but lots of sewage spilled in there before the bypass.

Whatever the cause, the Withlacoochee River is dirty. And more thunderstorms are coming this Sunday.

Also the Withlacoochee is way too high to paddle above the Little River Confluence, and also downstream at Pinetta. The Santa Fe River is too high in spots, as well.

If you want to go fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating, avoid the Withlacoochee River and much of the Santa Fe River. Try the Alapaha River or the Suwannee River.

Join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22. Continue reading →

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Update 2025-03-19: Rescheduled: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19.

Rescheduled to March 22 due to high water.

Join us for a leisurely paddle on the Withlacoochee River: three miles to an early takeout, or another eight miles to Spook Bridge, with a mid-point lunch stop.

The first stretch is along the Little River frontage recently purchased by Lowndes County for Troupville River Camp and Nature Park. The right bank the whole way is Brooks County.

The second stretch goes by Valdosta’s cleaned up Outfall from its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on the left bank in Lowndes County.

Paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter.

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Shuttle vans provided by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA).
Early takeout provided by Paul DeLoach.
Spook Bridge takeout and midpoint provided by The Langdale Company.
Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and Phil Royce for being sweep.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 22, 2025

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536 Continue reading →

Modifications, Spectrum Energy pellet mill permit application, Adel, Cook County, GA 2025-03-05

Spectrum Energy has gotten some modifications to its pellet mill Air Quality application, partly due to comments during previous comment periods.

This latest comment period expires April 7, 2025.

Modifications, Spectrum Energy pellet mill permit application, Adel, Cook County, GA @ GA-EPD 2025-03-05

NOTICE OF DRAFT SYNTHETIC MINOR AND SIP OPERATING PERMITS AND PERMIT MODIFICATIONS
GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION
AIR PROTECTION BRANCH
4244 INTERNATIONAL PARKWAY, SUITE 120, ATLANTA, GA 30354
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division announces its intent to issue initial Synthetic Minor Operating Permits, Synthetic Minor Modifications, and Major Source SIP Permits for the following facilities. The deadlines for submitting comments are specified for each facility.

MAJOR SOURCE SIP PERMITS
COOK COUNTY
Facility Name: Spectrum Energy Georgia, LLC
Application No: 29318
Facility Address: 801 Cook Street, Adel, 31620
EPD Notice Type: Proposed Permit
Description of Operation: Pellet Mill
Reason for Application: To construct and operate a greenfield wood pellet manufacturing facility. This application is a consolidated, smaller-scope version of the facility’s previous E-permit application.
Comment period expires on: April 07, 2025
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Continue reading →

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