Tag Archives: WLRWT

Pictures: Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11

We got about half a Withlacoochee River mile downstream from Langdale Park Boat Ramp. We cleared passage through six deadfalls or other obstructions.

Plus a Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, and we didn’t get pictures but saw a Great Blue Heron, some hawks, a few buzzards, and other birds we couldn’t identify.

We clear passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats, leaving plenty of habitat for wildlife.

https://wwals.net/?p=69810

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition, and Andrew Reinlieb for helping.

Pictures: Langdale Park, Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2026-06-11

There will be Public Hearing about a proposed communications tower in Langdale Park, at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, after which the Lowndes County Commission will decide.

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25896

The Valdosta @ US 41 read 4.12 feet (114.42 feet NAVD88), which is lower than our lowest boatable recommendation of 5.7 feet, 116′ NAVD. We picked a day with the lowest recent water level so we could get deadfalls that other wise would be underwater. Continue reading →

Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11

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Update 2026-07-13: Pictures: Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11.

Come help us clear passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats on the Withlacoochee River.

You do not have to saw. You can pick up trash, photograph, pull aside sawed branches, or just paddle along. Bring a rope for the front of your boat, because with the water this low there will probably be dragging.

We hope to at least get as far as the logjam at the south end of the park, which is about 1.32 river miles, and then we paddle back up.

If we’re really lucky, we’ll get as far as Sugar Creek, which is twice as far. If so, we might take out there, or we might paddle back up.

If we get crazy with the heat, we might even go all the way down and up the Little River to Troupville Boat Ramp, which is 6.7 miles. This is unlikely.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, July 11, 2026

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, At the end of Hyta Mederer Drive, off of 3781 N. Valdosta Road, Valdosta, GA 31602, downstream from the North Valdosta Road (US 41) Bridge, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, July 11, 2026

Continue reading →

Madison Blue Spring browned out 2026-06-26

Verizon tower in Langdale Park? @ GLPC 2026-06-29

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Verizon Wireless wants to put a 159-foot-tall communications tower in Langdale Park, a stone’s throw from the main trail kiosk, too close to White Trail A, and with no demonstration that no existing tower would do, not even an inventory of existing towers.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) will hear this case at 5:30 PM, Monday, June 29, 2026, and the Lowndes County Commission will decide at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

County staff wrote that the application satisfies the requirements of the county’s Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Actually, it fails to do so in at least four ways.

Verizon tower in Langdale Park? Next to White Trail? @ GLPC 2026-06-29

The GLPC agenda sheet for “8. TWR-2026-02 Bermuda Run, 3781 North Valdosta Road, Map and Parcel 0076C-025” says in part: Continue reading →

Pictures: Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

More than 20 boatloads of new paddlers went on Reed Bingham State Park Lake, in Juneteenth, June 20, 2026, by Macedonia Community Foundation and WWALS.

Thanks to Fannie Marie Gibbs for the idea. She was indisposed and could not come. Her grandchildren Andre and Aisha Gibbs and friends and relatives brought the food and the games for children.

WWALS supplied the boats and the stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat: Andrew Reinlieb, Gretchen Quarterman, Scotti Jay, and John S. Quarterman, plus Kimberly Godden Tanner signing people in.

Juneteenth with new boaters, Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20, And food!

Here are some video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/902855629498139/

https://youtu.be/_APnkogCgcg

People seemed to like it. I took the first boatload out soon after the 11 AM start time, and more boatloads of new paddlers were still going well after the nominal 3 PM end time, even after 4 PM.

Georgia State Parks raised the parking rate from to $10. Sorry about that. Other than that, there was no charge.

June 19, 2027, is on a Saturday, so that’s the most likely next time for this Juneteenth celebration.

If you want to know about Juneteenth the event, try this:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-06-07

We put in at Troupville Boat Ramp and chainsawed a few big deadfalls and some small ones up past Sugar Creek.

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Up past Sugar Creek 2026-06-07, From Troupville Boat Ramp, And back again

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and doing most of the chainsawing.

Thanks to Daniel Reinlieb for riding along, sawing, bailing, and picking up trash.

Here are some video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/959705457046263/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZxzra9IFZP/

https://youtu.be/eIwdkvY8t6w Continue reading →

Rezoning application for potential datacenter, Coleman Road, Lowndes County 2025-06-30

I keep getting asked for the rezoning application for the potential datacenter site on Coleman Road in Lowndes County.

Please note that there is no application yet for a datacenter in Lowndes County.

The rezoning application for the potential site is in the board packets for the June 30, 2025, Planning Commission meeting and the July 7-8, 2025, Lowndes County Commission meetings.

Rezoning application for potential datacenter site, Coleman Road North to Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County 2025-06-30, 2025-07-08

The Planning Commission board packet materials, 2025-06-30

These were obtained from Lowndes County in response to an open records request from Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE):

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/06/packet-two-lowndes-county-rezoning-materials-glpc-2025-06-30.html

In case it’s not obvious, see this file:

https://wwals.net/pictures/2025-06-30-coleman-road-lowndes-county-rezoning-datacenter-site/REZ-2025-11-GLPC-Packet.pdf

Images of each page are below.

They include the relevant pages about the target zoning, M-1 (Light Manufacturing), from the Lowndes County Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Continue reading →

Dirty Withlacoochee River upstream, clean downstream 2026-05-14

Update 2026-05-17: Withlacoochee filthy upstream; Santa Fe River clean 2026-05-14.

WWALS got bad results upstream on the Withlacoochee River for Wednesday and Thursday at Langdale Park and Staten Road, even though Valdosta Utilities got OK results for Monday downstream at GA 133 and US 84.

WWALS got clean results for Thursday in Florida on the Withlacoochee near the Suwannee.

That pattern looks like first flush, when a big rain washes the woods wildlife have been using as a latrine.

No new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but Tifton had one in Georgia; see below.

I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River upstream of the Little River Confluence.

And considering Colquitt and Brooks Counties, Georgia, got a lot of rain that could wash contamination into Okapilco Creek, I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River in Georgia.

So at your own risk, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, where-ever you can find enough water, and if you can avoid the rains predicted for Sunday.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

Dirty Withlacoochee River upstream, clean downstream, 2026-05-14, After recent rains, Paddle at your own risk

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-06-07

Update 2026-06-06: OK, we’re putting in at Troupville Boat Ramp and motoring upstream. You are welcome to join us. Will be easiest if you have a motor.

Join us to continue clearing passage on the Withlacoochee River for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats, leaving plenty of wildlife habitat.

You can come photograph, pull limbs out of the way, pick up trash, or just paddle along. Or chainsaw, if you have one and you really know how to use it.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Sunday, June 7, 2026

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-06-07, Langdale Park, Sugar Creek, or Troupville, per water level

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-05-06

Update 2026-05-10: Clean Alapaha River 2026-05-08.

Even after the rains last Saturday, Valdosta Utilities got a pretty good E. coli number for Monday at GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) on the Withlacoochee River, and a good result at US 84 that same day.

WWALS got an even better result downstream in Florida.

WWALS results for Sugar Creek for Sunday were also OK.

There was more rain yesterday, but less than last Saturday. Still no new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can find any water.

More rain is predicted Saturday through Monday.

If there is rain, maybe it will at least dampen some wildfires. Remember not to light anything outdoors.