The bats were flying on a fine calm clear spring night as the sun set and the
Full Pink Moon rose over
Banks Lake,
just west of Lakeland, Georgia, Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Usually, Withlacoochee River water flows into this distributary into a sinkhole.
But last Tuesday water was coming out into the river from the
Chitty Bend East Distributary.
So this swallet changed from a sink to a spring, and the creek changed from a distributary to a tributary.
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.
Phil Hubbard, longtime WWALS paddle outings leader, on March 11, 2024, told us why he started a series of chainsaw cleanups two years ago.
He and his son paddled down the Withlacoochee River
and encountered more than 20 deadfalls they had to portage.
That was Father’s Day, June 19, 2016.
He didn’t even know Langdale Park existed before then.
They got to Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River after dark.
He joined WWALS to find a way to deal with the deadfalls.
We have done 21 chainsaw cleanups on the Withlacoochee River,
including during the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle this year.
Phil thinks with a few more at low water, it will be good.
The stretch from Langdale Park down past Sugar Creek,
around the Little River Confluence and up to Troupville Boat Ramp
will be a nice paddle that anybody can do.
Last Thursday, a photographer came to take some pictures for a story
that you will see later.
Renee Bodine is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and WWALS swamper Shirley Kokidko
met her at Fargo Ramp.
A mile up the Suwannee River on the Suwannee Riverkeeper vessel,
Renee took pictures of a twisty tree and some blooming tupelo trees.
The Suwannee River was at 11.9 feet (102.9 NAVD88) on the Fargo Gauge.
High enough for the ramp to be underwater, and the parking lot in a foot of water next to it.
The ramp to the defunct Visitors Center was also underwater.
At Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River,
Chuck Roberts first talked about the
WWALS River Revue sit-down fundraising dinner,
Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta.
Chuck is the M.C.
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2024/
The Revue includes the seventh annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
Song submissions are open now:
https://wwals.net/?p=64497
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.
![[Boating at Juneteenth, Reed Bingham SP 2024-06-22, WWALS & Macedonia Community Foundation]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-06-22--juneteenth-reed-bingham-sp-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Banks Lake Full Pink Moon, Paddle 2024-04-23, Thanks, Shirley Kokidko, and the bats]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-23--banks-lake-full-pink-moon-paddle-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[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)
![[Chitty Bend East Distributary, Withlacoochee River 2024-04-30, Pumping out a stream --Amanda Davis]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-30--withlacoochee-swallet/fbmany.jpg)
![[Video: Chainsaw Outings, --Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar, 2024-04-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-11--chainsaw-cleanups-wwals-webinar-video/many.jpg)
![[FWS Photographer, Fargo Ramp 2024-04-25, Suwannee Riverkeeper jon boat, and outboard, Suwannee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-25--fargo-ramp/fbmany.jpg)
![[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)
![[Drawing the winner, Eddyline Kayak Raffle, Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River 2024-04-03]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-04-03--eddyline-kayak-raffle-drawing-video/fbmany.jpg)
![[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)