Tag Archives: south Georgia

Clean rivers, but rain 2024-05-08

Update 2024-05-15: No spills reported after recent rains, Suwannee River Basin 2024-05-15.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean this Wednesday, as well as all but two Valdosta creeks. see below.

People going to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park see below.

There was rain and strong winds upstream Thursday. That rain could wash some contamination into the Withlacoochee River and others.

No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in the past week, in Georgia or Florida.

Most of the rivers are back down to good paddling levels. The Withlacoochee River at Pinetta is predicted to rise to Action Stage. The Ichetucknee River at US 27 and the Santa Fe River at Three Rivers Estates are still in Action Stage. The Suwannee River from Rock Bluff to Manatee Springs is in Action Stage.

So for most stretches of most of the rivers, happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to come with WWALS tomorrow, Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River, 2024-05-11.

Clean Rivers Wednesday 2024-05-08, Rained Thursday 2024-05-09

To repeat from a previous post: For people going to festivals at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park: Continue reading →

If you can’t beat the mines, buy the land –Dwight Davis 2024-04-23

Update 2024-10-18: Proposed Okefenokee NWR expansion to include TiO2 miners’ land and more 2024-10-18.

There is one slight catch: buying the land will be very expensive. There is probably only one organization that can afford it.

Although the lawsuits likely to ensue as soon as the permits are issued may reduce the price.

Nonetheless, merely buying the land would encourage more mining permit applications. There needs to be legislation to prohibit such mines anywhere near the Okefenokee Swamp.

Also, I don’t know what questioning he is referring to.

Dwight Davis, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 23, 2024, If you can’t beat the mines, buy the land,

The mining permit for Trail Ridge near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has evolved into a contentious debate. Though initially a civil discourse on ecological preservation, recent opposition has taken a harsh tone, unfairly questioning the integrity of state officials involved in the decision-making process. Amid this, crucial facts have been overlooked.

If you can’t beat the mines, buy the land –Dwight Davis, Okefenokee Swamp, GA-EPD, GA-DNR

Having served on the board of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for 14 years, including as its past chairman, I’ve engaged with various stakeholders, including environmental groups, local elected officials and the mining company, Twin Pines, that is seeking permits to mine for minerals near the treasured Okefenokee swamp. Despite the board having no direct influence over the permit decision, we closely monitored the process.

Opponents of mining proudly claim they want to save the Okefenokee, but so does the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which is Continue reading →

Trash traps, detention ponds, and parking lots: Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA 2024-05-07

For years WWALS has been promoting work by Russell Allen McBride and others to clean up Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

Trash traps, detention ponds, and parking lots, Valdosta, GA, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River

Russell’s net full of trash is the top graphic on the WWALS trash issue page:
https://wwals.net/issues/trash/ Continue reading →

Happy Hippy Outfitters 2024-04-10

Dropped by Happy Hippy Outfitters as they were painting the sign on the front window.

Happy Hippy Outfitters, Now open 2024-04-10, 3133 N Ashley St, Valdosta, GA 31602, Five Points Shopping Center

Find them facebook, or in Five Points mall, 3133 N Ashley St, Valdosta, GA 31602. Continue reading →

Clean rivers and some creeks, but rain 2024-05-02

Update 2024-05-10: Clean rivers, but rain 2024-05-08.

This week, the rivers that have been tested were clean: Withlacoochee and Santa Fe, as well as Franks Creek of the Little River and Cow Creek of the Santa Fe River. Three Valdosta creeks still tested bad Wednesday; see below.

People going to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park see below.

There was some rain Friday, but it was quite spotty: 2.73 inches at the Skipper Bridge Gauge on the Withlacoochee River above Valdosta, and 1.09 inches at the Irwinville Gauge on the Alapaha River. That rain could wash some contamination into the Withlacoochee River.

No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in the past week, in Georgia or Florida, since the small inland High Springs spill of April 24, 2024.

Update 2024-05-08: Fixed the order of the rivers in the following paragraph.

Most of the rivers are back down to good paddling levels. The Santa Fe River at US 27 and the Ichetucknee River at Three Rivers Estates are still in Minor Flood. The Suwannee River from Branford to Manatee Springs is in Action Stage.

So for most stretches of most of the rivers, happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend. Continue reading →

Valdosta test results: filthy Withlacoochee River after big spill, many creeks still filthy after smaller spills 2024-04-11

Update 2024-08-06: Another Knob Hill sewage spill on Three Mile Branch in Valdosta 2024-08-05.

Update 2024-05-04: Clean rivers and some creeks, but rain 2024-05-02.

Valdosta knew the Withlacoochee River was filthy on that Friday and Saturday before it issued its press release on Monday, April 15, about its 6.7-million-gallon spill into Spring Branch to that river. We know this because Valdosta, unlike the other cities that spilled during the big rains of April 11, Valdosta puts its followup test results on the city’s website. Those results also show the river is clean, and has been since the Sunday after the spill. But some creeks are still filthy; see below.

Valdosta test results: filthy Withlacoochee River after big spill, many creeks still filthy after smaller spills

For people going to festivals at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park: that location is upstream on the Suwannee River from the Withlacoochee River, and thus is not affected by any of the sewage spills that went into the Withlacoochee. I wouldn’t be surprised if the big rains washed some contamination into the Suwannee River. But that was three weeks ago, and most likely that E. coli was diluted and washed downstream long ago. The biggest thing you have to worry about in the Suwannee River at that park is probably contamination from people on the beach there. Continue reading →

Mayday to Statenville, Alapaha River, 2024-05-11

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

Continue reading →

Video: Chainsaw Cleanups –Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar 2024-04-11

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.

Video: Chainsaw Outings, –Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar, 2024-04-11

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.

Here is the zoom video of this WWALS Webinar about Chainsaw Cleanups by Phil Hubbard:
https://youtu.be/DhjtzsBncOw?si=0zgQX6L04vllB7jV

WWALS also did two chainsaw cleanups on the Suwannee River and one on the Little River. Here are all the ones we can remember: 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.”

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 →

FWS photographer with Suwannee Riverkeeper, WWALS jon boat and outboard @ Fargo Ramp 2024-04-25

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.

FWS Photographer, Fargo Ramp 2024-04-25, Suwannee Riverkeeper jon boat, and outboard, Suwannee River

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.

Here are some videos:
https://youtu.be/rYDSMO14TkU Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.