Two years of politics and less than an hour to install. And a fun summer solstice celebration!
![[Delivery, installation, WaterGoat]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-21--watergoat-sugar-creek/many.jpg)
Delivery, installation, WaterGoat
Today the WaterGoat the Valdosta Mayor announced a month ago was installed on Sugar Creek, where it should stop trash from getting into the Withlacoochee River.
This first trash boom (a steel cable with floats and a 12-inch mesh below it) is a good start. Continue reading
Update 2022-06-24: Bad Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-23.
All WWALS Thursday samples tested clean. But Valdosta got very bad Wednesday results for US 41 and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River. Maybe that has gotten diluted by now. But I’d avoid US 41, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and downstream on the Withlacoochee from Troupville Boat Ramp for this weekend.
Elsewhere, happy boating, swimming, and fishing, so far as we can tell.
For example, come up to Reed Bingham State Park tomorrow (Saturday) for Juneteenth, where WWALS will be getting children (and adults) into boats, some for their first time.
![[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-06-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-16--wq/many.jpg)
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-06-16
What happened at US 41 and GA 133? Continue reading
2022-06-17: WWALS Thursday tests clean, but Valdosta bad Wednesday results for US 41 and GA 122, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-16.
All tested clean: Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers, for Thursday. Sure, those were only a few test sites on each river. But there’s been little rain, none predicted, and no sewage spills reported. So happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend.
Thanks to Continue reading
Update 2022-06-29: Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Troupville 2022-06-25.
Third time’s the charm! Let’s start downstream and go up, to get some more of the deadfalls blocking the Withlacoochee River between Langdale Park Boat Ramp and Troupville Boat Ramp. We know there are logjams between the GA 133 Withlacoochee River Bridge and the Little River Confluence. Phil is scouting out which ones to try first. Gather at Troupville Boat Ramp.
Continue readingUpdate 2022-06-29: Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Troupville 2022-06-25.
A few hours work by Phil Hubbard and Bobby McKenzie cleared a bunch of small and one huge logjam on the Withlacoochee River, downstream from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, in Lowndes County, Georgia, in another chainsaw cleanup.
We will be doing more of these chainsaw cleanups. Stay tuned here, or watch for them on https://wwals.net/outings/ You do not have to chainsaw; you can come clean up.
That’s downstream from Sugar Creek, which drains most of Valdosta, including its trash, some of which you can see in this logjam.
Valdosta has announced purchase of a trash boom to go in Sugar Creek, which will stop much of the trash before it gets to the river. Valdosta still needs at least two more trash booms, and even more it needs to do something to get upstream fast food outlets and parking lots to clean up their acts.
Then this stretch of the Withlacoochee River right next to Valdosta, the most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin, will be great for Continue reading
Update 2022-06-11: Five Rivers Clean 2022-06-09.
Seventh week: all rivers clean! Happy swimming, fishing, and boating in the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.
For example, tomorrow morning, Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-04.
Of course, there can be undetected local water quality problems (see below). But all the WWALS sites tested Thursday got clean results. While there is a prediction of rain today and tomorrow, if it’s like what we’ve been seeing, it will be light and won’t wash much contamination into the river. No sewage spills have been reported in Georgia or Florida in the past week. So have a good weekend.
The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Wednesday upstream and Wednesday of last week downstream. Those were all clean, too.
But earlier contamination was detected in Valdosta results. Continue reading
Update 2022-08-08: Pictures: Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-04.
Because of low water, we’re shifting downstream, to put in at Florida Campsites Ramp and take out at Allen Ramp. That’s a shorter paddle, 5.39 river miles. It still goes by Sullivan Slough and first-magnitude Madison Blue Spring, and there are more springs downstream from there, including second-magnitude Pot Spring, as well as some nice swimming and lunching beaches.
WWALS and Madison and Hamilton Counties, Florida, invite you to paddle and to clean up the Withlacoochee River.
When: Gather 10 AM, launch 11 AM, moonrise 10:40 AM, sunset 8:34 PM, end 2 PM, Saturday, June 4, 2022
Put In: Florida Campsites Ramp, 2137 NW 47th St, Jasper, FL 32052, in Hamilton County, Florida. From Jasper, Hamilton County, FL, travel north on US 41 to SR 6; turn left; travel west on SR 6 to CR 143; turn right and travel north to NW 44 Street; turn left; follow road to NW 45 Street; turn right; follow road to NW 22 Avenue; turn left and follow road to NW 21 Place and ramp is on the right.
Update 2022-06-06: Pictures: Another big logjam in Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee 2022-06-05.
Let’s go back and get some more of the deadfalls blocking the Withlacoochee River between Langdale Park Boat Ramp and Troupville Boat Ramp. There are plenty more deadfalls downstream below the the railroad bridge below Sugar Creek, even after we cut through the first big logjam last time.
This is a cleanup, so there’s plenty for everyone to do. You do not have to use a chainsaw, and we recommend you do not unless you have experience with them. Everyone near a chainsaw please wear safety eyeglasses. And earplugs.
We’re all ears for when the trash boom Valdosta has ordered for Sugar Creek will arrive and get installed. Meanwhile, we’re going ahead with the deadfall clearing while volunteers are enthusiastic, so once the trash is more contained there can be more paddling on the Withlacoochee River.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 12 PM, Sunday, June 5, 2022
Put In: Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Road, Valdosta, GA 31602.
GPS: 30.8625, -83.31875
Bring: Chainsaw or sawzall if you are experienced with using them, plus protective eyewear and earwear. Everyone the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Free: This outing is free because it is a cleanup.
We recommend you support the work of WWALS by
becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations
![[Need a new chain and bar for that chainsaw]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-05-29--chainsaw-cleanup-pictures/20220529_111441.jpg)
Need a new chain and bar for that chainsaw
Update 2022-06-01: Chainsaw cleanup again, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-05.
Some chainsawed, others cleaned up, on the chainsaw cleanup at the Withlacoochee River.
We met at the Salty Snapper parking lot, but we did not actually go to Sugar Creek. We headed straight for the biggest Withlacoochee River impediment, the infamous NSRR Deadfall, a stack of deadfalls (downed trees) across the river downstream of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge.
That took the allotted time of nine to noon. We’ll probably do it again next Sunday; stay tuned.
![[Logjam, Sawing, Cleanup, Banners]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-05-29--chainsaw-cleanup-pictures/many.jpg)
Logjam, Sawing, Cleanup, Banners
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for sawing and Jan Krysa for helping in the boat and in the water. Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner and family for cleaning up.
Also, we did not see much trash actually in the big deadfall, presumably because Continue reading
Update 2022-06-03: Clean Rivers 2022-06-02.
All tested sites Thursday were clean on five rivers: Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers. No sewage spills have been reported in Georgia or Florida in the Suwannee River Basin for the last week. It hasn’t rained much, and no rain is predicted for the weekend.
So happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend!
The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday of last week downstream. Those were all clean, too. Continue reading
![[Chart, River, Swim Guide]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-09--wq/many.jpg)
![[Movie: Electric chainsaw, 30.8630861, -83.3232384 (30M)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-05--chainsaw-withlacoochee-pictures/20220605_112557.jpg)
![[Before, during, after]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-05--chainsaw-withlacoochee-pictures/many.jpg)
![[River, Route]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-06-04--florida-campsites-allen-ramp-withlacoochee-river/many.jpg)
![[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-05-26--wq/many.jpg)