Tag Archives: Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail

WWALS Boomerang, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park, 2018-11-03

Update 2018-10-28: Now at State Line Ramp! Yes, we’ve moved downstream, to plenty of water, no deadfalls, plus shoals, in two states (Georgia and Florida) and four counties (Lowndes, Brooks, Madison, and Hamilton).

Update 2018-10-25: See new blog post with PDF flyers including new sponsors the YMCA and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, plus food by Under Construction BBQ, and at the turnaround walk up to The Salty Snapper, with aerial drone photography by The Georgia Photography Fanatic.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Update 2018-10-08: Early-bird $20 ticket deadline extended through October 13th!

Downstream and up again: it’s the WWALS Boomerang, from Langdale Park Boat Ramp to Sugar Creek Landing on the Withlacoochee River. Join us for a fun filled day of kayak and canoe racing and leisurely paddling.

WWALS Boomerang, Logo New WWALS board member Bobby McKenzie, whose son Zavier was the youngest finisher at our spring BIG Little River Paddle Race, has volunteered to organize a fall race, with the enthusiastic support of the board and the Outings Committee.

We would also like to thank George Page, Executive Director of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), for his and VLPRA’s support. VLPRA renovated Langdale Park last year, so let’s go boat from there.

When: 11:00 AM, November 3, 2018

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602. This is just outside the Valdosta City limits in Lowndes County, off of North Valdosta Road (US 41 North). Only 5.5 miles from downtown and only 4 miles from Valdosta State University.

GPS: 30.88727, -83.32395

Tickets: $20 per boat through extended October 13, then $30.
We also recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

The very picture of a lazy river
Withlacoochee River, 2016-03-20.

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Updates from Trails Committee Meeting 2018-08-19

Here’s an update on the draft brochures for both WWALS Water Trails, after the recent meeting of the WWALS Water Trails Committee. We could still use more pictures.

Please email pictures to wwalswatershed@gmail.com. Please say who took each picture, when, where, and of what. High resolution, please.

ARWT Mapside, ARWT

If you want to join the WWALS Trails Committee to help continue organizing this work, actually editing the documents shown below, you must be a WWALS member and apply.

What

The Trails Committee is working on brochures for Continue reading →

Brochures: Trails Committee Meeting 2018-08-19

After only four years, we’re almost finished with both WWALS Water Trails! You can help get them done.

The new Chair of the WWALS Trails Committee, Dan Phillips, has called a meeting to work on one of the final steps: designing printed brochures. Anyone can attend, and anyone can send in pictures or suggestions.

Please email pictures to wwalswatershed@gmail.com. Please say who took each picture, when, where, and of what. High resolution, please.

When: 2:30-5PM, Sunday, 19 August 2018

Where: Community Hall 2,
South Georgia Regional Library,
2906 Julia Dr, Valdosta, GA 31602

By phone: Dial-in Number: (641) 715-3580
Meeting ID: 855-676

Event: facebook, meetup

WLRWT Mapside, WLRWT

If you want to join the WWALS Trails Committee to help continue organizing this work, actually editing the documents shown below, you must be Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River near Troupville 2018-07-21

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]
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)]
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]
Beavers?, 2018:07:14 10:02:45, 30.8491566, -83.3404211

Trash, River
Trash, River

Start of cutoff, Oxbow cutoff
Start of cutoff, Oxbow cutoff

Narrow, Oxbow cutoff
Narrow, Oxbow cutoff

Deer stand, Oxbow cutoff

[Deer stand, 2018:07:14 10:11:39, 30.8472271, -83.3428214]
Deer stand, 2018:07:14 10:11:39, 30.8472271, -83.3428214

Reflections, Oxbow cutoff
Reflections, Oxbow cutoff

Wider, Oxbow cutoff
Wider, Oxbow cutoff

Deadfall ready to block entire river, Oxbow cutoff
Deadfall ready to block entire river, Oxbow cutoff

[Side deadfall, 2018:07:14 10:17:13, 30.8461670, -83.3430003]
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]
End of cutoff, 2018:07:14 10:18:11, 30.8467601, -83.3425382

Trees, Downstream

[Trees, 2018:07:14 10:41:51, 30.8479584, -83.3408428]
Trees, 2018:07:14 10:41:51, 30.8479584, -83.3408428

[Power line, 2018:07:14 10:52:08, 30.8499246, -83.3400640]
Power line, 2018:07:14 10:52:08, 30.8499246, -83.3400640

[Submerged deadfall, 2018:07:14 11:14:34, 30.8519610, -83.3391584]
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!

Google Map

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.

Deadfall, Withlacoochee River, upstream of I-75, 2018-07-21

Update 2018-07-24: Deadfalls and an oxbow cutoff downstream by Troupville, with a map including the deadfall in this post.

Yet another deadfall in the Withlacoochee River, this one just upstream from the I-75 bridge, discovered by intrepid WWALS explorer Aaron Sirmons.

Deadfall middle, Deadfall
Deadfall

Finding out what’s in the rivers is part of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

More pictures: Continue reading →

Pictures of all the BLRPR paddlers 2018-04-28

You’ve seen who won the eleven awards. Now here are the rest of the paddlers in the 6th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, from more counties, states, and watersheds than ever before. Also more Solo Female Kayaks than Solo Male Kayaks, and several whole families of paddlers.

[Finish]
Finish

Statistics: 2018 BIG Little River Paddle Race

43 Boats 
37 kayaks
6 canoes

49 Paddlers
29 male
20 female Continue reading →

All winners of BIG Little River Paddle Race 2018-04-28

Previously you saw the overall winner of the 6th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, organized by WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) and Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB), Saturday, April 28, 2018. Update 2018-07-16: Plus pictures of all the paddlers.

Here are all the winners:


The prize category is included for each winner.

Continue reading →

A week on the Withlacoochee River in June?

Somebody asked recently whether it is possible to paddle a week on the Withlacoochee River in Georgia in June. Sure, as long as you start not too far upstream on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), you can paddle past shoals and little-known Georgia springs into the Florida springs heartland, and then continue a day or two on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail (SRWT). WWALS has paddled many of the most interesting stretches multiple times, often in June.

Troupville to Suwannee River Rendezvous
Troupville to Suwannee River Rendezvous

Here’s some history of the Withlacoochee River: fishing weirs, shoals, ghost towns, and springs.

Here is a list of access points on the Withlacoochee River with recommended water levels.

Troupville Boat Ramp, Hahira GA 122 Little River Gauge, 137-144′ NAVD88

Your first put in will actually be on the Little River, slightly upstream from its confluence, at Troupville Boat Ramp.

27 April 2016, GA 122 Hahira Little River Gauge 70.9′ (140.6′ NAVD88).
Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) fixed the Troupville access road back in April 2016.

Boatramp
Photo: Julie Bowland

21 April 2018, GA 122 Hahira Little River Gauge 7.2′ (140′ NAVD88).
WWALS did a cleanup at Troupville, in which you can see our water trail signs. See also some history of Troupville, the previous county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia.

Scouts and all, Sign
At Troupville Boat Ramp, by the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted yesterday (2018-04-20).

Georgia Springs on the Withlacoochee River

Three of the six second-magnitude springs in Georgia used to be in Brooks County, Georgia, before somebody apparently tried to Continue reading →

Videos: Gretchen Quarterman about Songwriting Contest on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-06-18

Steve Nichols said on the radio yesterday morning:

“It sounds like a wonderful time, to sit there in a great atmosphere, and listen to some good, original music.”

That’s the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest coming up 1-5PM, this Saturday, June 23, 2018 at the Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.

“Finalists will play, and will be judged. The prizes will be awarded, and of course the acknowledgment of the sponsors.”

Plus a buffet of snacks prepared by the Salty Snapper, including some vegetarian, all for $10 in advance online, and there will be a silent auction and kayak raffle tickets.

Gretchen Quarterman was on the radio with Steve Nichols, WVGA 105.9FM (I was scheduled, but the flu said otherwise; I’m better now).

Gretchen said you don’t need to write a song, just come listen to the finals this Saturday afternoon, with judges

  • Cindy Bear from Jacksonville,
  • Dan Crews from Live Oak, and
  • J.J. Rolle from Valdosta

Plus the Outings Committee has organized a paddle 9AM Saturday morning from Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Landing, just across the railroad tracks from the Salty Snapper, so you can paddle to the songwriting contest. Steve Nichols remarked:

“As a kid, I used to go down that stretch of the river with my friends. When I say as a kid, I was in high school in the early eighties. It would be fun for me to do that trip as a nostalgic trip, and going back and look at that beautiful stretch of river right there.”

Gretchen said the water is high so probably there will be no dragging, and the river is different every time.

Gretchen also showed Steve copies of the metal signs WWALS Outings Chair Phil Hubbard made and planted at Troupville Boat Ramp. She said those would be at all the landings on the Alapaha Water Trail (ARWT) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) as we raise money to put them there.

She showed the metal Sheboggy Boat Ramp signs Phil made to sell so people maybe won’t keep stealing them off the GDOT signposts for their man cave or woman cave.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:


Videos: Gretchen Quarterman about Songwriting Contest on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-06-18
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).

I’ll be on the radio Friday morning; stay tuned for a post about that.

For more WWALS outings and events, see the WWALS Calendar or the Outings and Events list.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Langdale Park to Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, 2018-06-23

A leisurely two-mile morning paddle from the recently reopened Langdale Park on the largest river through the biggest city in the Suwannee River Basin, arriving at the recently rediscovered Sugar Creek Landing, well in time for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest in the afternoon.

When: 9AM, Saturday, June 23, 2018

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

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

Take Out: Sugar Creek Landing, 2410 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602, recently rediscovered next to the YMCA, and just across the railroad tracks from The Salty Snapper, venue of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. If you don’t have a boat, let us know; we may able to loan you one.

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

No sand bar, 11:13:35,, Boat Ramp
Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 1 November 2017, when the water was much lower.

Continue reading →