Tag Archives: Phil Royce

Pictures: Sugar Creek Withlacoochee River on-land cleanup 2023-07-22

Thanks to Russell Allen McBride for leading the rerouted on-land Sugar Creek and mostly Withlacoochee River cleanup. Children and experienced adults teamed up to get the job done. We found only one big trash jam and we cleaned that one up.

Phil Hubbard came with boat and chainsaws ready to do a chainsaw cleanup, but due to the reroute there was no chainsawing.

We thanked Valdosta Assistant Utilities Director Jason Barnes for alerting us to the sewage spill contamination in Sugar Creek that caused us to reroute from a cleanup paddle to an on-land cleanup. He arrived before we left, so we thanked him again in person.

[Before, WaterGoat, Trashjam, Level log, after, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River 2023-07-22]
Before, WaterGoat, Trashjam, Level log, after, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River 2023-07-22

Yes, Vivian, there could be alligators. Continue reading →

Pictures: Suwannee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Three Steps Landing to Fargo, GA 2023-06-10

The second Suwannee River Chainsaw Cleanup went well. Got a little hot in the middle, and rained towards the end.

[Chainsawing deadfalls, Suwannee River 2023-06-10]
Chainsawing deadfalls, Suwannee River 2023-06-10

But the rain came only after we cleared four deadfalls above Fargo Ramp and Reeves Landing: Continue reading →

Pictures: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle 2023-03-04

Update 2023-03-13: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle in Valdosta Daily Times and WWALS video of what the Mayor and Chairman said.

Everybody had a good time at the Fourth Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. The water level was just right for the shoals to be ripples and the weather was perfect: not cold, not hot, nice and shady.

Phil Hubbard led this one of many WWALS paddle outings. Three people fell in and one paddle got lost, but everybody recovered and nobody went home mad.

[Mayor, WWALS, Chairman; banners; boaters; outfall; Spook Bridge]
Mayor, WWALS, Chairman; banners; boaters; outfall; Spook Bridge

WWALS is proud to bring together Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson at the site of the county’s recent acquisition of 71 acres from Helen Tapp to add to the 49 acres Parks and Rec already owns to eventually form Troupville Nature Park. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapaha, Dead Rivers, Sink 2022-10-02

Not many miles, but packed with sinks, a beach, two rivers, and the big one: the Dead River Sink, on October 2, 2022. Thanks, Dennis Price, for leading us, and for chainsawing our way in.

[Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02]
Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02

Thanks to Randy Madison for the ropes that got the boats up the cliff at the Confluence.

Thanks to Phil Royce for helping haul a couple of boats up the Jennings Bluff stairs.

More pictures are below. They’re also in a facebook photoset.

See also facebook photosets by: Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon 2022-10-09

Bonus Jupiter above and to the right of the full moon, at Banks Lake Saturday.

[Banners, paddlers, sunset, moonrise]
Banners, paddlers, sunset, moonrise

This expedition was honoring Farmers and First Responders, got in free. Phil Royce spoke up for First Responders, but he’s a WWALS member, so he got in free anyway. I’m a Farmer, but I had relatives back at the farm, so I didn’t paddle.

Thanks to novice expedition leaders Scotti Jay and Nic Cole for leading this one. And to Elizabeth Brunner for mentoring them.

Special thanks to Nic Cole for paddling back in with the key to get gear for three latecomers. Everybody please remember to show up on time. Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Troupville 2022-06-25

Update 2022-08-06: Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2022-07-30.

Five of us with five or six chainsaws cleared more than three log jams out of the Withlacoochee River above the Little River Confluence, and collected some trash, in the Chainsaw cleanup, Troupville Boat Ramp to Withlacoochee River 2022-06-25.

[banners, boats, sandbars, and saws]
banners, boats, sandbars, and saws

We’ll be back at it after about six weeks, i.e., probably in August. The current goal is to clear the stretches from Langdale Park Boat Ramp past Sugar Creek, and on around to Troupville Boat Ramp. Fortunately there are no log jams on the Little River from the ramp to the Confluence, but there are plenty left on the Withlacoochee River. Stay tuned. Continue reading →