Tag Archives: Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail

WTXL TV: Berrien County subdivision delayed as soil permit question stalls planning commission 2025-08-21

Update 2025-08-26: Videos: Bradford Road @ Berrien County Planning Commission 2025-08-21.

We all spent an hour at a Berrien County Planning Commission meeting that should not have been held, because the applicant had not submitted a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan as required by county ordinances. There are many other objections to plopping a subdivision onto agricultural land on a dirt road.

WTXL TV: Berrien County subdivision tabled a month, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan 2025-08-21

Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, August 21, 2025, Berrien County subdivision delayed as soil permit question stalls planning commission: Neighbors say a new subdivision threatens farmland as well as increases risks of floods after rain,

VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — Neighbors in Berrien County say a proposed subdivision could forever change the farmland and heritage they’ve built over generations.

The planning commission tabled its recommendation after uncertainty over permits and county bylaws.
Neighbors argue the Bradford Road project would harm farmland, heritage, and community ties.
Watch the video below for more details on the project and the next steps.
Continue reading →

Pictures: Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, 2025-08-03

We chainsawed 1.32 miles down the Withlacoochee River from Langdale Park Boat Ramp to the bottom edge of the park, which is exactly 1/2 the way to Sugar Creek.

We’ll probably need a visa to exit the park through that massive deadfall.

In addition to numerous other deadfalls, we saw three wasp nests and Three Mile Branch.

Wasps and Deadfalls, Longer chainsaw 2025-08-03, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for organizing this chainsaw cleanup and for doing most of the chainsawing.

There’s even rare accidental proof that I chainsawed. And yes, I did have another sharper chain.

We are still clearing passage through deadfalls (trees across the river) from Hurricane Helene and that fell down afterwards. We will be back in a few weeks. Continue reading →

Pictures: More Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-31

We went back to where we stopped the previous trip, and got the deadfalls about a 1/3 of a mile down the Withlacoochee River from Langdale Park Boat Ramp. Yes, we’re still clearing passage through deadfalls (trees across the river) from Hurricane Helene.

Pictures: More Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park 2025-07-31, Withlacoochee River, Very hot that day

We used the Old Town Camper canoe donated to WWALS by Bob and Sue Raffaele.

This may be the fewest pictures I’ve ever posted from an outing, because it’s hard to photograph while paddling or chainsawing.

We went back again that Sunday, August 3; stay tuned for a report. Continue reading →

Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2025-08-16

Update 2025-08-25: Pictures: Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16.

Update 2025-08-15: Clean river water at Franklinville, Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-13.

Clean up trash in the Withlacoochee River from Franklinville Landing in hardwood floodplain for about a mile downstream, past Cat Creek.

This is mostly a walking cleanup.

If you want to bring a kayak or canoe, those could also be useful, although you’re probably going to be dragging them a bit.

We have the enthusiastic support of the landowner.

Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, A mile of river frontage, Hardwood floodplain

Per our usual arrangement, Lowndes County Public Works will come get the trash after we bag it and set it on the public road right of way. We will also visit the nearby monument to Franklinville, which was the county seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta and before Troupville.

When: 9 AM, Saturday, August 16, 2025

Put In: Franklinville Landing, 6560 Franklinville Road, Hahira, GA 31632, in Lowndes County. From Skipper Bridge Road, go east on Franklinville Road to Tyler Bridge, which is closed.

GPS: 30.981249, -83.268027 Continue reading →

Bradford Road Rezoning in Berrien County, GA, Land Development Districts 2025-08-21

Update 2025-08-22: WTXL TV: Berrien County subdivision delayed as soil permit question stalls planning commission 2025-08-21.

Thanks to Berrien County, Georgia, Zoning Administrator Teresa Willis for calling to discuss the proposed rezoning on Bradford Road.

Bradford Road Rezoning

She noted the current zoning is in the last map in the packet she previously sent:

Map: Zoning map with recently purchased tracts in yellow
PDF

Zoom in and look for the letters AU in black on the dark blue background. The entire area is zoned AU, which is for agricultural use.

She does not know what the proposed rezoning is, since the applicant has not sent further materials, and it is possible he may not do so until the day of the Planning Commission Public Hearing.

She said the housing subdivision he proposes does not necessarily require a rezoning. However, as I pointed out in the previous post, that would not really fit with the Comprehensive Plan.

She also sent an extract from the Berrien County Land Development Code with all the zoning district names. Continue reading →

Bradford Road rezoning, Berrien County, GA 2025-08-21

Update 2025-08-01: Actually, they did send a zoning map, if you know how to look at it. Bradford Road Rezoning in Berrien County, GA, Land Development Districts 2025-08-21.
https://wwals.net/?p=68096

It’s not clear how nine or more house lots of about 2.25 acres fit the Berrien County Comprehensive Plan Strategy for an Agriculture Character Area: “Preserve the rural/agricultural character of these areas by maintaining very low-density residential development primarily accessory to farm operations and large lot sizes.”

The Planning Commission Public Hearing is August 21, and the County Commission Public Hearing is September 2, both at 201 North Davis Street, Nashville, GA 31639.

A previous Public Hearing was mysteriously cancelled.

Yet we hear the developer had already commenced laying out lots. If that is true, it seems odd, to say the least.

Bradford Road rezoning, Berrien County, GA, Withlacoochee River, Gin Creek Branch, 5:30 PM, Thursday, August 21, 2025

There is a petition against this rezoning.
https://chng.it/kKDVsN92xT

You can call or write Berrien County or come to the Public Hearings.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/630315536402503/

Speaking of which, what is the proposed rezoning? I thank Bradford County staff for sending the board packet in response to a WWALS Open Records request. But I don’t see in it any indication of what the proposed rezoning is. Nothing in the board packet says what is the proposed action.

I also do not see a zoning map, nor a future zoning map for after rezoning. And there is no zoning map on the Berrien County Commission website that I can find.

That board packet is on the WWALS website.

Here is the applicant’s survey map. Continue reading →

Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, 2025-08-03

Update 2025-08-14: Pictures: Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-03.

Join us to paddle downstream from Langdale Park Boat Ramp to clear passage through whatever we encounter on the Withlacoochee River. Yes, we are still clearing passage through deadfalls (trees across the river) from Hurricane Helene.

This Sunday chainsaw cleanup is longer and starts earlier than the one Thursday.
https://wwals.net/?p=68051

The Withlacoochee River is very low, so we will be taking a canoe, and you can too, or a kayak.

Nobody has to saw. You can come pick up trash, photograph, or just float along.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 3:30 PM, Sunday, August 3, 2025

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, downstream from the North Valdosta Road (US 41) Bridge, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

Longer chainsaw, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, 9 AM, Saturday, August 2, 2025

Continue reading →

More chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-31

Update 2025-08-04: Pictures: More Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-31.

Update 2025-07-29: If you can’t come Thursday afternoon, join us Sunday morning, Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-03.

Join us to float down about a 1/3 of a mile to a cluster of 4 trees where we stopped last trip, still clearing passage through deadfalls (trees across the river) from Hurricane Helene.

The Withlacoochee River is very low, so we will be taking a canoe, and you can too, or a kayak.

Nobody has to saw. You can come pick up trash, photograph, or just float along.

This will be a very brief paddle. We’ll be back Saturday for more. You can join us then, too.

When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, end 7 PM, Thursday, July 31, 2025

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, downstream from the North Valdosta Road (US 41) Bridge, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

More chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-31, Canoes or kayaks, Saw, photograph, or pick up trash

Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw upstream from Troupville, Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-12

Well, we sawed a path through the first deadfall, a tenth of a mile up the Withlacoochee River.

Chainsaw upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, July 12, 2025

Then the 9.9 hp Mercury outboard, which we thought was fixed, was back to its old tricks: stops while idling, won’t keep going in gear, if you do cajole it to run fast, as soon as it idles, it stops again.

We used both the trolling motors with the LiFePO4 batteries to get back up the Little River to Troupville Boat Ramp.

After further tinkering with the 9.9 hp outboard, we resolved to put the 25 hp Mercury outboard on the WWALS jon boat. We did that, and we put a prop guard on it. No pictures of all that; sorry.

The 9.9 hp outboard is at Winsel’s Boats to see if he can fix it.

Thanks to Wild Green Future for the generous grant that bought both outboard motors, the 86lb-thrust trolling motor, and the two batteries, as well as the Husqvarna Rancher 460 24-inch chainsaw, as well as some other equipment.

Part of the deal was we would put a sticker on the boat: Four Good Caws. It’s a pun. Continue reading →

Water smell and color, Lowndes County north water system 2025-07-07

Complaints of “overwhelming sulfide smells” come from across the north of Lowndes County about water in homes supplied by Lowndes County, Georgia. See below for how to report this problem to Lowndes County Utilities and to WWALS, and how to get your water tested.

If you want to speak to Lowndes County Commissioners or staff, they’re having a Regular Session this evening at 5:30 PM, at 327 N. Ashley Street, 2nd Floor.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25100

You can speak in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, or talk to them before or after the meeting.

Water smell and color 2025-07-07, Lowndes County north water system, Please report any problems, Get your water tested

For example, Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.