Tag Archives: Troupville Boat Ramp

John S. Quarterman: Sewage spills in Georgia affecting Suwannee River basin, Gainesville Sun, 2019-01-31

Online today and in the paper Gainesville Sun this coming Sunday. To paddle the most-affected stretch of the Withlacoochee River, join us this Saturday morning.

A December upsurge of raw sewage spills from the city of Valdosta, Georgia, has a dozen downstream counties organized into a task force, demanding action from Florida state legislators. But what action?

I recommend first getting a grip on the extent of the problem, keeping that picture up to date and then funding fixes.

[Water]
Photo: John S. Quarterman of Sara Jay, Water Temperature, TGroupville Boat Ramp, Little River, 2019-01-06

Valdosta spilled not just twice, but two dozen times in December, totaling more than 6 million gallons of raw sewage. Spills also happened in Tifton, Quitman and Lowndes County, Georgia.

We know this because Continue reading →

Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River, 2019-02-0203

Update 2019-02-02: Delayed a day until Sunday morning.

Water levels look good, so unless it rains, looks like Saturday morning we will paddle Little River from Troupville Boat Ramp, then the Withlacoochee River to Spook Bridge. We will probably encounter deadfalls and shoals, so bring a rope and be prepared.

That’s right, Spook Bridge, thanks to The Langdale Company, which has arranged for us to take out just below the bridge.

[Access and river, 14:47:36, 30.78981, -83.45175]
Access and river, 14:47:36, 30.7898100, -83.4517500

This is not public access. Langdale is making it available to WWALS for this February outing and for Paddle Georgia in June 2019. This takeout, while still up a steep riverbank, is much easier than climbing up those loose highway abutment rocks between the US 84 highway bridges. So I hope everyone will thank The Langdale Company.

See previous post for outing details. Continue reading →

Cancelled due to cold weather: Banks Lake Full Moon Paddle 2019-01-21

Well, it’s never happened before, but the weather is too cold for WWALS to paddle. Expedition leader Shirley Kokidko says it’s not a good idea to take people out on the open water after dark, when the prediction is 42 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill feeling like 40 degrees. So she’s cancelled the full moon outing formerly scheduled for Monday evening, January 21, 2019, on Banks Lake.

[Boat light, double moon, 18:30:47, 31.0273566, -83.1061174]
Boat light, double moon, 18:30:47, 31.0273566, -83.1061174

Next: Our next scheduled paddle outing is Continue reading →

Troupville Boat Ramp Water Trail Signs back up 2019-01-15

Three tasks at once at Troupville Boat Ramp last Tuesday! Scotti Jay picked up trash, while Sara Jay did water quality testing (you, too can learn to do that). Then while Sara finished up Scotti and I replanted the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Signs and test kit, Signs
Sara Jay with water quality testing kit, Scotti Jay with trash bag, Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail signs.

Continue reading →

Water Quality Testing, Troupville Boat Ramp 2019-01-06

You can learn how to do water quality testing, and help WWALS test our waters. We have Florida training coming up this Monday, January 21, 2019, at noon, at Suwannee River State Park. We’ll be scheduling another Georgia training soon.

[Air]
Air

Here is Sara Jay testing Little River water at Troupville Boat Ramp, Sunday, January 6, 2019.

[Continue titrating with Sodium Thiosulfate ONE DROP AT A TIME, swirling thoroughly after each drop,]
Continue titrating with Sodium Thiosulfate ONE DROP AT A TIME, swirling thoroughly after each drop,

Pictures of the whole test procedure are Continue reading →

WCTV: Spills, Lowndes County, Valdosta, and WWALS testing and EPD ask 2018-12-06

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.

Bacteria, WWALS: Suwannee Riverkeeper

Emma Wheeler, WCTV, 6 December 2018, Heavy rain causes sewage spill in Lowndes County, Continue reading →

Troupville to US 84, Withlacoochee River, 2019-02-0203

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.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

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!

Event: facebook, meetup

The US 84 bridge from the middle of the river
Photo: John S. Quarterman, of US 84 bridge downstream from above middle of river, 2017-05-21.

Continue reading →

Tryout of Water Quality Testing, Little River, Troupville Boat Ramp, 2018-10-29

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!

Event: facebook, meetup

WWALS testing training, 2018-09-16
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, of WWALS testing training, 2018-09-16.

Continue reading →

Four weeks of fecal coliform 2018-10-09 2018-09-19 to 2018-10-09

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.

Graph, Withlacoochee Basin

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 →

Pictures: Troupville Cleanup 2018-10-13

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]
Red, yellow, white, blue, 10:09:03, 30.8454610, -83.3467969

Landowner Helen Tapp promised donuts, and delivered. Continue reading →