Tag Archives: Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail

Berrien County about ARWT Landings

WWALS would like to thank the Berrien County Board of Commissioners and staff for years of cooperation about the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) and the many landings on it in Berrien County, as well as the one landing in Berrien County on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Here is a letter from September 2016 granting WWALS permission to put signs on county property at all the water trail landings it names, and a Commission vote to change two access points from having Landing in their name to be called instead Sheboggy Boat Ramp and Berrien Beach Boat Ramp.

Letter from Berrien County 2016-09-14

Thanks to Continue reading →

Pictures: BIG Little River Paddle Race 2018-04-28

Update 2018-07-05: All the winners. Update 2018-07-16: All the paddlers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, GA, April 29, 2018 — With the first-ever winner from Florida and a new record time, the next two categories one each from Tift and Lowndes Counties, Georgia, and a record number paddlers from 4 to 67 years old, the BIG Little River Paddle Race at Reed Bingham State Park Saturday was a fun time and a successful fundraiser for Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB) and WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).

Trophy, The winner: Lloyd Reeves, Crescent City, FL

Lloyd Reeves drove three hours from Crescent City, Florida, with a very fast kayak, to become the first-ever Florida winner, and he proved himself a winner in another way with the prize.

In addition to the First Prize trophy, winner Reeves got a hundred dollar bill from race organizer Bret Wagenhorst of WWALS. and a matching hundred dollar bill from Dianne Walters of FORB. Reeves then Continue reading →

Video: Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols Drive-time Radio 2018-04-24

This morning I was on The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols on 105.9 FM WVGA, Valdosta, Georgia, which Steve says reaches 100,000 people. We talked about all the things we said we would: Troupville cleanup, water trails, paddle race, film festival, songwriting contest, outings, and more.

Here’s the video extracted from WVGA’s facebook live.

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols Drive-time Radio 2018-04-24
Video by Black Crow Media for WVGA 105.9 FM, Valdosta, GA

I don’t know why the video is mirror-flipped, but below are a few stills right-way around.

If you want to see the whole morning’s video, it’s on the show’s website. This interview runs about -23:40 to -1:20.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Troupville cleanup, Interview

Hi, Helen, Interview

Tires and a boat, Interview

Metal signs, Interview

Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, Interview

BIG Little River Paddle Race, Reed Bingham SP, 2018-04-28, Interview

Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Cedar Key, 2018-06-23, Interview

Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Valdosta, 2018-05-31, Interview

Newsletter: Tannin Times, Interview

WWALS clean sweep at site of old Troupville, GA 2018-04-21

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 →

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols drive-time radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-04-24

Update 2018-04-24: video.

Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM I’ll be on the air with Steve Nichols talking about:

the Sixth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race (BLRPR) this Saturday, April 28th, at Reed Bingham State Park west of Adel,
the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta May 31st, and
the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest in Cedar Key, FL June 23, 2018.

Plus the cleanup we just did at the site of old Troupville (thanks KLVB, VLPRA, and especially the landowners, including Helen Tapp), the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), and maybe a few words about water quality monitoring.

When: 8:30 AM Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Where: The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols, 105.9FM WVGA Continue reading →

Pictures, Troupville Cleanup 2018-04-21

Update 2018-04-23: More detail from cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie, a word from property owner Helen Tapp, about sponsors of the water trail, a press release, where WWALS was at three other events that same day, and how you can find upcoming WWALS outings and events.

Cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie reported from the Troupville cleanup this morning:

We had about 50 folks come out this morning. Thanks to the Boy Scouts Troop 429 and 454 as well as Girl Scout Troop 40267 for coming to help out. We also had a couple folks from Moody.

At Troupville Boat Ramp, by the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted yesterday.

Continue reading →

Troupville Boat Ramp Signs 2018-04-20

WWALS Outings Committee Chair Phil Hubbard made these metal signs and planted them yesterday at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River. Meet at these signs for the cleanup this morning, led by WWALS member Bobby McKenzie.

Phil said he had some difficulty Continue reading →

Paddle Race, Film festival, Songwriting Contest, and Water Trails @ VCC 2018-04-05

The audience was amused at the thought of the Valdosta City Council racing at Reed Bingham, or of any of them writing songs. But it could happen! And any of them can come on down to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Valdosta.

You’ve already seen the videos of the two resolutions, for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Here are videos of three WWALS members thanking Valdosta Mayor and Council for those, plus three festivals. We call WWALS a coalition because many people are involved, from many backgrounds, doing many different things to conserve and advocate for our watersheds being swimmable, fishable, and at least our well water drinkable.

There’s a playlist at the end.

6. Water Trails and BIG Little River Paddle Race —Phil Hubbard, WWALS Outings Committee Chair Continue reading →

Valdosta passed resolution for Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2018-04-05

As scheduled, the resolution was introduced by Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber, moved by Council Vivian Miller-Cody, seconded by Tim Carroll, and approved unanimously. Mayor John Gayle then volunteered that despite the empty seats, which he attributed to spring break, they did have a quorum with four Council members and the Mayor.

Here’s the video, followed by the resolution: Continue reading →

Troupville Cleanup, Little River, 2018-04-21

By permission of the landowners, WWALS will be cleaning up the site of Troupville, the previous county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia. Its nineteenth-century residents picked up everything and moved it when Valdosta was founded, so there’s not much to see but beautiful riverfront, in Between the Rivers LLC, down to the confluence of the Little River with the Withlacoochee River. Unfortunately, there is trash, which we will clean up. We hope to have some history experts explaining what used to be there.

This cleanup is in conjunction with Keep Lowndes Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB) The Great American Cleanup, and is part of Waterkeeper® Alliance Cleanup Week.

When: 8:30 AM – Noon, Saturday, April 21, 2018

Gather at: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18.
Park here to walk to the cleanup site.
No boat required, but if you want to bring a boat, you can put in here and paddle back.

GPS: 30.85131, -83.34743

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.

Free: This outing is free to everyone. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Site of Troupville at the confluence of the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Lowndes County parcel 0057 003, Between the Rivers LLC