The local TV station is keeping Lowndes County and Valdosta on their toes about sewage, while WWALS starts testing and continues urging GA-EPD to tell everybody when anybody spills.
Emma Wheeler, WCTV, 6 December 2018, Heavy rain causes sewage spill in Lowndes County, Continue reading
Update 2019-02-02: Delayed a day until Sunday morning.
Update 2019-01-31: We’re paddling unless it rains or the river rises, and thanks to The Langdale Company for a better takeout.
A long and rarely-paddled stretch with a confluence, some creeks, some wastewater treatment plants we won’t see and we hope we don’t smell, some shoals, and a challenging takeout. Bonus old bridge if we want to paddle down a bit farther and back.
When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10:30 AM, Saturday, February 2, 2019
Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. On GA 133 off I-75 exit 18. The entrance off GA 133 is directly across from Val Tech Road.
Take Out: Just downstream from Spook Bridge on the Lowndes County riverbank, thanks to The Langdale Company.
US 84 Landing, 5092 US 84 W, Valdosta, GA 31601.
Between the twin highway bridges on the Lowndes County side. Problematical access from busy highway right of way. Also known as Quitman Landing.
Bring: a rope, in case we need to drag boats over shoals. Clippers for deadfall branches would also be useful. Plus the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Photo: John S. Quarterman, of
US 84 bridge downstream from above middle of river, 2017-05-21.
This will be the first tryout of the water quality testing kits WWALS recently acquired. You can only test if you’ve been through the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream training. But you can come watch and make suggestions and see if you want to get trained. This event is all on land; no boat required.
When: 7:00 PM, Monday, October 29, 2018
Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18.
GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536.
Free: This event is free. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, of
WWALS testing training, 2018-09-16.
This is why we alway say “as near as we can tell” or “according to the latest data” or words to that effect. The last data we had last week said fecal coliform at GA 133 on the Little River was below the state limit. But the actual most recent data, from last Tuesday, just received today, shows 610, which is three times the state limit of 200 cfu per 100 mililiters.
Meanwhile, on the Withlacoochee River, the count went up at US 41 and down at GA 133, with both still well above the state limit. But downstream of Valdosta and its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP), at US 84 and at Horn Bridge at the GA-FL line, counts that were already within the limit Continue reading
We had fun cleaning up at Troupville Boat Ramp and the private land down the Little River to its Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, and then up the Withlacoochee a bit. Boy Scouts did much of the work, in Ronnie Thomas’ troup: this cleanup was his idea. Two of the landowners who let us into the land down to the Confluence were there; that property is for sale. Scotti Jay and Bobby and the McKenzie clan were also there. Brown Dog and Yellow Dog liked getting into another river.
![[Red, yellow, white, blue, 10:09:03, 30.8454610, -83.3467969]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-10-13--troupville-cleanup-pictures/20181013_100903.jpg)
Red, yellow, white, blue, 10:09:03, 30.8454610, -83.3467969
Landowner Helen Tapp promised donuts, and delivered. Continue reading
Good news for the WWALS cleanup 8AM this morning at Troupville Boat Ramp at GA 133 on the Little River: low E. coli and fecal coliform recently at the GA 133 Little River bridge.
In our weekly open records requests, we have gotten from Valdosta their water quality data through Wednesday of last week, October 3, 2018. It will be even more encouraging if Continue reading
We’re still on for 8:00 AM to noon this Saturday, tomorrow, October 13, 2018, for the WWALS cleanup of the Troupville Boat Ramp and adjacent riverfront down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River.
Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB) has rescheduled its Rivers Alive cleanup, but we’re sticking with our original date, which is still tomorrow, this Saturday.
We have the enthusiastic support of the landowners south of the boat ramp to the Confluence, including much of the site of historic Troupville, the former seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta.
One of the landowners will be by with donuts at the start.
Photo: Bobby McKenzie from the last WWALS Troupville Boat Ramp Cleanup,
2018-04-21.
See original blog post for details.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Update 2018-10-13: Pictures.
Update 2018-10-12: Yes, the cleanup is still on for Saturday, October 13, 2018.
A fun Saturday morning by the Little River: WWALS cleanup of the Troupville Boat Ramp and adjacent riverfront down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, in conjunction with Rivers Alive and Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB). We have the enthusiastic support of the landowners south of the boat ramp to the Confluence, including much of the site of historic Troupville, the former seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta, in the middle of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.
When: 8:00 AM – Noon, 2018-10-13
Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18, in Lowndes County, just west of Valdosta.
GPS: 30.85131, -83.34743
Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if
you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.
No boat required. You can bring a boat if you like, but unless it
rains before then, there will be very little water in the
river.
Free: This outing is free. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
Photo: Bobby McKenzie from the last WWALS Troupville Boat Ramp
Cleanup,
2018-04-21.
Got some deadfalls in the Withlacoochee River at Troupville, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), found once again by intrepid WWALS explorer Aaron Sirmons. Here are some pictures and a Google map.
![[Log in tree, 2018:07:14 10:02:25, 30.8495694, -83.3402911]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_100225.jpg)
Log in tree, 2018:07:14 10:02:25, 30.8495694, -83.3402911
Troupville, the old county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, was mostly west of the Withlacoochee River over to the Little River and down to its confluence, although as you can see in this map Troupville Cemetery was to the east of the Withlacoochee River.
![[Withlacoochee River at GA 133 in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/google-map.jpg)
Withlacoochee River at GA 133 in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
This is a still image from the
interactive Google map.
WWALS did a cleanup recently down to the Confluence, by permissionon private land that is for sale. All about the history of Troupville. You could start at Troupville Boat Ramp and paddle a week downstream on the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers, even in June.
![[Beavers?, 2018:07:14 10:02:45, 30.8491566, -83.3404211]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_100245.jpg)
Beavers?, 2018:07:14 10:02:45, 30.8491566, -83.3404211
Trash, River
Start of cutoff, Oxbow cutoff
Narrow, Oxbow cutoff
![[Deer stand, 2018:07:14 10:11:39, 30.8472271, -83.3428214]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_101139.jpg)
Deer stand, 2018:07:14 10:11:39, 30.8472271, -83.3428214
Reflections, Oxbow cutoff
Wider, Oxbow cutoff
Deadfall ready to block entire river, Oxbow cutoff
![[Side deadfall, 2018:07:14 10:17:13, 30.8461670, -83.3430003]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_101713.jpg)
Side deadfall, 2018:07:14 10:17:13, 30.8461670, -83.3430003
![[End of cutoff, 2018:07:14 10:18:11, 30.8467601, -83.3425382]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_101811.jpg)
End of cutoff, 2018:07:14 10:18:11, 30.8467601, -83.3425382
![[Trees, 2018:07:14 10:41:51, 30.8479584, -83.3408428]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_104151-0.jpg)
Trees, 2018:07:14 10:41:51, 30.8479584, -83.3408428
![[Power line, 2018:07:14 10:52:08, 30.8499246, -83.3400640]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_105208.jpg)
Power line, 2018:07:14 10:52:08, 30.8499246, -83.3400640
![[Submerged deadfall, 2018:07:14 11:14:34, 30.8519610, -83.3391584]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-07-21--withlacoochee-troupville/20180714_111435.jpg)
Submerged deadfall, 2018:07:14 11:14:34, 30.8519610, -83.3391584
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Follow this link for the interactive google map, or it’s also embedded below. This map also includes the deadfall upstream from I-75 of Aaron’s other report.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, GA, April 23, 2018 — Fifty children and adults helped WWALS clean up the site of old Troupville Saturday, with permission and thanks from the landowner where that former Lowndes County seat goes down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta.
Cleanup leader WWALS member Bobby McKenzie said:
We met at the signs for safety/execution briefing. I was able to talk about the signs and water trail to 50 folks and when I asked who knew about the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and being able to kayak them, only 2 folks were aware. Now 50 more folks are aware…and half were kids…but some of the best kind of kids…Boy and Girl Scouts!
Photo: Bobby McKenzie for WWALS 2018-04-21, at
Troupville Boat Ramp,
by the WWALS
signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
that
Phil Hubbard planted 2018-04-20.
Landowner Helen Tapp, whose family LLC gave permission for this cleanup, added:
What a fabulous turn-out of Earth Day workers! Thank you so much for Continue reading