Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

WWALS adds Upper Suwannee as territory

The Upper Suwannee River is new to the WWALS Mission. WWALS Watershed Coalition, a WATERKEEPER® Affiliate, applied in July to WATERKEEPER® Alliance to add that new territory, which was approved 15 July 2015.

Three years ago when WWALS was forming, we decided not to include the Upper Suwannee at that time, because we wanted time to solidify WWALS as an organization in its smaller territory of the watersheds of the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers and all their tributaries. Even then, we put the S in WWALS so it could be redefined to mean Suwannee, so our acronym would expand to Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwannee River watersheds.

WWALS now asks Waterkeeper to add Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 to WWALS territory.

HUC is United States Geological Survey (USGS) jargon for Hydrologic Unit Code. Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 is everything from the Withlacoochee Confluence upstream that drains into the Suwannee River. This 2720 square miles: Continue reading →

Clarified WWALS mission

This clarification of the WWALS Mission was adopted by the WWALS Board at its 8 July 2015 Board Meeting:

WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the
Withlacoochee,
Willacoochee,
Alapaha,
Little, and Upper
Suwannee River
watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

For what each of those terms means, and how they relate to the Goals for 2015 adopted at the same meeting, see Explanation.

To help WWALS accomplish these goals to further its mission, you can join WWALS today!

-jsq

AJC video: Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties

Most people are opposed to the Sabal Trail pipeline, as the Colquitt County landowner says. Drilling in our fragile karst limestone “could potentially carry any contamination down into our groundwater source”, as VSU Geology Prof. Don Thieme says. Why should we risk that for profit for companies from somewhere else and no benefit for here?

Atlanta Journal Constitution, Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties, Continue reading →

FL DEP to issue permit trusting Sabal Trail to prevent leaks into the Floridan Aquifer

Canada’s National Energy Board just ordered Spectra Energy to fix chronic corrosion and leak problems after numerous fines, as did U.S. PHMSA before, yet Florida’s DEP plans to trust Spectra to build the Sabal Trail pipeline on top of our Floridan Aquifer, drilling under the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers.

This in the Notice of Intent to Issue Sabal Trail Transmission of 10 July 2015 sounds good without that context: Continue reading →

Please join the opposition to the Sabal Trail watershed invader –WWALS to SSRWPC

This letter is for today’s Monday 20 July 2015 SSRWPC meeting, at Aniston’s Restaurant, 1404 W. Baker Highway, Douglas, GA. See also the LAKE videos of last month’s SSRWPC meeting. -jsq

PDF

Dear Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council,

WWALS Watershed Coalition is the WATERKEEPER® Affiliate representing the watersheds of the Withlacoochee and Little Rivers, which are in the proposed paths of the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline through Lowndes, Brooks, and Colquitt Counties Georgia.

WWALS has long opposed that pipeline from Alabama to Florida, which is funded by NextEra Energy of Florida and Duke Energy of North Carolina for construction by Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas. WWALS is an intervenor against it with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on docket CP15-17.

Please ask FERC to deny a permit for Sabal Trail

Continue reading →

Sullivan Launch to Blue Spring, Withlacoochee River Outing 2015-10-24

Update 2022-07-20: Better picture labels and access.

Update 2015-10-29: Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring Withlacoochee River 2015-10-24.

Downstream on our tea-colored Withlacoochee River to the Blue Spring, it’s the October WWALS Outing!

When: 9AM Saturday October 24th 2015

Where: Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Springs State Park.

Distance: 10.2 miles, about 5 hours, after a shuttle of about 40 minutes.

Facebook: event.

This outing is Free! But we encourage you to join WWALS today to support our fun outings and important work: /donations/. See our newsletters, and the press Releases and news. And consider joining the new Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee.

Directions: Continue reading →

WWALS Water Trails at Southern Georgia Regional Commission Council 2015-07-23

WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel will speak about the Alapaha River Water Trail (now looking to place signs) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (Committee just formed and looking for more members) at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission Council meeting 11AM July 23rd in Pearson, GA 31642.

Update 2015-07-23: Civic Center, 786 Austin Ave. East, Pearson, GA

According to New Georgia Encyclopedia, Continue reading →

Confluence of the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers

Julie Bowland posted on facebook (reposted here with permission):

Paddled for a couple hours this morning around and downstream from the confluence of the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers…just a couple miles from my house. Forgot to bring a canvas so just played with some mixed media drawing. Fun!
Continue reading →

Agricultural land bought by west coast investors

Investment firms owned by Bill Gates have bought thousands of acress of agricultural land in counties in or near WWALS watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida, all above the Floridan Aquifer, near the Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Withlacoochee, and Suwannee Rivers, as part of a nationwide buying spree of a quarter million acres.

Here’s a summary of what we’ve found thus far. Any more recent posts should be found through this search.

These purchases of hundreds and thousands of contiguous acres are all after Bill Gates announced in 2012 he was going to “fix” agriculture in conjunction with Monsanto and Syngenta.

And it’s not just Bill Gates. Continue reading →

Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee members wanted by WWALS Watershed Coalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee members wanted by WWALS Watershed Coalition

Hahira, June 23^rd 2015 – WWALS Watershed Coalition is pleased to announce the formation of the Withlacoochee River Water Trail (WRWT) Committee. With the Alapaha River Water Trail well on its way to completion, WWALS is ready to take on the Withlacoochee and Little Rivers. We are looking for people to take an active part in developing a recreational water trail for all to enjoy.

Chris Graham, Chair of the Alapaha River Water Trail, said:

“I feel I have accomplished a good deal in our area. Now that the Alapaha River Water Trail brochures are printed and WWALS is starting on the Withlacoochee River Water Trail, I feel it is time for someone in the Little River or Withlacoochee River watersheds to have an option to join the WWALS board to do something good for their river.”

WWALS has already started mapping and gathering information for the Withlacoochee River Water Trail,

/maps/withlacoochee-river-water-trail/

WWALS co-sponsors the “Big Little River Paddle Race” at Reed-Bingham State Park each spring on the Little River, a tributary of the Withlacoochee River. There is the potential for another paddle race on the Withlacoochee in the fall, and we’re looking for ideas for where and who wants to help.

Some of the benefits of a water trail include: