Meet for an hour and then dip in the spring, or tube if you like.
If you haven’t already, you can sign the petition to get a constitutional amendment for Right to Clean Water on the Florida ballot in 2026.
https://wwals.net/issues/right-to-clean-water/
When: Gather 10 AM, launch 11 AM, end 2 PM, Sunday, September 8, 2024
Put In: Ichetucknee Headspring, at the Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.
Continue readingUpdate 2024-09-13: Got a permit for Sunday, November 10. Okefenokee Floyd’s Island Campout, Suwannee River, Okefenokee Swamp 2024-11-02.
Update 2024-09-04: Didn’t get a permit for November 2, so trying for November 9.
Pending a permit, join us to paddle 9 miles upstream on the Suwannee River for primitive camping on Floyd’s Island in the Okefenokee Swamp.
This is the farthest you can get from any road in Georgia, with very dark sky.
You can camp inside the century-old Hebard Cabin, or in your tent or hammock outside.
Yes, you will see gators, and probably other wildlife.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end All Day, Saturday, November 9, 2024
Launch 9 AM, end 1 PM, Sunday, November 10, 2024
Put In: Stephen C. Foster State Park Ramp, 17515 GA-177, Fargo, GA 31631. From Fargo, travel south on US 441 to CR 177; turn left and travel to Stephen C. Foster State Park in Charlton County.
Continue readingUpdate 2024-11-24: Rescheduled due to schedule conflict: Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-02-01.
Join us on a leisurely paddle on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, starting at Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, past many springs, taking out at the US 129 Boat Ramp.
When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, November 30, 2024
Put In: Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.
![[Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2024-11-30, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-30--ichetucknee-santa-fe/fbmany.jpg)
Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2024-11-30, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp
The opposite of what I expected: just west of Hamilton County High School, Cat Creek under SW 55 Drive flows north, not south.
This matters for figuring out what is upstream and downstream from a site on Cat Creek.
![[Movie: Cat Creek south of SW 55 Drive, 14:56:38, 30.4736975, -82.9406837 (31M)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-24--hamilton-county-creeks/20240824_145638.jpg)
Movie: Cat Creek south of SW 55 Drive, 14:56:38, (31M) 30.4736975, -82.9406837
The huge PUD proposed next to Long Pond is back on the Chiefland City agenda for 6PM this evening, mostly in a floodplain, and all in the Manatee Springs Protection Area, upstream from the Suwannee River.
It appears unchanged since it was last heard June 24, and since it got pulled from the agenda for July 8.
![[Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-12--chiefland/many.jpg)
Agenda and Proposed Planned Land Use for Williams property
Ironically, at the July 22 City Commission meeting, the Tourism Commission rep. proposed a Dark Sky Ordinance. Which would seem to be the opposite of a 2,109-acre Planned Unit Development with a 50-year plan for residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses, in an area now zoned as Agricultural / Rural Residential. Continue reading
If you want to see water levels throughout the Suwannee River Basin, for example after a hurricane, there are at least three ways:
They all get their data from the USGS gauges.
What’s your favorite way? One of these, or something else?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides this color-coded map: Continue reading
Songwriters, please send in your song by August 7, as Bill Osborne and I reminded everyone on his morning drive radio show at 7:30 this morning.
The Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest finals will be Saturday, September 7, 2024, during the WWALS River Revue, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.
For that and many other topics we discussed, go to:
https://wwals.net
Here is a video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QwPL1huvH5anLwRwLEAWu3S&si=guytfiq-hr-aRjPm
Update 2024-08-12: Packet: Return of the proposed 2,109-acre rezoning for Planned Unit Development in floodplain –City of Chiefland, FL 2024-08-12.
Here is audio of the applicant’s answers to citizen questions in the June 24, 2024 Chiefland City Commission meeting, as well as the applicant’s slides.
If somebody wants to transcribe these audio files, that would be most helpful.
Here is part 1 of audio from the June 24, Chiefland City Commission meeting:
Continue readingJoin us for a 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. 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 8:30 AM, launch 9:45 AM, end 3 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, Florida.
![[Turner Bridge Ramp to, Cone Bridge Road Ramp, Suwannee River, 11.4 miles, 2024-05-18]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-07-18--turner-to-cone-bridge-suwannee-river/fbmany.jpg)
Turner Bridge Ramp to, Cone Bridge Road Ramp, Suwannee River, 11.4 miles, 2024-05-18
Note the antique
lally columns, which are pillars for a former bridge,
made of steel columns filled with concrete.
Continue reading
Update 2024-08-12: Packet: Return of the proposed 2,109-acre rezoning for Planned Unit Development in floodplain –City of Chiefland, FL 2024-08-12.
Update 2024-07-20: Applicant slides and sound recording, 2,109-acre PUD, Chiefland, FL 2024-06-24.
The City of Chiefland has an application for a 2,109-acre Planned Unit Development with a 50-year plan for residential, commercial, industrial, and other uses, in an area now zoned as Agricultural / Rural Residential. It is mostly in the floodplain of Long Pond, and upstream of the Suwannee River.
![[2,109-acre 50-year PUD rezoning, in Agricultural / Rural Residential Area, Floodplain upstream from Suwannee River, City of Chiefland, FL 2024-07-08]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-07-08--chiefland/fbmany.jpg)
2,109-acre 50-year PUD rezoning
A development where “when you live in the development you don’t have to leave” is not a bad idea. But the location is unfortunate.
Fortunately, the applicant pulled the agenda item for yesterday’s Chiefland City Commission meeting. Chiefland City Hall told me he would resubmit when he thinks he’s ready. So watch for it reappearing.
Two weeks before, many citizens asked many questions. The minutes for that June 24, 2024, City Commission meeting says a representative of the applicant answered all the questions, but the minutes do not say what the answers were.
The agenda for July 8 also does not say what the answers were.
If you oppose this rezoning, you can use the time to organize before the application re-appears.
You may want to consider joining the public facebook group RURL Residents United for Rural Levy.
Apparently the connection to the Suwannee River may involve an underground section. Continue reading
![[Water Protectors Meet and Greet, Sunday, 10-11 AM, 2024-09-08, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-09-08--water-protectors-meet-greet/456592692_874340434606782_4087561503827164546_n.jpg)
![[Floyds Island Campout, Okefenokee Swamp 2024-11-02-03, Suwannee River, Fargo, GA, Stephen C. Foster State Park]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-02--okefenokee-floyds-island-campout/fbmany.jpg)
![[River Water Levels, Suwannee River Basin, NOAA, USGS, SRWMD, WWALS, Action Stage, Flood, Georgia, Florida]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-07--noaa-gauges/many.jpg)
![[Send songs by August 7, Bill Osborne Radio 2024-07-30, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, WWALS River Revue 2024-09-07]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-07-30--radio-bill-osborne-video/fbmany.jpg)
![[Applicant slides, sound recordings 2024-06-24, Proposed 2,109-acre PUD, Chiefland, FL, Manatee Springshed]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-06-24--chiefland/fbmany.jpg)