Tag Archives: Mayday Landing

Mayday Landing ARWT Signs 2025-02-26

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

Thanks again to Echols County Manager Alan Levesque and Road Crew, the signs are planted for Mayday Landing on the Alapaha River.

[Mayday Landing, Alapaha River, ARWT Signs Planted 2025-02-26, At-Water and Road: Thanks, Alan Levesque & Echols County Road Crew]
Mayday Landing, Alapaha River, ARWT Signs Planted 2025-02-26, At-Water and Road: Thanks, Alan Levesque & Echols County Road Crew

Both the road signs and the at-water signs were paid for (80%) by a generous grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR). The signs were made by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), but the state could not plant the signs, because Howell Road is not a state or federal road. But the county could, and Echols County did.

Like the Statenville Boat Ramp signs, I delivered the Mayday signs to Echols County at a Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Update meeting the day before.

Mayday Landing is at 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649. It is on the left bank, the east side of the Alapaha River, south of Howell Road, north of the railroad bridge, in Echols County.

It is towards the middle of the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.
https://wwals.net/maps/alapaha-water-trail/ Continue reading →

Road Signs, Mayday Landing, Echols County, Alapaha River Water Trail 2024-10-31

For Halloween, I went to the Tifton GDOT sign shop and picked up the road signs for Mayday Landing.

[Mayday Landing, Echols County, ARWT 2024-10-31, Alapaha River Water Trail, Road signs from GDOT with GA-DNR grant]
Mayday Landing, Echols County, ARWT 2024-10-31, Alapaha River Water Trail, Road signs from GDOT with GA-DNR grant

Thanks to Kayla R. Hancock, Sign Supply Supervisor, GDOT Tifton (pictured on the right), for organizing this.

[Alapaha River Water Trail, Mayday Landing, Echols County]
Alapaha River Water Trail, Mayday Landing, Echols County

This is one set. The other set is the same, except the arrow points in the other direction. Each came with a 12-foot steel post, a 48-inch foundation stub, and nuts and bolts.

Thanks to Ouicia Jolly, Recreational Trails Program Coordinator, Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR), for organizing the grant program that is reimbursing 80% of the cost of these signs and for the rack cards and the at-water signs, with 10-foot 4×4-inch posts, scews, and Quikrete.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Pictures: Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2024-05-11

We saw many creeks and seeps, and a few shoals barely visible as waves, on the Alapaha River from Mayday to Statenville, all in Echols County, Georgia, Saturday, May 11, 2024.

[Creeks, seeps, waves over shoals, and many power boats, Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2024-04-11]
Creeks, seeps, waves over shoals, and many power boats, Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2024-04-11

We had two chainsaws and two handsaws, but did not need to saw any deadfalls to get through.

We did see more power boats than I’ve ever seen on that river.

Thanks to Shawn O’Connor for leading, and to everyone else for paddling.

Continue reading →

Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River, 2024-05-11

Update 2024-05-12: Pictures: Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2024-05-11.

Join us for a 14.55-mile paddle from sandy-slope Mayday to fancy-ramp Statenville on the Alapaha River, both in Echols County, Georgia. Water levels should be just right!

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, May 11, 2024

Put In: Mayday Landing, 749 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649. left bank, east side of the Alapaha River, south of Howell Road, north of the railroad bridge, in Echols County, Georgia.

GPS: 30.82827, -83.017179

[Mayday Landing to Statenville 2024-05-11, Alapaha River, Shawn O'Connor]
Mayday Landing to Statenville 2024-05-11, Alapaha River, Shawn O’Connor

Continue reading →

Naylor to Mayday Paddle, Alapaha River 2023-08-12

Update 2023-07-31: After a scouting trip it has been determined this outing is NOT for beginners. The river is low but some of the rocky shoals, ledges and chutes are challenging.

Parking for the takeout at Mayday is soft dirt/sand and not suitable for vehicles that can’t handle rough conditions.

We’re not canceling unless the river drops too low or in case of thunderstorms. We also have some outings coming up that will be more suitable for all paddlers.

Paddle 11.24 miles on the Alapaha from Naylor to Mayday, through significant shoals, past several creeks.

Shirley Kokidko, leading this paddle, says, “I really want the shuttle to begin on time at 9, Mayday is a popular beach and parking is helter skelter.”

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman noted, “You can help us solve the mystery of why is Cow Creek always foaming.”

Shirley adds, “Be prepared at the end to climb up the sandhill at Mayday. It’s tough getting boats uphill in the deep sand, I’m not sure wheels are much help.”

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, August 12, 2023

Put In: Naylor Boat Ramp, 6955 US 84 E, Naylor, GA 31641, right bank, west of the river, north of US 84, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.924282, -83.038427

[River Bend Rapids, Foaming Cow Creek, Naylor Landing Sandhill 2016-05-07]
River Bend Rapids, Foaming Cow Creek, Naylor Landing Sandhill 2016-05-07

Continue reading →

Videos: US 84 to Mayday, Alapaha River 2016-05-07

Here are some previously-unpublished videos of a string of rapids on the Alapaha River between US 84 and Mayday.

[River Bend Rapids, Overhanging branch dunk, Cow Shoals, Cow Creek, Fallers Award at Mayday, Alapaha River, 7 May 2016]
River Bend Rapids, Overhanging branch dunk, Cow Shoals, Cow Creek, Fallers Award at Mayday, Alapaha River, 7 May 2016

They include Continue reading →

Pictures: Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2019-03-23

It was a ten!

It was a fine spring day for thirteen miles on the Alapaha River from Mayday to Statenville. Cypress, oaks, pines, tea-colored water, and a sandy lunch spot.

See it in these pictures by Gretchen Quarterman.

[Collage]
Collage

The water level was about 9 feet or 85.1′ NAVD88 on the Statenville Gauge. That’s higher than our old recommended maximum, so we’re raising the max to 10 feet (86.1′ NAVD88). Continue reading →

All green to go, Withlacoochee River 2020-07-18

Update 2020-07-23: Excellent water quality, Withlacoochee River, but raining now 2020-07-22.

We don’t always get zero E. coli on the Withlacoochee River, but when we do, we like it!

That’s zero cfu/100 mL at State Line Boat Ramp Saturday, by WWALS tester Suzy Hall, and zero at FL 6 just above Madison Blue Spring Tuesday by Madison Health. With below 410 (that’s good) everywhere upstream in Valdosta Monday, Wednesday, and Friday results.

Plus, we have good results on the Alapaha River, thanks to WWALS testers Tasha Ekman LaFace and Suzy Hall.

[Green on Swim Guide, Withlacoochee River]
Green on Swim Guide, Withlacoochee River

Yes, even Knights Ferry and Nankin Boat Ramps showed good results all week. We didn’t know that until today, but now we do, thanks to Valdosta PIO Ashlyn Johnson getting those numbers posted about 1PM today. Continue reading →

New WWALS water quality tester Renee Kirkland 2020-06-05

Renee Kirkland has a water quality testing kit, thanks to donations to the water quality testing program.

[Trainer, kit, and tester]
Trainer, kit, and tester

Renee already passed the most recent water quality testing training. Trainer Gretchen Quarterman got Renee to review with her new kit. Renee is already on the WWALS Testing Committee, and now she’s ready to test.

She’s going to start on the Alapaha River, with Mayday Landing and Statenville Boat Ramp.

If you want to become a WWALS water quality tester, please Continue reading →

Mayday Landing to Statenville Boat Ramp, Alapaha River, 2019-03-23

Update 2022-05-10: Pictures: Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River 2019-03-23.

Let’s complete this missing link in the Alapaha Quest, a stretch of the Alapaha River never before done as a WWALS Outing!

When: Gather 8AM, Launch 9AM, Saturday, March 23, 2019

Put In: Mayday Landing, 49 Howell Road, Stockton, GA 31649, in Echols County, Georgia. South of Howell Road, east side of the Alapaha River, north of the railroad bridge.

GPS: 31.82827, -83.017179

Take Out: Statenville Boat Ramp, 206 GA 94 West, Statenville, GA 31648, in Echols County.

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.

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

Event: facebook, meetup

[Sand bank, 14:22:12, 30.82846, -83.01862]
Sand bank, 14:22:12, 2016-05-07 30.8284600, -83.0186200

Continue reading →