We saw many creeks, a few birds, some karst caves, many sandy beaches, and a deadfall, on the Suwannee River from CR 6 to Cone Bridge Ramp, Saturday, May 4, 2019. We started in Hamilton County, Florida, and ended up in Columbia County.
Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this expedition, and to everyone else who paddled.
The river was at about 51.26 NAVD88 on the White Springs gauge.
There are more pictures below. Continue reading
Updagte 2024-08-21: Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Madison Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2024-06-08.
Paddle 12.5 miles from Sullivan Launch to Madison Boat Ramp, between Hamilton and Madison Counties, Florida. There will be springs to swim in and shoals to paddle through, also several other interesting features along the river.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, June 8, 2024
Put In: Sullivan Launch, aka CR 150 Bridge Launch (FDEP). From Pinetta, Madison County, FL, travel east on CR 150; turn right at the bridge and follow road to the launch south of the river bridge.
GPS: 30.595667, -83.26
![[Sullivan Launch to Madison Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2024-06-08, Hardee Spring, Madison Blue Spring]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-06-08--sullivan-madison-withlacoochee/many.jpg)
Sullivan Launch to Madison Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2024-06-08, Hardee Spring, Madison Blue Spring
Update 2024-05-05: Chitty Bend East Distributary, Withlacoochee River –Amanda Davis 2024-04-30.
Here is a video and some pictures of Chitty Bend East Distributary, on the Withlacoochee River, where some of the river runs into the woods into some swallets.
That’s between Sullivan Launch and Florida Campsites Ramp, in Twin Rivers State Forest, in Hamilton County, Florida.
Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/kGumuF2thp0?si=EIUB_0w2bAaOUNA1
Or on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/979960170155353
Or on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6j67u3IkE4/
We were on a WWALS outing led by Gee Edwards. The water level was about 54.10 NAVD88 on the Pinetta Gauge.
Some pictures are below. Continue reading
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]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-05-11--mayday-statenville-alapaha-river/fbmany.jpg)
Mayday Landing to Statenville 2024-05-11, Alapaha River, Shawn O’Connor
Hahira, Georgia, May 1, 2024 — WWALS thanks our sponsors for the WWALS River Revue fundraising dinner, including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest: Wild Green Future, Georgia Power, and Brooksco Dairy.
WWALS President Sara Jay Jones said, “We thank all our sponsors so far, and we look forward to many more! Many people and businesses will be hearing from me and others in the near future.”
![[WWALS River Revue sponsors so far]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-23--sponsors-wwals-river-revue/big/2024-04-23--gala-sponsor-graphic-0001-trim.jpg)
Our first Stream $1,000 sponsor is Brooksco Dairy, back again from last year.
Our first Big Shoals $5,000 sponsor is Georgia Power, which contributed $1,000 to keep tickets free to the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, and which has granted funds to the WWALS water quality testing program for four years running.
Our first Headwaters $10,000 sponsor is Wild Green Future, who contacted us from Live Oak, Florida, and whose grant paid for an 86lb thrust trolling motor, two Lithium-iron-phosphate 100Ah batteries, a 9.9hp Mercury outboard, and a 25hp Yamaha outboard, as well as a Husqvarna 24-inch chainsaw, and some related equipment. We have used all these things on recent chainsaw cleanups to remove deadfalls from the Withlacoochee River, and with the WWALS jon boat as a safety vessel for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle.
M.C. Chuck Roberts said, “I invite everyone to join us for the WWALS River Revue, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, 5-8 PM, Saturday, September 7, 2024. It’s an indoor fundraising dinner to benefit WWALS Watershed Coalition, with an evening of food, drink, and entertainment.”
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, Continue reading
Update 2024-06-19: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Pink Moon 2024-04-23.
Join us for a leisurely paddle to see the sun set and the full moon rise. Water lilies are in bloom and bats are active.
When: Gather 7 PM, launch 7:30 PM, moonrise 8:05 PM, sunset 8:06 PM, end 9:15 PM, Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
![[Banks Lake Full Pink, Moon Paddle 2024-04-23, Sunset, Moonrise, Bats, and Blooming Lilies]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-23--banks-lake-full-pink-moon-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Banks Lake Full Pink, Moon Paddle 2024-04-23, Sunset, Moonrise, Bats, and Blooming Lilies
“The cleanup for this Saturday April 13 is canceled due to high water and flooding. Please help get the word out,” said Russell Allen McBride.
Yesterday Russell scouted the route from Langdale Park Boat Ramp down the Withlacoochee River past Sugar Creek, and up the Little River to Troupville Boat Ramp. He reported:
Continue reading“Put in at Langdale Park at about 3:30. Water was over the boat ramp. The road coming in was fine though. I parked shy of the ramp and put in. Most trash is to one side or the other kind of out of the current. From Langdale down to Berta’s it was not super bad. Behind Wood Valley probably was the worse spots. Then the usual spots near Troupeville River camp area. I never had to get out of my kayak the whole way….
“On a positive note. There are more trash cans down at Langdale park and looks like they are chained.”
Shawn O’Connor and I tried out the 25hp Mercury outboard motor, paid for by a generous grant by Wild Green Future (WGF).
Works great! Electric start: push the button and it starts. Doesn’t even have a manual choke. Electric trim, i.e., tilt. Very useful for adjusting trim for going fast, as well as raising up in low water.
We also chainsawed some limbs that were obstructing passage downstream on the Withlacoochee River and upstream on the Little River. Shawn used my EGO 16″ electric chainsaw, but in case of larger limbs we had with us the 24″ Husqvarna chainsaw paid for by WGF. Also just in case, the 86lb thrust trolling motor and lithium batteries paid for by WGF. Thanks, WGF!
And thanks to Flint Riverkeeper for the jon boat.
Come hear more about chainsaw cleanups at noon today in the WWALS Webinar by Phil Hubbard.
Fast: Shawn’s GPS speedometer clocked it at 23 mph going upriver, against a 3-5 mph current. Not clear when we need to go that fast, but we can if we have to. Continue reading
Update 2024-05-17: Cancelled due to predicted thunderstorms; to be be rescheduled later.
Join us on an 11.4-mile paddle on the Suwannee River from Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge.
Both ramps are down dirt roads that are usually well maintained. There could be one small section of shoals to paddle over if the river is low but this paddle is appropriate for all levels. Everyone must wear a PFD while on the river. We’ll probably stop along Prospect Church at Hunter Creek for a lunch break.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10:15 AM, end 3:30 PM, Saturday, May 18, 2024
Put In:
Turner Bridge Ramp.
From White Springs, travel north on SE CR 135; cross over SE CR 6 onto NE 180 Boulevard (Woodpecker Route); travel north to NE 38 Trail; turn right and follow road to ramp, in Hamilton County.
Note the antique
lally columns, which are pillars for a former bridge,
made of steel columns filled with concrete.
![[Turner Bridge Ramp to, Cone Bridge Road Ramp, Suwannee River, 11.4 miles, 2024-05-18]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-05-18--turner-bridge-cone-bridge-suwannee-river/fbmany.jpg)
Turner Bridge Ramp to, Cone Bridge Road Ramp, Suwannee River, 11.4 miles, 2024-05-18
Update 2024-04-11: Cancelled: Withlacoochee River Earth Day Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-04-13.
Come help clean up trashjams, while encouraging Valdosta to stop trash from getting into the river.
The Global Earth Day theme for 2024 is Our Planet Versus Plastics. The City of Valdosta seems unaware of the environmental harm plastics cause while they are breaking down into micro-plastics. Styrofoam and other plastics are not just an eyesore. These plastics from Valdosta entering the watershed are breaking down and getting into all aspects of the environment. Animals eat them, and cannot digest them.
We thank Valdosta Stormwater for picking the trash up recently at the Baytree Road train trestle on Sugar Creek. But what is the city’s plan to keep trash from getting into Sugar Creek, for example from the detention pond at Baytree Road? There needs to be a plan.
We do thank Valdosta City Marshalls for sending notices to parking lot owners, and citations if they still do not follow Valdosta’s trash ordinances that require parking lot owners or managers to keep trash from escaping, no matter where it came from, and to strategically place trash cans according to the number of parking spaces.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, April 13, 2024
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602.
GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395
![[Withlacoochee River, Earth Day Cleanup 2024-04-13, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, to Troupville Boat Ramp]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-13--withlacoochee-river-earth-day-cleanup/fbmany.jpg)
Withlacoochee River, Earth Day Cleanup 2024-04-13, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, to Troupville Boat Ramp
![[Cypress Creek South (CR 6) to Cone Bridge, 2019-05-04, Creeks, karst, and a deadfall on the Suwannee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-04--cypress-creek-cone-bridge-suwannee-river/fbmany.jpg)
![[Cancelled due to high water, Withlacoochee River Earth Day Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, to Troupville 2024-04-13]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-13--withlacoochee-river-earth-day-cleanup-cancelled/fbmany.jpg)
![[Trying 25hp outboard, Troupville Boat Ramp, Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Chainsaw Outing 2024-04-07]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-07--troupville-boat-ramp-jon-boat-25hp-outboard/fbmany.jpg)