Tag Archives: Sara Jay

Withlacoochee River and Two Mile Branch better, Hightower and Sugar Creeks very bad 2024-11-14

Update 2024-11-20: Madison Health lifts Health Advisory for Withlacoochee River 2024-11-20.

It’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least, with it still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast, plus still questionable water quality results.

We have rescheduled to next week our Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene, Troupville Boat Ramp 2024-11-23.

Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.

Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.

[Filthy Hightower and Sugar Creeks Better Withlacoochee River 2024-11-14 OK Two Mile Branch Good Franks Creek]
Filthy Hightower and Sugar Creeks Better Withlacoochee River 2024-11-14 OK Two Mile Branch Good Franks Creek

Water quality has improved for the Withlacoochee River, although Fecal coliform was still high at GA 133 and US 84 as well as One Mile Branch (Valdosta Utilities), and State Line (Madison Health).

Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities reported E. coli and Fecal coliform still too high on Sugar Creek at Gornto Road and increased to extremely high on Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road.

While no new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida, it’s a little hard to believe there is no sewer spill on Hightower Creek with 42,500 cfu/100mL E. coli (42 times the 1,000 alert limit), Continue reading →

Bad Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch and Alapaha River 2024-11-13

Update 2024-11-16: Withlacoochee River and Two Mile Branch better, Hightower and Sugar Creeks very bad 2024-11-14.

Water quality was bad for the Withlacoochee River at Sullivan Launch for Tuesday in results from Madison Department of Health.

Bad for One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek in results from the City of Valdosta for Wednesday and from WWALS tester Scotti Jay.

And bad for the Alapaha River at Sheboggy for Sunday in results from WWALS tester Heather Brasell.

Plus the Withlacoochee River is still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast.

So it’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least. Probably the Alapaha River, as well.

Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.

Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.

[Bad Withlacoochee River 2024-11-12 Bad Sugar Creek 2024-11-13 Bad One Mile Branch 2024-11-13 Bad Alapaha River 2024-11-10]
Bad Withlacoochee River 2024-11-12 Bad Sugar Creek 2024-11-13 Bad One Mile Branch 2024-11-13 Bad Alapaha River 2024-11-10

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida.

Valdosta’s flash flood spills finally showed up today in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report. Continue reading →

Sponsors, WWALS River Revue

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]

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 →

Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle 2024-02-10

Swim in the itch head spring. Then join us for a leisurely paddle 4 miles downstream in crystal clear waters with the possibility of seeing manatee, several types of gar, and bird species. The launching spot has been recently upgraded to accommodate new ADA standards.

There is a possibility of a further paddle down to the Ichetucknee Confluence.

When: Gather 9:00AM (swim), launch 11 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, February 10, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Headspring and Ichetucknee North Launch, Ichetucknee S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, Columbia County.

GPS: 29.98292, -82.76053

[Swimmers 2020-01-04 and WWALS Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle 2024-02-10]
Swimmers 2020-01-04 and WWALS Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle 2024-02-10

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Agenda: WWALS Board Meeting 2024-01-21

WWALS President Sara Jay will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited.

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89308028204?pwd=VmwyMzVTMVR6WGJxbUFUSlFXWFRWQT09

One tap mobile: +16469313860,,89308028204#,,,,*392346#

Agenda: is appended.

We will be reviewing plans for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, the Big Little River Paddle Tour, and other outings and events such as the WWALS Webinars, as well as for the next WWALS Gala including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. See https://wwals.net/outings. Plus trash, sewage, water quality testing, opposition to mines (titanium, phosphate, and sand), excess water withdrawals, coal ash, pellet plants, and LNG export, as well as promotion of water trails and solar power: see https://wwals.net/issues/ And of course finances and fundraising.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

[IG: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024]
IG: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024

Continue reading →

Notice: WWALS Board Meeting 2024-01-21

WWALS President Sara Jay will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited.

We will be reviewing plans for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, the Big Little River Paddle Tour, and other outings and events such as the WWALS Webinars, as well as for the next WWALS Gala including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. See https://wwals.net/outings. Plus trash, sewage, water quality testing, opposition to mines (titanium, phosphate, and sand), excess water withdrawals, coal ash, pellet plants, and LNG export, as well as promotion of water trails and solar power: see https://wwals.net/issues/ And of course finances and fundraising.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

When: 6 PM to 8 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024

Where: Online via zoom, so you don’t even have to go anywhere. The zoom parameters will follow, as will an agenda.

[WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024]
WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024

Continue reading →

Cancelled: Iche Nippy Dip Day Swim and Paddle, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Headspring, 2024-01-06

Due to predicted inclement weather, the State Park and its Friends organization have cancelled Iche Nippy Dip Day.

So WWALS has cancelled this dip and paddle.

[Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04]
Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04

We will work on scheduling a future similar event.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2024-02-24

Update 2024-02-23: Outing CANCELLED due to high and cold water.

Paddle with us 6.58 miles downstream on dark water with one set of shoals. People have reported seeing blue woodpeckers in the area as well as kingfisher and several others.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10:30 AM, end 5 PM, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, 6499 Knights Ferry Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03]
Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03

Continue reading →

Iche Nippy Dip Day Swim and Paddle, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Headspring, 2024-01-06

Update 2023-01-03: Cancelled due to predicted inclement weather.

Swim in the Itch head spring, during Iche Nippy Dip Day, the annual first-Saturday-in-January-that-is-not-New-Year-Day dip.

Then join us for a leisurely paddle 4 miles downstream in crystal clear waters with the possibility of seeing manatee, several types of gar and bird species. The launching spot has been recently upgraded to accommodate new ADA standards.

Iche Nippy Dip Day was founded by Earl Kinard (February 20, 1930 – March 27, 2022). He was there when WWALS dipped and paddled on January 4, 2020.

When: Gather 9:00AM (swim), launch 11 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Headspring and Ichetucknee North Launch, Ichetucknee S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, Columbia County.

GPS: 29.98292, -82.76053

[Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04]
Dippers, Put-in, Paddlers, 2020-01-04

Continue reading →

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting 2023-10-08

WWALS President Sara Jay will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited.

We will be reviewing the WWALS Gala including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest and planning the next one. Also other outings and cleanups: see https://wwals.net/outings. As well as trash, sewage, water quality testing, opposition to mines (titanium, phosphate, and sand), water withdrawals, coal ash, pellet plants, and LNG export, as well as promotion of water trails and solar power: see https://wwals.net/issues/ And of course finances.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

When: 6 PM to 8 PM, Sunday, October 10, 2023

Where: Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89308028204?pwd=VmwyMzVTMVR6WGJxbUFUSlFXWFRWQT09

[WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper Logos]
WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper Logos
WWALS Board Meeting 6-10 PM Sunday 2023-10-08

Continue reading →