Tag Archives: Troupville Boat Ramp

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Update 2025-03-19: Rescheduled: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19.

Rescheduled to March 22 due to high water.

Join us for a leisurely paddle on the Withlacoochee River: three miles to an early takeout, or another eight miles to Spook Bridge, with a mid-point lunch stop.

The first stretch is along the Little River frontage recently purchased by Lowndes County for Troupville River Camp and Nature Park. The right bank the whole way is Brooks County.

The second stretch goes by Valdosta’s cleaned up Outfall from its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on the left bank in Lowndes County.

Paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter.

[Chairman and Mayor's Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22]
Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Shuttle vans provided by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA).
Early takeout provided by Paul DeLoach.
Spook Bridge takeout and midpoint provided by The Langdale Company.
Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and Phil Royce for being sweep.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 22, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.
By the boat ramp, see the WWALS water trail signs about the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536 Continue reading →

Pictures: Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08

Phil Hubbard and I got 2.6 miles up the Withlacoochee River from the Little River Confluence, so almost 3 miles including the third of a mile down the Little River from Troupville Boat Ramp.

We stopped at a cluster of big deadfalls at the top of Riverhill Drive, as sunset approached, so we could get back to Troupville Boat Ramp before dark.

That’s 2.3 miles more than the previous WWALS chainsaw cleanup on this stretch, four days before.

And a bit more than a mile to go up to Sugar Creek.

[2.6 miles done, One mile to go, Withlacoochee River Upstream, Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08]
2.6 miles done, One mile to go, Withlacoochee River Upstream, Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08

The only casualty was one Husqvarna 24-inch chainsaw bar; I did salvage the chain. Fortunately, we had another bar. That’s the chainsaw paid for by the grant from Wild Green Future.

Which also paid for the 9.9 hp outboard motor. Which worked fine this time, except when we ran it into something going pretty fast and choked it down. Then it did not want to start.

But Phil tried something new: take off the cowling and put water on the ignition module to cool it. That worked! Back in action. Continue reading →

Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08

Update 2025-03-09: Pictures: Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08.

Join us between the Little River Confluence and Sugar Creek on the Withlacoochee River seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

When: Gather 12 PM, launch 12:30 PM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 8, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

[Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08, Troupville Boat Ramp, Upstream to Sugar Creek]
Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08, Troupville Boat Ramp, Upstream to Sugar Creek

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Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04

Update 2025-03-09: Pictures: Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08

TJ Johnson from Live Oak, FL, and I sawed a few deadfalls, and Tish Hall from Lake Park, GA, cleared brush and got some trash, on the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04.

[Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-04, upstream from Troupville, Got a few deadfalls]
Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-04, upstream from Troupville, Got a few deadfalls

We gnawed on the infamous CiHiG (Cut It Here, I Guess) Deadfall yet again.

A bit downstream from there we got through a deadfall that had been diverting boats sharp around a cypress with knees, where the WWALS jon boat more than once has canted 45 degrees.

The Valdosta Gauge read 120.27 at noon Tuesday.

Tish Hall gets the good sport award for helping tow the jon boat up the Little River when the 9.9 hp outboard would not start and the 86lb-thrust trolling motor wasn’t quite strong enough. Continue reading →

Try again: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04

Come out Tuesday morning before the rains, start at Troupville Boat Ramp, down around the the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River towards Sugar Creek, seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

Thanks to TJ Johnson for coming up from Live Oak, Florida, to lead this one.

Looks like the water will be about a foot higher than last time, when we were stopped by the CiHiG (Cut it Here, I Guess) Deadfall, so this time we should be able to get up over that one to see what’s upstream.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

[Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, upstream from Troupville, Saturday, March 4, 2025]
Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, upstream from Troupville, Saturday, March 4, 2025

Continue reading →

Cancelled: Withlacoochee River Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-23

Update 2025-04-01: Try again: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04.

Cancelled due to high water. It’s hard to chainsaw logs six feet under.

Join us at Langdale Park on the Withlacoochee River seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this one, continuing after the last one on this route.

Depending on conditions such as water level, we may instead start at Troupville Boat Ramp and go down around the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Sunday, February 23, 2025

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-23, Langdale Park Boat Ramp Downstream to Sugar Creek]
Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-23, Langdale Park Boat Ramp Downstream to Sugar Creek

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Pictures: Troupville upstream Withlacoochee chainsaw cleanup 2025-02-08

Update 2025-04-01: Clean Franks Creek 2025-02-26 and Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-02-27.

Yesterday from Troupville Boat Ramp around the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River, we were stopped by the same CiHiG Deadfall that stopped us back on November 23, 2024.

[Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup, Saturday, February 8, 2025]
Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup, Saturday, February 8, 2025

The lower log was partly exposed yesterday, but not enough to get two cuts out of it.

The water level was 119.88 feet NAVD88 on the Valdosdta Gauge.

We also went up the Little River a few miles and back. More on that later.

Meanwhile, today you can join us for Langdale Park Downstream Withlacoochee Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-09.

Yesterday, TJ Johnson, leading this expedition, got one good cut in with wedges to keep it from jamming the saw. Continue reading →

Cancelled: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-02-15

Update 2025-04-01: Try again: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville 2025-03-04.

Update 2025-02-14: Outing cancelled due to high water and Sugar Creek contamination. Join us instead for Withlacoochee River Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-23.
https://wwals.net/?p=66972

Join us between the Little River Confluence and Sugar Creek on the Withlacoochee River seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

Thanks to TJ Johnson for coming up from Live Oak, Florida, to lead this one.

If we’re lucky and we’ve finished this stretch in previous chainsaw cleanups, we’ll switch to Langdale Park downstream.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, February 15, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

[Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, upstream from Troupville, Saturday, February 15, 2025]
Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, upstream from Troupville, Saturday, February 15, 2025

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River upstream from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, 2025-02-09

Update 2025-02-09: Rerouted to Langdale Park Downstream Withlacoochee Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-09.

Join us between the Little River Confluence and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River seeking deadfalls to chainsaw and trash to collect.

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this one.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 2 PM, Sunday, February 9, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

[Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-09, upstream from Troupville, Thanks Phil Hubbard]
Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-02-09, upstream from Troupville, Thanks Phil Hubbard

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6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle Set for March 15, 2025 –City of Valdosta PR 2025-01-28

City of Valdosta press release:

The City of Valdosta and Lowndes County are excited to announce the 6th Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, a collaborative event promoting clean waterways and outdoor activity. This year’s paddle will take place on Saturday, March 15, 2025, beginning at Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

[6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle]
6th Annual Mayor Chairmans Paddle

Participants are encouraged to gather at the boat ramp at 8 a.m., with the paddle officially starting at 10 a.m. The event offers two options for paddlers: a two-hour trip to Berta’s Kitchen or Sugar Creek or a full four-hour journey ending at the Troupville Boat Ramp. Along the route, paddlers will travel under the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, past the Wood Valley Subdivision, Sheri Run, and under the I-75 and GA 133 highway bridges.

This annual event highlights the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways.

Continue reading →