Tag Archives: north Florida

Bear and Robert of Jacksonville, FL with a folk song, Suwannee River in White Springs 2025-09-06

Bear and Robert sang a song about the Florida Folk Festival, which is held is held at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida, on Memorial Day, when flags fly.

They wrote for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest:
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025

What do you get when you cross a Folkie with a Bluesman? You get Bear and Robert! Bear and Robert (row-bear) are Cindy Bear and Franc Robert, an award winning singer-songwriter duo from Jacksonville, FL. Together their acoustic sound has been described as a deep well of Folk, Blues, and Americana with a high energy Je Nais Se Quois! Their CD’s, “Travels With Bear and Robert,” and “Hearts in Blues,” Franc’s solo and band CD’s, and Cindy’s solo CD “Start Over Again” are available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and on their website at https://www.bearandrobert.com

Bear and Robert, Jacksonville, FL, with a folk song 2025-09-06, Suwannee River in White Springs, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

They say about their song, “This is a soulful and evocative folk hymn written to transport listeners on a poetic journey to a sacred haven on the banks of the Suwannee River, which is full of cherished memories, and reminiscent of a church.”

Here are Bear and Robert of Jacksonville, Florida, singing their song:
https://youtu.be/_XAxtI3uB1s Continue reading →

Hillman Bridge, Ellaville, Suwannee River 2025-09-27

I stopped at the historic Hillman Bridge, across the Suwannee River at Ellaville, on the way back from the Suwannee River Camp tour.

It was built 1926, abandoned 1983, and is a 916.0-foot 3-span Metal 7 Panel Rivet-Connected Pratt Through Truss bridge over the Suwannee River.

This happened long after the demise of Ellaville as a logging town, capturing logs coming down the Withlacoochee River with a boom, to be sawed in the sawmill owned by Florida Governor George Franklin Drew. Here’s a video about that logging boom town, Dray’s World, 2021, The Remains of the Drew Mansion & The Lost Cemetery of Ellaville.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBWJDJldb9o

Hillman Bridge, Ellaville, Suwannee River 2025-09-27, 1/5 mile below Withlacoochee River, Built 1926, abandoned 1983

According to Bullet, Abandoned FL, December 1, 2015, Hillman Bridge,

Hillman Bridge is a through truss bridge located in the small town of Ellaville, once a thriving sawmill and manufacturing center owned by George Franklin Drew, Florida’s governor between 1877 to 1881. Built as a federal aid project in 1925-1926 by the R.H.H. Blackwell Co. of East Aurora, N.Y., it was named “Hillman Bridge” during its construction after W.J. Hillman of Live Oak, a member of the State Road Department who had helped push for the construction of the bridge.

No, it’s not the same as the historic Suwannee Springs Bridge, the old US 129 bridge, built 1931, closed to vehicle traffic in 1971. That’s 22 miles upstream, just above the current US 129 bridge. Yes, both historic bridges have graffiti, they both cross the Suwannee River, and they are both through truss steel bridges. But they are not the same.

There are more pictures below of the historic Hillman Bridge. Continue reading →

Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications and inspection reports for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD –Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23

Maybe it’s a coincidence that this move by the Citrus BOCC comes a month after Southworth sold Citrus County sand mine site to state of Florida 2025-08-06.
https://wwals.net/?p=68529

The Citrus County Commissioners approved authorizing seven named staff members to sign permit applications and inspection reports on behalf of the county, with no mention of any further approval by the Commissioners. This authorization is for each of FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD, which are exactly the three Florida state agencies that are involved in permitting the huge borrow pit next to the Suncoast Parkway Phase 3A Extension in Citrus County.

I’ve never seen this before, and I go to many county commission meetings in Florida and Georgia, and I watch more counties online. It’s common for counties to put specific items on their agenda to authorize a specific staff member to sign a specific document, but I’ve never seen a blanket authorization like this, especially not for seven different staff for three different agencies.

Further, the listing in the Consent Agenda does not match the actual authorizations later in the board packet, and those authorizations seem to extend the authorization to the actual permits, not just applications.

Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications, etc., for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD –Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23

Much background on this proposed sand mine is here:
https://stopthesandminecc.wixsite.com/stopthesandmine

See also the Stop the Sand Mine change.org petition:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-sand-mine

This is upstream from Crystal River, south of the Withlacoochee (South) River that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Local opponents are rightly concerned about local issues.

WWALS is also concerned that this would be another step towards running the Suncoast Parkway north across the Suwannee River.

On its Consent Agenda for September 23, 2025, the Citrus Board of County Commissioners approved item C.12: Continue reading →

Pictures: Suwannee River Camps on-land tour 2025-09-27

Many thanks to Edwin McCook, formerly of SRWMD, who invented the Suwannee River Camps, and Nic Brown, who is in charge of them at Florida Parks, as well as Shell Simmons for assisting.

Even more thanks to Lowndes County, Georgia, Chairman Bill Slaughter and Paul Batts of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) and his wife Melanie for attending.

Suwannee River Camps, on-land tour 2025-09-27, Dowling Park River Camp, Adams Tract River Camp

The visitors got to hear from the experts how Florida does it. Many topics were discussed, from access to finances. Continue reading →

Southworth sold Citrus County sand mine site to state of Florida 2025-08-06

Update 2025-09-29: Authorize selected staff to sign permit applications and inspection reports for FDOT, FDEP, and SWFWMD –Citrus BOCC 2025-09-23.

The plot thickens for the proposed sand mine next to the Suncoast Parkway Phase 3A Extension in Citrus County.

The state filed eminent domain proceedings for 50 acres and the owner settled for $3.1 million plus $543,345 in attorney fees, plus $112,000 in experts costs.

Southworth sold Citrus County sand mine site to state of Florida, 2025-08-06

Most everything you need to oppose this humongous borrow pit is here:
https://stopthesandminecc.wixsite.com/stopthesandmine

See also the Stop the Sand Mine change.org petition:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-sand-mine

This is upstream from Crystal River, south of the Withlacoochee (South) River that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Local opponents are rightly concerned about local issues.

WWALS is also concerned that this would be another step towards running the Suncoast Parkway north across the Suwannee River.

The Citrus Insider, August 25, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122172452786538075&set=a.122162996816538075,

Southworth settled his eminent domain proceedings with the state. The state now owns the location of the proposed mine. I heard this was the case and why they asked to delay the hearing, but I did not want to put it out without proof (I have a pending records request)

That takes the county out of the process. The state can now move forward with the sand mine if they choose to do so. They would need to follow proper permitting procedures from SWFWMD and other entities.

But county now has no say in what happens to the property.

**update** The eminent domain settlement looks to be for 50 acres right next to the parkway. The mine application was over 250 acres. So there may be more coming.

Continue reading →

Foraged Wreath Make and Take 2025-12-13

Join floral artist Amanda Hall-Phillips for a hands-on wreath-making workshop using natural, foraged greenery—think cedar, pine, eucalyptus, seed pods, cones, vines, and other beautiful finds from our own woods and waterways. You’ll learn how to identify local plants, build a lush, oversized wreath, and style it for the season.

It’s fun and educational. For example, the venue is in the watershed of Sugar Creek, which has had many sewage spills on the way to the Withlacoochee River.

And you’re helping all that WWALS does, including water quality testing!

When: Gather 10 AM, launch NA, end 12 PM, Saturday, December 13, 2025

Put In: Wood Valley Community Center Pavilion, 1907 Gornto Road, Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.849573, -83.323239

Foraged Wreath Make and Take, Fundraiser 2025-12-13, Amanda Hall-Phillips, Wood Valley Community Center

Continue reading →

Request: Ichetucknee Springs Protection Zone –Citizens to FWC 2025-07-29

Update 2025-10-07: Lower Ichetucknee River Springs Protection Zone @ Suwannee BOCC 2025-10-07.

If you like Linda’s request for a Springs Protection Zone on the Lower Ichetucknee River, you can join many others in writing to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWC), using this handy form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYFArSQsstOauhRVYTCMoikXYIo0i_gDmkuDlbTC-7OSsgQQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114012348461689332646

Or you can write to:

Captain Rachel Bryant <Rachel.bryant@myfwc.com>
Major Bill Holcomb <William.holcomb@myfwc.com>
Rob Klepper <Robert.klepper@myfwc.com>

Request to Florida FWC, Ichetucknee Springs Protection Zone, No Wake Zone, Turtles and Personal Watercraft

Date: July 29, 2025
To: Captain Rachel Bryant (Rachel.bryant@myfwc.com)
Major Bill Holcomb (William.holcomb@myfwc.com)
Rob Klepper (Robert.klepper@myfwc.com)
From: Linda L. Weseman
Subject: Request to Create a Springs Protection Zone on the Lower Ichetucknee River
Current recreational use by motorized vessels on the lower half of the Ichetucknee spring run is resulting in shoreline erosion and turbidity that is detrimental to the overall health of the spring run. These issues are primarily and predominantly caused by motorboats and personal watercrafts (PWCs). It is recommended that the Commission establish a Springs Protection Zone that creates a no wake zone on the Ichetucknee from the boundary of Ichetucknee Springs State Park to the confluence at the Santa Fe River, the “lower Ichetucknee”. It is additionally recommended that personal watercrafts, PWCs, be restricted from operating on this section of the Ichetucknee spring run.

The purpose of establishing a no wake zone on the lower Ichetucknee is to Continue reading →

Bacon James, Gainesville, FL, with a Bluegrass song, Ellaville. 2025-09-06

Thanks to Bacon James, for writing a song and playing it, at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025.

And thanks for digging into Suwannee and Withlacoochee River history about Ellavile, the town where George F. Drew had his sawmill, with a boom across the mouth of the Withlacoochee River, to catch logs floated down the river.
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025

“I’m Bacon James—singer-songwriter and frequent supporter of environmental causes and organizations. I love being in nature, playing and writing music, and generally trying to be too clever for my own good.”

Bacon James, Gainesville, FL, Bluegrass song, Ellaville, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, September 6, 2025

“I wrote Ellaville after visiting the site during one of my recent trips to the Suwannee and subsequently digging into the history of the town and what occurred there. I loved the idea of a bustling little mill town on the river and was so fascinated by the story of how the town boomed and then fell. I thought of all the hardships of the folks I’ve met, and how I have so many close friends now that are currently unemployed and struggling. Dreams found, lives built and then dashed. Nature constantly exploited by those in power, ostensibly retaliating against those by which it had been wronged. Are we learning? Are we growing? Were there lessons the river was trying to impart about humanity, and have we heard them? That’s what this song explores.”

Here’s he is singing his song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37APDWhJBLQ Continue reading →

Filthy creeks, Clean downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-09-17

Update 2025-09-26: Beatty Branch smelled like cattle manure, controversial Sugar Creek, clean Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers 2025-09-25.

Valdosta Utilities for Thursday got sky-high E. coli on One Mile Branch, Hightiwer Creek, and especially Sugar Creek at Gornto Road, as well as too high at GA 133.

This time upstream at US 41 was good, as was downstream at US 84, and even better in a WWALS test farther downstream on the Withlacoochee River, near the Suwannee River.

For the second time recently, a WWALS test on Sugar Creek does not agree with Valdosta results. We will have to do more testing to sort that out.

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

It hasn’t rained in days, and no rain is predicted for the next five days.

So avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, and happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.

Filthy Creeks 2025-09-18, Clean downstream Withlacoochee River

Or join us tomorrow for Rivers Alive Trash Pick Up, Alapaha River, Mayday Landing 2025-09-20.
https://wwals.net/?p=68386

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Agenda, North Central Florida Regional Planning Council 2025-09-25

It’s curious that there’s nothing on their agenda about the Rivers Task Force meeting with the City of Valdosta, but maybe they covered that last month.

Anyway, the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC) meets next Thursday, in person and online.

North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Public Notice and Agenda, Thursday, September 25, 2025

A copy of the meeting notice, directions, and agenda is on the WWALS website, with images below, plus an illustrative picture of a previous NCFRPC meeting at the same location. Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.