Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

Charlie Walker dried off in time on KIX 99.5 FM for the BIG Little River Paddle Race 2017-04-26

Last year paddling the Withlacoochee River Charlie Walker fell in before we got to Langdale Park, but he’s dried off now and ready for the BIG Little River Paddle Race.

Movie: Charlie Walker and BLPR (75M) As we discussed this morning on KIX 99.5 FM, come on down to Reed Bingham State Park between Adel and Moultrie Saturday morning at 8AM, and stay for the the grilled lunch and the silent auction. You do not have to train by paddline upstream; you can just paddle the excellent course three miles downstream past cypress, pines, great blue herons, turtles, and fish. Charlie Walker, 99.5 KIX Country Don’t pet the alligators and they won’t bother you.

Remember to register online or at the event Saturday morning. And you can get tickets for the kayak raffle, either at the race or online!

Here’s the video. Continue reading →

FL Sen. Nelson to EPA about Valdosta sewage and response

Here is a letter from Florida Senator Bill Nelson to the EPA about the Valdosta wastewater situation, and the EPA’s response, which was underwhelming.

A suggestion: say what it is you’d like the EPA, GA-EPD, FDEP, etc. to actually do. And what I’d suggest is get them all to fund and implement regular, frequent, closely spaced, water quality monitoring along all the rivers in the Suwannee River Basin. That way we’d know where pollution is coming from, we’d be able to calibrate what cities including Valdosta say from their own monitoring, and we’d have baselines to compare to.

Sen. Bill Nelson to EPA

Continue reading →

Protection of the Suwannee River against Valdosta Sewage –City of Fanning Springs, FL 2017-04-11

Not just for all seven downstream Florida counties anymore: the City of Fanning Springs has also passed a resolution asking the Florida governor to help stop Valdosta wastewater spills. Maybe Valdosta will pay attention this time.

The Valdosta City Council and Mayor didn’t seem to understand when I used the Suwannee County resolution to draw attention to the part about:

“which again resulted in the Florida Department of Health issuing public health advisories warning the public of wastewater contamination in the Withlacoochee River and portions of the Historic Suwannee River, which resulted in warnings being posted at all public access areas along the rivers stating that the rivers were not safe for recreational use and every precaution should be taken to avoid any contact with the river;”

Maybe I should have tried this pithier part at the end: Continue reading →

River spraying erosion, Withlacoochee River

Received yesterday:

The property owner sprayed this section of bank along the Withlacoochee with roundup several years ago. This picture clearly shows why we need to protect and leave intact the vegetation along the river banks. The erosion has only occurred at the section that was denuded of vegetation.

Chris Mericle

Denuded bluff,
Madison County side, 30.4162370, -83.2077630.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Sabal Trail a month late and still sending the press disinformation

No, Ms. Grover, your pipeline is not a job generator for Florida, Georgia, or Alabama, and yes, you’ve slipped your schedule.

“Florida is swarming with protests, like an antbed stirred up by a 600-mile pipeline stick,” John S. Quarterman, president, WWALS Watershed Coalition

You know what would bring economic benefits to the Sunshine State? Solar power, which already employs more people than coal, oil, and natural gas combined, which produced 1 in 20 new jobs last year, and last year solar power produced more new electricity than any other source.

Ms. Grover is paid to picture that fossil-fuel cash-out in the best possible light. Yet once you know the actual facts, it looks more like the Picture of Dorian Gray.


“How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June…. If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!” —Dorian Gray, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Joseph A. Mann Jr., FloridaBulldog.org, 23 March 2017, With help from investor-Gov. Scott, Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline looks to open in June, Continue reading →

Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Springs, Withlacoochee River, 2017-06-24

Update 2017-06-26: A fine day on the Withlacoochee River from Sullivan Landing to Madison Blue Spring 2017-06-24.

Paddle with WWALS to one of the most beautiful springs on the Withlacoochee River, from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring, about 6.5 hours including shuttle, with lunch, swim stops, and bon-bons, of course.

Shuttle map Bring the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Bring a canoe or kayak if you’ve got one, otherwise there are plenty of outfitters, or let us know and many of us have extra boats.

When: 9AM Saturday 24 May June 2017

Put In: Sullivan Launch, river mile 21.9
From Pinetta, travel east on CR 150; turn right at the bridge and follow road to launch.

GPS: 30.595667, -83.26

Duration: 6.5 hours

Event: facebook

Free: This outing is Free! And we recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Take Out: Continue reading →

Springsheds and Water Withdrawal Permits in the Suwannee River Basin

This figure for Florida water withdrawal permits in the Suwannee River springsheds shows by far the largest blue dots for the biggest withdrawal permits in Hamilton County at the location of the PCS Phosphate mine.

Fig. 4: Principal springsheds (red lines) + consumptive use permits (dots sized by withdrawal rate), Florida portion of Suwannee River springshed.

Fig. 4: Principal springsheds (red lines) + consumptive use permits (dots sized by withdrawal rate), Florida portion of Suwannee River springshed.

Thanks to Continue reading →

Brooks County, Springs Capital of Georgia

Brooks County can boast three springs of a type usually thought to be only in Florida. Of only about six second magnitude springs in Georgia, three are downstream from US 84: Wade or Blue Springs, sadly defunct; McIntyre Spring, large and easily accessible in the right bank emerging from 4610 feet of caverns back under Brooks County; and Arnold Springs, actually three small springs in the left bank.

Movie: Swimming at McIntyre Spring (1.5M)
Picture by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition 9 July 2016,
as are all the other pictures herein not otherwise labeled.

And there are numerous shoals between these springs.

Springs

Continue reading →

Videos: Coal ash at Valdosta City Council and Lowndes County Commission 2017-03-09-14

Continuing after the recent public meetings, WWALS and others talked about coal ash at the Valdosta City Council March 9th, with a puzzling response from the Mayor, and at the Lowndes County Commission March 14th, with an interruption by the Chairman and no other response. Both city and county have had the same members on the board of the Deep South Solid Waste Management Authority (WMA) since 2005, so presumably they have more control than they want to admit over the local privatized landfill with its coal ash, PCBs, and Superfund wastewater. Remember, that landfill is a quarter mile uphill from the Withlacoochee River and in a Floridan Aquifer recharge zone.

WWALS Executive Directory Gretchen Quarterman spoke at both meetings. WWALS member Bill Worstell spoke at the Valdosta City Council meeting, as did J.D. Rice. (Meanwhile, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and one other spoke to the Valdosta City Council about sewage.)

Here are LAKE videos of each speaker, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →