Tag Archives: north Florida

Pictures: Georgia House Committee meeting on Okefenokee Bills 2025-03-03

Numerous people spoke to support the Okefenokee Swamp against mining too near it, about two bills before a subcommittee of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee (GA HNRE), on March 3, 2025.

Speakers on Okefenokee Bills, GA HNRE Comm. 2025-03-03, No action by Crossover Day, But already introduced for 2026

Unfortunately, that was just a hearing, and the Committee did not vote on those bills in any later meeting, either. Which means they did not get a chance for a vote by the full House before Crossover Day. Crossover Day was Thursday, March 6, 2025, after which any bills that passed in one house crossed over to the other house for their consideration.

The good news is that it is a two-year session, so these bills are already introduced for next year: HB 561 and HB 562. Continue reading →

WKFL PIEC Panel and RTCW 2025-02-21

Every year, the fifteen Waterkeepers of Florida gather at the law-student-run Public Interest Environmental Conference (PIEC) at the Levin School of Law of the University of Florida, in Gainesville.

Waterkeepers Florida, Panel at PIEC, UFL, Gainesville, FL, Right to Clean Water (RTCW)

This year we had a panel, about sewage sludge, wetland buffers, the climate water nexus, and I spoke about Right to Clean Water (RTCW).

Waterkeepers Florida is a regional entity composed of all 15 Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our water resources across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians. Part scientist, teacher, and legal advocate, Waterkeepers combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities and to the rule of law. Whether on the water, in a classroom, or in a courtroom, Waterkeepers speak for the waters they defend – with the backing of their local community and the collective strength of Waterkeeper Alliance. Join Waterkeepers from across the state for a discussion of current and future projects to protect our state’s waterways.
https://www.waterkeepersflorida.org Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06

Update 2025-03-14: Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12.

For the Withlacoochee River this week, WWALS got good results upstream and down, and Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. Chances are that the previous sewage spill has washed out, although more testing would be good.

WWALS got excellent results for the Alapaha River at Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia.

Saturday is supposed to be mostly rainless, before thunderstorms Sunday. River levels are good.

So happy fishing, swimming, paddling, and boating Saturday!

Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06

Join us tomorrow for the Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08
https://wwals.net/?p=67153

Or come on down to the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08.
https://wwals.net/?p=67089

And Saturday week join us for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

Continue reading →

Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival, Suwannee, FL 2025-03-08

We just heard about this one today. Since WWALS already has a booth at a big festival this weekend, it’s difficult to do another one.

But if you can get to Suwannee, Florida, this Saturday, please do head for Glen Dyals Park, 21354 SE Hwy 349, Suwannee, FL 32692.

If you’re a WWALS member, we can probably supply you with some WWALS materials.

Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival 2025-03-08, Glen Dyals Park, Suwannee, Florida

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1484291172239666 Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04

Update 2025-03-09: Pictures: Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08

TJ Johnson from Live Oak, FL, and I sawed a few deadfalls, and Tish Hall from Lake Park, GA, cleared brush and got some trash, on the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04.

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-04, upstream from Troupville, Got a few deadfalls

We gnawed on the infamous CiHiG (Cut It Here, I Guess) Deadfall yet again.

A bit downstream from there we got through a deadfall that had been diverting boats sharp around a cypress with knees, where the WWALS jon boat more than once has canted 45 degrees.

The Valdosta Gauge read 120.27 at noon Tuesday.

Tish Hall gets the good sport award for helping tow the jon boat up the Little River when the 9.9 hp outboard would not start and the 86lb-thrust trolling motor wasn’t quite strong enough. Continue reading →

Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26

Update 2025-03-07: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06.

After GA-EPD forgot to list sewage spill locations or causes for several days, we can finally see where and why Ashburn had its late-January and mid-February spills into Hat Creek, which runs to the Alapaha River.

Plus an amusing update on Pinehurst, which is outside the Suwannee River Basin.

Ashburn spill locations and causes

The locations are listed as different: “Rockhouse Rd. Lift Station” for the 2025-01-31 spill and “Rockhouse Rd and Sylvia Dr.” for the 2025-02-14 spill. But from time to time GA-EPD lists the latitude and longitude of spills, and these two have the same latlong: 31.691673, -83.632582.

That’s at this manhole at the corner of Rockhouse Road and Silvia Drive: Continue reading →

Georgia House Committee meeting on Okefenokee Bills Monday 1PM 2025-03-03

Monday at 1PM or after the House adjourns, the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee (HNRE) will meet to consider the two bills against mining near the Okefenokee Swamp.

This is the committee where previous bills have died. So this is a very important meeting. Please contact your Georgia Statehouse Representative.

Feel free to mention that many city councils and county commissions have passed resolutions supporting the Okefenokee Swamp against mining. And all the Riverkeepers of Georgia and Waterkeepers of Florida have written letters.
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/

Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends, relatives, and business associates to do the same. And you can contact those Representatives directly. Part of the Okefenokee Swamp is in Florida, and all of it is upstream from Florida, on the St. Marys River and the Suwannee River, of the Florida state song.

To find your legislator (and see below):
http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Georgia House Committee Meeting 2025-03-03 1 PM, on Okefenokee Bills, Natural Resources and the Environment

These are the bills:

HB 561: Okefenokee Protection Act; similar to a previous bill
HB 562: a five-year moratorium on mining permits on Trail Ridge; this one is new

More about those bills here:
https://wwals.net/?p=67055 Continue reading →

Try again: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04

Come out Tuesday morning before the rains, start at Troupville Boat Ramp, down around the the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River towards Sugar Creek, seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

Thanks to TJ Johnson for coming up from Live Oak, Florida, to lead this one.

Looks like the water will be about a foot higher than last time, when we were stopped by the CiHiG (Cut it Here, I Guess) Deadfall, so this time we should be able to get up over that one to see what’s upstream.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Tuesday, March 4, 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.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, upstream from Troupville, Saturday, March 4, 2025

Continue reading →

Clean Franks Creek 2025-02-26 and Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-02-27

Update 2025-03-07: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06.

Update 2025-03-01: Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26.

We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. However, since there has been no rain, chances are it’s not bad.

Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

And WWALS got excellent results for the Withlacoochee River at Holly Point, down near the Suwannee, for Franks Creek at GA 122 west of Hahira, and for the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia, although GA-EPD did post some clarification about the most recent Ashburn spills; stay tuned for a separate post about that.

Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be sunny. The Withlacoochee River is still a bit high, but not if you know what you’re doing.

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

Clean Franks Creek, 2025-02-26, Clean Alapaha & Withlacoochee, Rivers 2025-02-27