At Spirit of Suwannee Music Park
We’ll be here Friday and Saturday, too. Details here.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Tag Archives: Suwannee River
Videos: Coal ash at Valdosta City Council and Lowndes County Commission 2017-03-09-14
Continuing after the recent public meetings,
WWALS and others talked about coal ash at the
Valdosta City Council March 9th,
with
a puzzling response from the Mayor,
and at the
Lowndes County Commission March 14th,
with
an interruption by the Chairman
and no other response.
Both city and county
have had the same members on the board of the
Deep South Solid Waste Management Authority (WMA) since 2005,
so presumably they have more control than they want to admit
over the local privatized landfill with its coal ash, PCBs,
and Superfund wastewater.
Remember, that landfill is a quarter mile uphill from the Withlacoochee River and in a Floridan Aquifer recharge zone.
WWALS Executive Directory Gretchen Quarterman spoke at both meetings. WWALS member Bill Worstell spoke at the Valdosta City Council meeting, as did J.D. Rice. (Meanwhile, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and one other spoke to the Valdosta City Council about sewage.)
Here are LAKE videos of each speaker, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. 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.
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
Free: This outing is Free! And we recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Shuttle Distance: Continue reading
Videos: Sewage at Valdosta City Council 2017-03-09
Two citizens spoke about sewage overflows at the Valdosta City Council Thursday 9 March 2017, including about the seven downstream Florida counties passing resolutions calling on the Florida governor to step in. Here are LAKE videos of what they said and the mayor’s answers. Also, George Boston Rhynes told a droll tale about a dead cat and turkeys.
-
7. CTBH – Eric Howard on Stormwater and Wastewater
Video. He said he got a house near the river to fish and swim, only to discover Continue reading
WWALS at Suwannee Spring Reunion at the Music Park 2017-03-23-25
Come hear music outside in the spring near the Suwannee River, and talk to Suwannee Riverkeeper about paddling on the rivers and how you can help conserve them, the springs, and the aquifer.
When:
March 23-March 25, 2017
Where:
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95th Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32060
Event: facebook
What: “Suwannee Spring Reunion, featuring Donna the Buffalo, Continue reading
Update: Fargo to Roline, Suwannee River, 2017-03-18
WWALS Outings Committee Chair Phil Hubbard wrote Tuesday on the facebook event:
Looking forward to the WWALS outing on the historic Suwannee River. Water level currently at Fargo is 93.34′ (2.34′) slightly increasing with the 0.6″ of rain in Fargo yesterday. White Springs is at 52.02′ and rising.
Weather forecast is clear skys and virtually no chance of rain. Temps with an over night low mid 40’s and forecast high of upper 70’s.
What an awesome way to welcome in the return of spring from its brief departure.
Follow the original event blog post for more details.
See you 7AM Saturday, March 18th, 2017, at the Suwannee River in Fargo, Georgia, to paddle into Florida to Roline Landing!
For more outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading
Requesting protection of Suwannee River from Valdosta wastewater –Levy BOCC 2017-03-07
Levy BOCC passed a resolution Tuesday much like the Suwannee BOCC resolution, but adding instructions to transmit it to a wide range of Florida and U.S. elected officials and agencies.
If you’re in Valdosta today, the City Council meets at 5:30 PM; you can join us in talking to them about this, or send them email.
Thanks to Jessica Berryhill, Administrative Assistant I, Board Administration, Levy Board of County Commissioners, for the PDF.
RESOLUTION 2017-008
A RESOLUTION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LEVY COUNTY, FLORIDA REQUESTING THE PROTECTION OF THE HISTORIC SUWANNEE RIVER IN NORTH FLORIDA.
WHEREAS, Levy County is located in North Central Florida and is bordered by the Historic Suwannee River on its western side; and
WHEREAS. the Historic Suwannee River is one of the most widely known and recognized river system in the world; and Continue reading
Groups want coal ash regulation –VDT 2017-03-07
The VDT article never said “landfill” even though landfills were one of the main topics of the bills and of the discussion, including specifically the active landfill in Lowndes County, which has already received coal ash from Tennessee and Florida. Maybe you’d like to come mention that to Valdosta City Council Thursday evening.
Daniel DeMersseman, Valdosta Daily Times, 7 March 2017, Groups want coal ash regulation,
VALDOSTA — Georgia Interfaith Power & Light recently sponsored a presentation on the dangers of improperly stored coal ash.
Members of GIPL, No Ash at All, and Suwanee Riverkeeper joined together to discuss proper coal ash storage.
Picture by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition, 2017-03-01.“Coal ash contains Continue reading
Water issues at Valdosta City Council 2017-03-09
A rare agenda with nothing about water on it does have this, “6. Citizens to be Heard”, which people from anywhere can use to talk about water issues such as sewage and its effects on the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers all the way to the Gulf, coal ash from TVA and Florida, PCBs, and Superfund wastewater in the landfill in Lowndes County, which is a quarter mile upstream from the Withlacoochee River and in a recharge zone for the Floridan Aquifer.
When: 5:30 PM, Thursday, March 9, 2017
Where:
Council Chambers, City Hall, 216 E Central Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601, 30.832961, -83.277471
Too far? Call them up or send them email.
Event: facebook
Photo: Michael Rivera
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
What: Continue reading
Resolution in Support of National Water Trail Designation of The Suwannee River in Madison County 2016-10-12
Madison BOCC passed a Resolution unanimously, with the same wording as the resolution by Suwannee BOCC.
In the
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING,
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016:
Upon a motion by Commissioner [Wayne] Vickers, seconded by Commissioner [Justin] Hamrick, the Board voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the Consent Agenda (1. Agreement between the County and the North Central Florida Planning Council for Monitoring Hazardous Waste Generators for Fiscal Year 2017; 2. Resolution 2016-10-12A; Support of National Water Trail Designation for the Suwannee River).