Tag Archives: river

Bill Gates responds on MSNBC to my criticisms of his farm policies 2022-09-13

Last night Bill Gates again pretended to be an expert on farming, while avoiding mention of water, soil, ecology, environment, or community. Many of the assertions he made about farming in the U.S. and Africa don’t match documented research.

He did seem to be familiar with my criticisms of his policies, and by his expressions he doesn’t like them much.

[Question and three Gates expressions]
Question and three Gates expressions

He says “all these areas, they evolve, they understand how to say use less fertilizer, which is both good economically and good environmentally.”

Well, his landholdings in Florida and Georgia did not evolve. And he’s now sold off many of them, so maybe they weren’t good economically for him.

Meanwhile, he has driven the size of farm landholdings up, Continue reading →

Bad GA 133 and US 84, Withlacoochee River 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-16: Clean Rivers 2022-09-15.

Bad news in Valdosta’s upstream Withlacoochee River water quality results.

Too high E. coli at both GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) and US 84.

Best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for now in those stretches.

[Chart, Swim Guide]
Chart, Swim Guide

We also see high Fecal coliform for Monday at US 41 (North Valdosta Road), but OK E. coli. That is usual for after a big upstream rain, and you can see 0.61 inches on the Skipper Bridge gauge for the previous day.

But at GA 133 and US 84, Continue reading →

Trash reporting cleanup, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, 2022-10-21

Update 2022-10-23: Pictures: Lee St. Detention Pond Cleanup 2022-10-21.

Update 2022-10-18: Or come to this other one, Sunday trash reporting cleanup, One Mile Branch, Valdosta’s Lee Street detention pond 2022-11-23.

Come help make the creeks and rivers cleaner by stopping trash from getting into them.

We will teach trash (and other) reporting and followup at multiple locations in Valdosta, using Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app.

More people involved will improve public health, quality of life, and eco-tourism, while providing community involvement.

City Council Sandra Tooley will be there to help encourage participants: it’s her district.

We invite all Valdosta City officials, especially Stormwater Division and Public Works, to come instruct us in how it should be done.

[Trash, clean, map]
Trash, clean, map

Continue reading →

Valdosta Block Club added to Pepsi sign at Barack Obama and Ricardo 2022-08-28

Update 2022-12-14: Pictures: Barack Obama Blvd. @ Ricardo St. 2022-12-01.

“In Conjunction With Valdosta Block Club” has been pasted onto the Pepsi Adopt-A-Spot sign. Thanks to whoever did that.

[Old, new, improved]
Old, new, improved

In our previous episode, Continue reading →

Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River, 2022-09-25

Update 2022-09-24: Rescheduled: Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River, 2022-10-16.

We need volunteers with boats to pick up trash while a few people chainsaw some deadfalls.

We aim to collect the trashjams we didn’t have room for last time, and to chainsaw the remaining Withlacoochee River deadfalls between Sugar Creek and the Little River Confluence. Then we’ll paddle up the Little River to take out at Troupville Boat Ramp.

Unlike last time, we’re scheduling seven hours for the shuttle, for chainsawing and trash collecting, and for the four-mile paddle. With luck, nobody will get stuck this time.

All dependent on the weather, of course. Could be hurricane season finally by then, or could be plenty low to make this easy.

When: 9 AM, Sunday, September 25, 2022

Put In: Meet at the back of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.861764, -83.318854

[Trashjam, deadfall, chainsaws]
Trashjam, deadfall, chainsaws, 2022-07-30; Photos: John S. Quarterman.

Continue reading →

Forever chemicals in rainwater everywhere 2022-08-02

U.S. EPA may get around to mandatory limits for drinking water later this year.

[Worldwide, graph]
Worldwide, graph

Georgia and Florida have no mandatory limits for these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Georgia EPD is monitoring drinking water (mostly clean) and some surface water (in north Georgia, with some bad results). FDEP “ continues its efforts to investigate and understand PFAS in the environment and the ecological and human health risks associated with PFAS contamination.”

My backup drinking water is rainwater collection. Probably the charcoal filters I use remove PFOAS, although Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Scott James Radio 8:30 AM Thursday 2022-08-18

Update 2022-08-20: Videos: Suwannee Riverkeeper about Songwriting Contest on Scott James Radio 2022-08-18.

Thursday (tomorrow) at 8:30 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio, about the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, coming up this Saturday evening, 7-11 PM at the Turner Center Art Park in Valdosta, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-20–songwriting/

No doubt we’ll also talk about the trash situation and how you can help stop a strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp.

We may also talk about water quality testing, and who knows what else.

[Movie: Sen. Ossoff got U.S. Army Corps to resume oversight of mine site next to Okefenokee Swamp]

When: 8:30 AM, Thursday, August 18, 2022

Where: Talk 92.1 FM radio, Scott James drivetime show
http://talk921.com/

Listen: Over the air, or through the radio show’s own website, or through any of several online listening services.

Event: facebook

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading →

Refurbished Pepsi Adopt-A-Spot sign, Barack Obama Blvd., Valdosta, GA 2022-08-17

Update 2022-08-28: Valdosta Block Club added to Pepsi sign at Barack Obama and Ricardo 2022-08-28.

Valdosta has replaced the Adopt-A-Spot sign at the corner of Barack Obama Blvd. and Ricardo Street. The sign looks much better now.

[Old and new sign]
Old and new sign

But it no longer mentions Valdosta Block Club. That’s the organization former City Council James Wright started to help with Adopt-A-Spot, which he also spearheaded. Valdosta Block Club was featured in his obituary. I guess that’s not important anymore. Continue reading →

Good water quality, Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers 2022-08-12

Pam Thomas and the WWALS testers at TREPO got very good water quality results for Friday on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers.

[Chart, Rivers, Map]
Chart, Rivers, Map

They tested two Ichetucknee River locations and one on the Santa Fe, all private parks owned by Three Rivers Estates Property Owners (TREPO). Continue reading →

Plus pet waiver: WWALS Event Sign In and Waiver 2022-06-28

Sometimes paddlers bring dogs. To be sure the WWALS insurance covers such pets, we have added a dog waiver form.

[WWALS Pet Sign In and Waiver]
WWALS Pet Sign In and Waiver
PDF

I attest that my dog can swim, or will wear an approppriate sized animal personal flotation device. My dog is up to date on vaccinations. My dog will be on a leash at all times when not on the water (either on my boat or swimming). My dog is not known to have bitten any person or other animal and has not been deemed a dangerous dog.

Quite a few people pay the $10 non-member outing fee in cash at outings, and others pay at outings to become WWALS members, so there’s a Paid Today column on the Event Sign In and Waiver. Continue reading →