Tag Archives: Suwannee River Wilderness Trail

Florida may require licensing of paddle boats and boards

Here’s a bad idea that doesn’t seem to die: making people pay to register non-motorized boats in Florida.

Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 29 January 2017, Florida may require licensing for kayaks, canoes, paddle boards,

USCG Vessel ID Sticker
No registration or permit needed for this U.S. Coast Guard Vessel ID Sticker

A citizens panel assembled by state-boating authorities will meet in Orlando on Wednesday to explore what could become a path to adopting registration and fees for small boats powered by humans, wind and currents.

“That sounds like Continue reading →

Pictures: Woods Ferry Tract to Suwannee Springs 2017-05-20

Springs and sand like snow, red and yellow water, chatting as we go, Woods Ferry to Suwannee Springs on the Suwannee River, May 20, 2017, with Hands Across the Sand at noon. Even though everyone had a trash bag, there was surprisingly almost no trash to pick up until we got to Suwannee Springs. Here are some pictures, a few videos, and a google map showing the locations.

Update 2021-09-23: Water levels were 36.34′ on the Suwannee Springs USGS gauge and 49.47′ on the White Springs gauge.

What is the name of this spring?

Upriver across the spring, Upriver across the spring, 30.3695100, -82.8887100

It’s in SRWMD’s Continue reading →

Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee, 2017-05-20

Here’s Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee River, with boats, during the WWALS outing from Woods Ferry Tract to Suwannee Springs Saturday.

And tie-dye
Picture by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS.

Here’s an out-take from the making of, as Gretchen attempted to Continue reading →

Here

Lots more pictures now posted of this sunny Suwannee River outing past springs and sand like snow, plus Hands Across the Sand.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Woods Ferry to Suwannee Springs, Outing and Hands Across the Sands, Suwannee River 2017-05-20

Update 2023-04-13: Pictures.

Due to low water, we’re moving the May 20th outing downstream! With lunch, swim stops, and bon-bons, of course. Bring bug spray and the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. If you don’t have a boat, there are many outfitters, or let us know and many of us have spare boats.

Two outfitters advise there should be enough water on this route to avoid much boat dragging. There is a slight 30% possibility of afternoon thunder showers. Same date, same time, same river: just a bit downstream.

When: 9AM Saturday May 20, 2017, meet to shuttle
10AM: Start paddling
12PM noon: Stop for Hands Across the Sand
   “Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy”
2-3PM: Finish some time around then

Put In: Mile 158.0, Woods Ferry Tract Launch, in Suwannee County, Florida

GPS of Entrance: to Woods Ferry Tract 30.343508, -82.855187

Paddle Distance: 8.0 river miles

Paddle Duration: 4 hours

Event: facebook, meetup

Shuttle route

Directions to Put In: From Live Oak, travel north on Continue reading →

Water low but passable, White Springs to Swift Creek, Suwannee River 2017-05-20

Update 2017-05-17: OK, the water’s gotten too low at the original location, so we’re moving downstream to Woods Ferry Tract Launch to Suwannee Springs.

Hands Across the Sand on the Suwannee Saturday! The river is quite low (48.78 feet NAVD on the White Springs gage), but it looks doable from the put-in and take-out. A ranger at Stephen Foster State Park told me paddling from White Springs to Swift Creek would be doable, perhaps with a few dry spots. I’ll also call a local outfitter or two for their opinions.

White Springs down from ramp

White Springs down from ramp

Meanwhile, bring bug spray (gnats) and a rope (to pull your boat over sand bars), and we’re still on for 9AM Saturday 20 May 2017. See the outing announcement for more details.

Plus: that’s the day of Hands Across the Sand, “Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy”. WWALS has been saying that for years, so somewhere on the Suwannee we will stop and do Hands Across the Sand against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and for solar power.

White Springs low spot

Continue reading →

White Springs to Swift Creek, Suwannee River, 2017-05-20

Because SRWMD tells us Blue Sink Launch is closed, our May Suwannee River outing will take out slightly downstream at Swift Creek Lunch, which should be easy to recognize from the river because American Canoe Adventures has put up these nice triangular flags:

Flags by ACA
Photo: Jesse Wilkes, November 23, 2016

The put in at White Springs Wayside Park and everything else is the same; see the updated outing announcement for all the details.

We’re bringing bon-bons. See you there in May!

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Ft Macomb to Ivey Memorial Park, Suwannee River, 2017-06-10

A medium length summer paddle on the Middle Suwannee River: Fort Macomb Ramp to Ivey Memorial Park June 10, 2017, past springs, shoals, and Branford. This one will probably take about 5 hours paddling, or 6 hours including shuttle. With lunch, swim stops, and bon-bons, of course.

Bring the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit.

When: 9AM Saturday 10 June 2017

Put In: Ft. Macomb Ramp, river mile 86.6
From Mayo, travel east on US 27 to CR 410; turn left on CR 410; follow to boat ramp.

GPS: 30.0097911,-83.0168023

Take Out: Ivey Memorial Park Ramp, river mile 76.0
Boat ramp is located in Branford on the south side of US 27 at the Bridge in Ivey Memorial Park.
29.9538379,-82.9303607

Event: facebook, meetup

River mile 86.6 to 76.0
This map detail and all landing directions are from Continue reading →

White Springs to Blue SInk Swift Creek Launch, Suwannee River, 2017-05-20

Update 2017-05-17: OK, the water’s gotten too low at the original location, so we’re moving downstream to Woods Ferry Tract Launch to Suwannee Springs.

Update 2017-05-15: The water’s low, but so far it’s a go, plus it’s Hands across the Sands on the Suwannee against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and for solar power.

Update 2017-04-06: SRWMD tells us Blue Sink Launch is closed, so we’ll be taking out nearby at Swift Creek Launch.

Join WWALS for a brief paddle 8 miles on the Suwannee River through White Springs down to Blue Sink Swift Creek Launch. This shouldn’t take more than 4 hours paddling or 5 hours including shuttle. With lunch, swim stops, and bon-bons, of course.

Bring the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. If you don’t have a boat, there are many outfitters, or let us know and many of us have spare boats.

When: 9AM Saturday 20 May 2017

Put In: Suwannee River Wayside Park Ramp, river mile 171.0
From White Springs, travel south on US 41 to the river; the ramp is on the south side in the town park.

GPS: 30.3255398,-82.7413685

Shuttle
This map drawn using landing directions from the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail map of Boat Ramps & Canoe Launches and SRWMD’s Blue Sink, Rocky Creek, Swift Creek.

Duration: 5 hours

Events: facebook, meetup.

Free: This outing is Free! And we recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Shuttle Distance: Continue reading →

Roline Redoux is on for Monday on the Suwannee River 2016-09-05

“We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” Roline Launch says expedition leader Phil Hubbard, reporting from the Suwannee River just now. “Maybe 2 feet higher. Flow is perfect,” he added.

Earlier he said helpfully, “I’m stopping at Hardee’s in Jasper to grab a biscuit around 9:15 if anyone needs help finding the launch site.”

About an essential outing ingredient, Gretchen Quarterman says: “I just baked bon-bons!”

For outing details, see the original post, Redoux Suwannee River Roline to Cypress Creek.

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Continue reading →