Tag Archives: north Florida

Pipeline opposition rebuts wild-eyed Congressional distractions 2018-03-08

The headline would read better in this order: “Congressional Committee trolls energy policy.”

Suwannee Riverkeeper John Quarterman… said the science committee’s chairman, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, was making “wild-eyed attempts to divert from the misdeeds of his patron, the fossil fuel industry.”

Steve Patterson, Jacksonville.com, 8 March 2018, Congress: Russians trolled Florida pipeline debate,

Efforts by Russian internet trolls to destabilize the U.S. energy industry reached all the way to Florida and the controversy over construction of the Sabal Trail gas pipeline, according to a Congressional report.

For my previous takedown of that report, see Fossil fuels are a far bigger threat than the Russians.

And if the Russians were behind me spotting from the air this frac-out of Sabal Trail drilling mud up into the Withlacoochee River in Georgia, they’re way behind in their payments.

Turbidity curtains and black pipe from the north bank
View from the south bank of Sabal Trail turbidity curtains and pipe from the north bank of the Withlacoochee River, about 2000 feet upstream from the US 84 bridge.
Photo: John S. Quarterman, October 22nd 2016.

Maybe I should send that Committee a bill Continue reading →

White Springs to Woods Ferry, Suwannee River 2018-05-12

Join us for a leisurely scenic paddle on the dark oak-stained waters of the historic Suwannee Riverpast the White Sulfur Springs Bath House, Stephen Foster Cultural Center, and under Interstate 75, on to Woods Ferry Launch.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, May 12, 2018

Put In: White Springs Wayside Park

GPS: 30.32576, -82.73872

Take Out: Woods Ferry Tract Launch

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.

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

Event: facebook, meetup

US 41 Suwannee River Bridge
Photo: Beth Gammie on Southwings flight for WWALS 2016-11-23 of US 41 Bridge, Suwannee River, White Springs, Florida.

Continue reading →

Fossil fuels are a far bigger threat than the Russians

Leaks of hazardous materials, explosions, land takings, sinkholes, frac-outs: these are far bigger threats than Texas Rep. Lamar Smith’s Committee report “that states Russian agents were attempting to disrupt U.S. energy markets and using social media to purportedly stir up protests against pipelines such as Sabal Trail,” as a reporter asked me about recently. Smith’s report doesn’t mention that solar and wind power are growing far faster than his favorite, fracked methane gas.

Energy source growth by sector
Business Council for Sustainable Energy by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, February 2018, 2018 Sustainable Energy in America.

Elsewhere I already looked behind Lamar Smith’s fossil fuel smoke and mirrors, and found I post more on social media than the tiny Russian numbers that horrify him.

His actual examples are seriously rolling-on-the-floor laughable, such as this: Continue reading →

6th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race with silent auction 2018-04-28

Update 2018-03-14: Printable flyer for registration, attracting sponsors, and information.

Will Dwight Griner win like the last five years? Come see if you can beat him for the cash prize. If not, you may still win a medal in any of a dozen categories. And it’s a nice spring paddle anyway!

With the silent auction again afterwards: it’s the fifth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, a fundraiser for WWALS and Friends of Reed Bingham (FORB). Last year we had 54 paddlers, 31 men and boys, 23 women and girls, from eight Georgia counties. That was more than the previous year’s 34 paddlers. Floridians, come on up and help us set another record for entrants! Georgians, there’s plenty of room on the Little River for more paddlers!

Below the bridge Where: Red Roberts Landing
31°11’32.0″N 83°31’13.2″W
Rountree Bridge Road
Between Moultrie and Adel, GA
I-75 Exit 41 (at Sparks) to Rountree Bridge Road

When: 8AM-9AM On-site Registration
9:30 AM Mass Start
Saturday, April 28, 2018

What: Canoes or Kayaks Only
Life jackets required of all participants.

Let people know: facebook event or the meetup.
But remember to register.

Registration: Register on-line Continue reading →

Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council Meeting 2018-03-22

Received today. -jsq

PUBLIC NOTICE:

SUWANNEE-SATILLA
REGIONAL WATER PLANNING COUNCIL MEETING

Announcement Date: March 5, 2018

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:
The Suwannee – Satilla Regional Water Planning Council is holding its
next council meeting
at the following date, time, and location:

Thursday, March 22, 2018
Registration: 10:00 A.M. — 10:30 A.M.
Meeting: 10:30 A.M. — 2:00 P.M.

Flyin’ Cowboy
1645 South Peterson Avenue (Hwy. 441 S)
Douglas, GA 31535

Map of SSRWPC

For additional information Continue reading →

Pictures: Fargo to Roline, Suwannee River 2017-03-18

Cold and foggy to warm and bright, a fine spring morning on the Suwannee River from Florida to Georgia. Plus Canadians!

Here are pictures by John S. Quarterman and Gretchen Quarterman and a Google map.

Pictures by John S. Quarterman

Ninety-nine pictures are on the WWALS website.

Here we go
Under the US 441 bridge.

Continue reading →

WWALS at Suwannee Spring Reunion at the Music Park 2018-03-22-25

Come down to the Suwannee River with Suwannee Riverkeeper, listen to music, and talk about the rivers and the aquifer, outings and advocacy, education and fun. If you want to come all four days, we have a deal with camping if you help out at the WWALS booth. If you want to help just one day, we have a way for that, too.

When: March 22-March 25, 2017

Where: Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95th Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32060

Event: facebook, meetup

What: Suwannee Spring Reunion, featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quartet, Donna the Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, Big Cosmo, Suwannee Spirit Kids, and Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus.

WWALS banner, Thursday

It looks like all but four of the acts from last year Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest scheduled

The First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest is scheduled! Soon song submissions will open. And you can still help plan it.

Song Submissions: Starting soon (date to be announced) through Sunday May 13
Finalists will be announced Saturday May 19, 2018.

The Contest: 1-5PM, Saturday, June 23, 2018

Where: Community Center, Cedar Key, Florida, with food and beverages

What: Finalists will play, sponsors will be acknowledged, and judges will award prizes.

Event: facebook, meetup

Anna, Teri, Eileen, jsq, (Mike), Scotti, Sara, 29 North
Clockwise from left: Anna, Teri, Eileen, jsq, (Mike), Scotti, Sara.

What to submit: Lyrics and sound (mp3) about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, or pond in the Suwannee River Basin (except not the Santa Fe River nor creeks, sinks, etc. on it, because it has its own contest). Nature, people, or events, are all Continue reading →

Call Florida House today to stop bad springs amendment 2018-03-01

Update 2018-03-02: The amendment was withdrawn, thanks to all of you who called!

They’re going to vote tomorrow (Friday), so call today or very early tomorrow and ask your state rep to vote against Amendment 246447 by Rep. Ingoglia on HB 1149. That amendment would force septic tanks to be installed near springs while putting off useful actions for years during further “review” and “study”.

Contact numbers for them are here: http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

Or here are all the ones in the Suwannee River Basin listed on a web page.

2015 onsite sewage final report
Illustration from the “2015 final report written as part of the study originally authorized in Specific Appropriation 1682 of chapter 2008-152, Laws of Florida”.

On House Bill 1149, a general environmental regulation bill, Rep. Blaise Ingoglia (R-35) this afternoon introduced Amendment 246447 which includes for example:

(3) As part of the pilot program, the department, in coordination with the Department of Health, must:

(a) Review and build upon Continue reading →

WWALS Booth at Cedar Key Arts Festival, 2018-03-24-25

Dave and Louise Hetzel will staff the WWALS booth at a big event in a small town in the Suwannee River Estuary, Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, 2018.

Cedar Key Arts Festival

When: 10AM-5PM Saturday, March 24, 2018
10AM-4PM Sunday, March 25, 2018

Where: downtown Cedar Key, Florida

Event: facebook, meetup

WWALS member Anna White Hodges, who arranged a site for the WWALS booth, says: Continue reading →