Tag Archives: north Florida

Protect Florida Parks from golf courses and hotels 2024-08-23

Update 2024-08-23: Postponed “due to overwhelming interest.” Keep overwhelming them!

This Tuesday, August 27, 2024, Florida Parks will hold eight public tellings about building golf courses, hotels, or pickleball courts in nine public parks.

None of those nine are in the Suwannee River Basin. But if they happen, how long until there’s a plan for a golf course in Suwannee River State Park? Or a “lodge” at Ichetucknee Springs or Manatee Spring?

Follow this link for a handy form by Waterkeepers Florida to tell your statehouse delegation you don’t want these developments on top of vulnerable habitat and next to our waterways:
https://waterkeepersflorida.good.do/protectourparks/Email_State_Officials/

[Protect Florida Parks from Golf Courses, Hotels, apartments, Pickleball courts]
Protect Florida Parks from Golf Courses, Hotels, apartments, Pickleball courts

The nine are: Continue reading →

Fish Species, Withlacoochee River, downstream from Sugar Creek 2024-08-21

Somebody asked what fish are in the Withlacoochee River where we did the Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup pictures 2024-08-17.

I answered, redbreast, spotted, redear, and bluegill sunfish, largemouth and warmouth bass, brown and yellow bullhead, pirate perch, brooks silverside, spotted sucker, swamp darter, and others.

Many species are called bream, including all the sunfish.

This is where I got those species, from the April 13, 2020, Consent Order on Valdosta by GA-EPD, after the notorious December 9, 2019 7.59 million-gallon raw sewage spill into Sugar Creek, which was after the 21,814,000 gallons of rainwater and raw sewage spilled from December 2, 2018 to December 17, 2018, much of that also into Sugar Creek.

[Fish Species, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek to Little River Confluence]
Fish Species, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek to Little River Confluence

I congratulate the City of Valdosta, and especially the new-since-2019 Utilities Director, City Engineer, City Manager, and Mayor, as well as the City Council, for the steps forward they have made since then on fixing the city’s sewer system infrastructure, for the reduced number of spills and amount of sewage spilled, and for notifiying the public more quickly and more precisely.

This history is still relevant, however, to anyone who boats on that stretch of river, for recreation, cleanups, or clearing deadfalls. Not to mention anyone who fishes in there.

And of course effects not as obvious as a fish kill continued far downstream into Florida. Continue reading →

Five Finalists Selected, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024 2024-08-21

Hahira, GA, August 21, 2024 — The five finalists will play at the Finals of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, at the WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the Turner Center for the Arts, in Valdosta, Georgia. The audience and the three judges will watch and listen. The judges will award prizes, and the winner will sing again.

[Five Finalists Selected, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024]
Five Finalists Selected, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024

This is all after dinner and after Dr. Jason Evans of Stetson University in Florida talks about his long detective work to determine water lettuce is indeed native, and Heather Brasell of the Gaskins Forest Education Center in Georgia talks about the effects of forest management on water. There will also be a silent auction in this fundraiser to benefit WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.

One entry, a duo, is from Tennessee and Georgia: Robert Thatcher of Signal Mountain, TN, and Tom Brown of Dalton, GA.

Two are from Georgia: David Rodock of Adel, and Bill Berry of Valdosta.

Two are from Florida: Sweet William Ennis of Palatka, and Rachel Grubb of Lake City.

Continue reading →

Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25

Update 2024-08-27: Chainsawing deadfall from Langdale Park Boat Ramp entrance Road 2024-08-25.

Kayaks and canoes and jon boats are invited to join a jon boat and the WWALS jon boat with 9.9hp outboard seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Sunday, August 25, 2024

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[Dual jon boat Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25]
Dual jon boat Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14

Update 2024-08-23: Withlacoochee and Alapaha River clean 2024-08-21.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean.

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

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction is no rain until Sunday afternoon.

The Santa Fe and much of the Suwannee River are still in flood or Action Stage. We hear Gibson Park at the Alapaha River Confluence is closed. The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage, although still high.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow for Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-17.

[Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.]
Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.

Withlacoochee River

The City of Valdosta results for Wednesday are 20 cfu/100 mL E. coli, which is very good, at both GA 133 and US 84.

Also for Wednesday, Russ Tatum got 33 cfu/100 mL at Allen Ramp and Holly Point. “Clean results! The water is still high but dropping slowly. It never came out of the banks here. It is tanic, slightly silty but mostly clear.” Continue reading →

Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-17

Update 2024-08-18: Pictures and video.

Kayaks and canoes and jon boats are invited to join the WWALS jon boat with 9.9hp outboard seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

We will put in at Troupville Boat Ramp, go down the 1/3 of a mile to the Little River Confluence, turn left and go up the Withlacoochee River, chainsawing what needs it, collecting trash, and ending by retracing our watery steps back to Troupville.

If we’re lucky, we’ll make it up as far as Sugar Creek. Any canoes or kayaks are welcome to take out there.

If we’re very lucky, we’ll get all the way up to Langdale Park. But we won’t be taking out there, due to water over the access road seen yesterday.
https://wwals.net/?p=65622

[Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-17, Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River Confluence]
Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-17, Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River Confluence

Thanks to Wild Green Future for the generous grant that paid for the 9.9hp outboard motor, the 24-inch Husqvarna chainsaw, the 86lb thrust trolling motor, and the two Lithium-Iron-Oxide batteries, all of which we will be using on this outing.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 8:30 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, August 17, 2024

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. It is on the site of the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536 Continue reading →

Water still high at Troupville Boat Ramp, Sugar Creek, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2024-08-13

Putting in at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River would be no problem, kayak or power boat.

But the Withlacoochee River upstream from the Little River Confluence is still a tad high, a week after Hurricane Debby. Langdale Park Boat Ramp is completely underwater, as is much of its access road.

The Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers remain mostly in flood. The Alapaha River has come back down.

[Troupville & Langdale Park Boat Ramps 2024-08-13, Still high, Little and Withlacoochee Rivers]
Troupville & Langdale Park Boat Ramps 2024-08-13, Still high, Little and Withlacoochee Rivers

The closest I could get by land to the Little River Confluence was more than a hundred feet away, at the fourth place the river was across the woods access road. Continue reading →

Cancelled: Alapaha to the Suwannee River Paddle 2024-08-17

Update 2024-08-12: Cancelled due to water too high and fast, especially in the Suwannee River, which is still rising.

Due to Tropical Storm Debbie, pushed back a week to August 17, 2024.

Paddle 12.3 miles on two rivers.

Our takeout is very close to the Alapaha River Confluence, so most of the day we will enjoy this last section of the Alapaha River. The river has been fluctuating from too low to too high so we are hoping to hit it just right for paddling. There could be some deadfall but this outing is appropriate for anyone.

We will paddle under the ever-busy I-75, but passing that we will reenter quiet wilderness. Everyone must wear a PFD.

We will also paddle up into the Alapaha Rise, off of the Suwannee River, where the Alapaha reemerges after traveling miles underground.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, August 17, 2024

Put In: US Hwy 41 Alapaha River Landing. South side of the road, under the power line, between Jennings and Jasper, FL, in Hamilton County.

GPS: 30.528956, -83.039627

[Alapaha River to Suwannee River 2024-08-17, US 41 to Gibson Park, Up to Alapaha River Rise]
Alapaha River to Suwannee River 2024-08-17, US 41 to Gibson Park, Up to Alapaha River Rise

Continue reading →

Packet: Return of the proposed 2,109-acre rezoning for Planned Unit Development in floodplain –City of Chiefland, FL 2024-08-12

The huge PUD proposed next to Long Pond is back on the Chiefland City agenda for 6PM this evening, mostly in a floodplain, and all in the Manatee Springs Protection Area, upstream from the Suwannee River.

It appears unchanged since it was last heard June 24, and since it got pulled from the agenda for July 8.

[Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property]
Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property

Ironically, at the July 22 City Commission meeting, the Tourism Commission rep. proposed a Dark Sky Ordinance. Which would seem to be the opposite of a 2,109-acre Planned Unit Development with a 50-year plan for residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses, in an area now zoned as Agricultural / Rural Residential. Continue reading →

Speakers and last call for songs for WWALS River Revue

Last call, songwriters: August 14, 2024 is the last day to send in your excellent song about the Suwannee River Basin. We mean it this time. Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897

The Finals for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest will be at the WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the Turner Center for the Arts, in Valdosta, Georgia.

Songwriters will perform for the audience and the three judges will decide, after the speakers from Florida and Georgia.

[Logo: WWALS River Revue 2024]
Logo: WWALS River Revue 2024

Dr. Jason Evans will speak about his many-year study of water lettuce, which establishes definitively that it is native to Florida. This may mean that the state should not spray to try to get rid of it.

He is Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida. Jason Evans is an interdisciplinary systems and landscape ecologist who works in the fields of climate adaptation, land cover change, and water quality improvement within the built environment.

[Dr. Jason M. Evans, Stetson University, Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, DeLand, Florida, speaking to the Santa Fe Springs Working Group, December 14, 2023]
Dr. Jason M. Evans, Stetson University, Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, DeLand, Florida, speaking to the Santa Fe Springs Working Group, December 14, 2023

Heather Brasell will speak on the impacts of forest management on water quality.

She is the founder of the Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia, where she has won state and national forestry awards. She holds frequent events for adults and children, such as the annual A Day in the Woods, where WWALS always has a booth. She has won state and national forestry awards. She owns several miles of the Alapaha River and has paddled many times with WWALS. She is a former WWALS board member. She is a WWALS water quality tester.

[Heather Brasell, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia]
Heather Brasell, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia

“Musicians, we have some songs, but we also want yours,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, Continue reading →