Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade 2022-11-11

Update 2022-11-13: Pictures: Hahira Veterans Day Parade 2022-11-11.

WWALS was invited to participate in the annual Hahira Veterans Day Parade. Some WWALS veterans will be in the parade; others are invited to help at the WWALS booth.

All WWALS members are also invited to help at the booth.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 11 AM, Friday, November 11, 2022

Put In: Downtown Hahira, between the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

Event: facebook,

[WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade]
WWALS at Hahira Veterans Day Parade

Continue reading →

Troupville River Park Kiosk 2022-07-02

A tour around the future site of Troupville River Camp and River Park, at and near the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta, on GA 133 at Val Tech Road, off of I-75 Exit 18. Included are some more pictures of that old dam site and the likely location of the Thomasville Stage Road Bridge on the Little River. Withlacoochee River pictures include the proposed takeout for Troupville River Camp, a slough, and several cleared deadfalls. Plus Old Broad Street. All this could go on a kiosk for Troupville River Park.

[Collage, Troupville, 2022-07-02]
Collage, Troupville, 2022-07-02

Using datapoints from this and other walkarounds, this map includes the apparent routes of two streets of old Troupville, the seat of Lowndes County before Valdosta: Continue reading →

It’s Crawford Branch next to Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River

Phillip Williams has the answer to the first question about the creek that gushes out of the woods into the Withlacoochee River just downstream of Skipper Bridge Road: “For most of the 1800s, it was called Shanks Mill Creek after James D Shanks, who owned a fair bit of land in the area and had a mill a bit further up the run of the creek. By 1908, it was called Crawford Branch. The Crawford family moved to the area in 1866 and purchased the land from the heirs of James D Shanks.”

[Map: Shanks Mill next to Crawford Branch, in WWALS WLRWT map]
Map: Shanks Mill next to Crawford Branch in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

Phillip has also provided the approximate location of Shanks Mill: “”The deeds suggest somewhere in the WH of LL 99. LD 11. I have been locating it about here based upon the geography.” You can see it on the map above, behind Ziegler’s Auto Body Shop, about where there are dams now on a feeder creek.

How does Phillip know all this? Continue reading →

What is this creek next to Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River? 2022-11-03

Update 2022-11-07: It’s Crawford Branch next to Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2022-11-03.

Just south (downstream) of Skipper Bridge, left (east) bank, Withlacoochee River: what is this creek gushing water during a drought?

[Pictures, Map]
Pictures, Map

Where is all that water coming from? It was really flowing Thursday, after no rain for weeks. Continue reading →

Creek and river water quality problems 2022-11-03

Update 2022-11-11: Good river water quality, but rain 2022-11-10.

Downstream of the Little River Confluence should be fine for boating, swimming, or fishing in the Withlacoochee River this weekend, and apparently same for the Little and Alapaha Rivers.

On the Withlacoochee River, I got a high E. coli result at Langdale Park Boat Ramp, but there’s not enough water to paddle there anyway.

No new sewer spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

[Chart, Creeks and Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-11-03]
Chart, Creeks and Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-11-03

WWALS tested 23 sites yesterday: the usual 1 on the Alapaha River, 2 on the Little River, and 9 on the Withlacoochee River and 11 on its upstream creeks Cat Creek, Beatty Branch, and Beaverdam Creek, plus Sugar Creek.

We are trying to find the source of the high E. coli Valdosta keeps finding at US 41 and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →

Which Withlacoochee River bridge is highest? 2022-11-03

Hint: the answer is not Tyler Bridge on Franklinville Road.

Which of the other three Withlacoochee River Bridges is highest? GA 133? US 41 (North Valdosta Road)? Or Skipper Bridge?

[Four Withlacoochee River bridges]
Four Withlacoochee River bridges

How do I know? I threw a bucket off each bridge, and dragged it back up twice with water in it. Continue reading →

Video: Summary of water quality testing at Lowndes County Commission 2022-10-11

Most of the Lowndes County Commissioners were not familiar with the water quality testing WWALS is doing, and now they are.

[Summary of WWALS water quality testing @ LCC 2022-10-11]
Summary of WWALS water quality testing @ LCC 2022-10-11

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Bad Beatty Branch and Cat Creek, good downstream Withlacoochee River 2022-10-27

Update 2022-11-04: Creek and river water quality problems 2022-11-03.

After a drizzle of rain Wednesday and several high readings by Valdosta at US 41 and GA 133, WWALS tested upstream creeks yesterday, in addition to the usual river locations. Some of the creek results are much higher than expected.

[Chart, Creeks, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Creeks, Rivers, Swim Guide

So far, it looks like downstream of the Little River Confluence on the Withlacoochee River is probably good for fishing, swimming, and boating.

There’s not enough water in the Withlacoochee higher up to paddle anyway. But I’ll have four more Withlacoochee River results tomorrow to fill in the upstream gaps. Continue reading →

What happened to Langdale Park? 2022-08-05

Update 2023-09-29: After Hurricane Idalia: Langdale Park open for walk-ins, Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County, GA 2023-09-28.

Many people have asked, “Have you seen the land clearing near the entrance to Langdale Park? Wonder what that is about?”

[Langdale Park entrance and maps]
Langdale Park entrance and maps

Yesterday I actually missed my turn into Langdale Park because I didn’t recognize it, with all the trees cut down. Continue reading →

Franklinville, Skipper Bridge, Langdale Park, GA 133, Withlacoochee River WQ 2022-10-27

Yesterday I went to five water quality testing sites and sampled four of them. Results tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Brunner sampled nine sites on Cat Creek, Beatty Branch, and Beaverdam Creek. If nothing else we should have a good baseline to use in deciphering what is causing the E. coli and Fecal coliform that keeps showing up at US 41 and GA 133.

And inquiring minds want to know: what happened to all the trees at the entrance to Langdale Park?

[4.5 sites, Withlacoochee River, 2022-10-27]
4.5 sites, Withlacoochee River, 2022-10-27

Toms Branch

No water in Toms Branch, so no sample. Continue reading →