Tag Archives: WLRWT

Valdosta City Engineer and GA-DNR, Two Mile Branch @ Berkley Drive 2023-02-23

Valdosta City Engineer Benjamin O’Dowd volunteered to three GA-DNR people that there was still trash in the woods after the recent vac-truck cleanout of Two Mile Branch at Berkley Drive. He is considering what to do about that.

[Valdosta City Engineer, GA-DNR, Two Mile Branch, Berkley Drive 2023-02-23]
Valdosta City Engineer, GA-DNR, Two Mile Branch, Berkley Drive 2023-02-23

In addition to maybe moving the current Sugar Creek Watergoat to Two Mile Branch, another possibility is a concrete-and-steel trash trap like the one Valdosta recently built at its Lee Street Detention Pond.

I know this because Continue reading →

On-land cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sullivan Launch, 2023-02-25

Meet at 9am at Sullivan launch, clean up, caravan to FL-6 bridge by 11am, or earlier if we finish before then. No boats needed: this cleanup is on land.

Afterwards, optional Knights Ferry cleanup depending on where the water level is at by then.

Thanks to Amy Meyers for leading this cleanup, and for becoming the new WWALS Outings Committee Chair!

When: 9 AM, Saturday, February 25, 2023

Put In: Sullivan Launch. This is off of CR 150 (NE Bellville Road) east of Pinetta, south of the road, downstream of river bridge, right (west) bank, in Madison County, Florida.

GPS: 30.595667, -83.26

Take Out: FL 6 Bridge. West of the river, turn north off of FL 6 onto Withlacoochee Shores Lane; stay right to stay on that. Turn right on NE Chervil Drive to the FL 6 right of way. Turn left to go to the river.

[Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116]
Grafitti and trash, FL 6, Withlacoochee River, 2023-02-02, 16:39:06, 30.4823431, -83.2440116
on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Continue reading →

Pictures: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle 2022-02-19

Here are a few pictures from last year’s Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, eleven miles on the Withlacoochee River.

This year’s paddle will be Saturday, March 3, 2023, on the same route, starting at Troupville Boat Ramp just west of Valdosta on the Little River, ending at Spook Bridge.

[Scenes from Mayor and Chairman's Paddle 2022-02-19]
Scenes from Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle 2022-02-19

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson was there, in the red shoes, dead center of this picture. We hear this year Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter will be, as well. You can paddle up to them and ask questions. Continue reading →

Valdosta will maintain Berkley Drive trash trap 2023-02-22

The City of Valdosta says it will maintain its forthcoming trash trap location on Two Mile Branch at Berkley Drive.

[Picture and Map, Two Mile Branch @ Berkeley Drive]
Picture and Map, Two Mile Branch @ Berkeley Drive

City Engineer Benjamin O’Dowd also write that the city had cleaned up some trash there with a vac truck. He thanked volunteer Russell Allen McBride for his cleanup of the trash trap on Sugar Creek.

WWALS thanks the Engineer and the City for all those things.

These are some small steps towards keeping trash out of the Withlacoochee River, for example out of the path of next week’s Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. Continue reading →

Good water levels for Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle 2023-02-22

Update 2023-03-01: Boats provided by State Line River Outfitters at Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle 2023-03-04.

Water levels are coming down good for a week from Saturday, for the Fourth Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle.

[Quitman Gauge, many paddlers]
Quitman Gauge, many paddlers

Today the Quitman Gauge at US 84 is about eight feet above the level of the 2022 Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. It looks like it will still be a couple feet above come this year’s paddle day. So easy paddling!

The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle is a fundraiser for WWALS, so tickets are $30 per boat, online or at the event.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mayor-and-chairmans-paddle-little-and-withlacoochee-rivers-tickets-518815951477

It’s free for elected officials. They can Continue reading →

Valdosta promises an upgraded Watergoat; offers no plan for cleaning it out or nearby woods 2023-02-17

Update 2023-02-22: Valdosta will maintain Berkley Drive trash trap 2023-02-22.

Valdosta City Engineer Benjamin O’Dowd says Valdosta has purchased an upgraded Watergoat trash trap, to be installed in approximately March.

It will go in Sugar Creek, he says, and the old one will go into Two Mile Branch below Berkley Drive.

[Valdosta promises new Watergoat, Two Mile Branch trash report, Old Watergoat, Two Mile Branch trash]
Valdosta promises new Watergoat, Two Mile Branch trash report, Old Watergoat, Two Mile Branch trash

That’s all good. Thanks for doing that, Engineer O’Dowd, and City of Valdosta.

But he did not mention any plan for cleaning out that new trash trap location on Two Mile Branch. Remember, Continue reading →

Pictures: A boatload of tires out of Sugar Creek 2020-10-10

We got 577 pounds of trash and a bunch of tires out of Sugar Creek, as part of the River and Creek Cleanup, Lowndes County, Valdosta, and WWALS 2020-10-10. Probably more than that; that number is from one record sheet.

[Tire boat, trash ashore and recorded]
Tire boat, trash ashore and recorded

WLRWT, Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, Withlacoochee River, Special thanks to Bobby McKenzie, Scotti Jay, Tom Potter, Sara Jay, Elizabeth Brunner, and Joe Johnson, among WWALS regulars, plus at least seventeen more volunteers. And thanks to Current Problems for coming up from Gainesville, Florida, to help.

This was a very productive cleanup, getting some trash out of Sugar Creek before it got to the Withlacoochee River. It makes Continue reading →

Pictures: Trash at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2023-02-09

Will Hart and Amy Meyers got some interesting pictures at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp while practicing their new skill of water quality testing.

Really, boaters and outdoor partiers, leaving the places like this does not encourage people to paddle on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

[Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear]
Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, trash, firepit, underwear

I know Lowndes County Litter Control comes by weekly and cleans up. But people who leave this mess are wasting tax dollars with extra work.

The individual pictures are below. Continue reading →

Clean rivers 2023-02-16

Update 2023-02-25: Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-02-23.

According to WWALS results for Thursday, happy boating, swimming, and fishing in our rivers this weekend!

Provided you like high water and are prepared to deal with overhanging limbs and getting lost in the floodplain.

I might avoid the Alapaha River at Sasser Landing, due to Valdosta’s Wednesday February 15th probably major spill into Knights Creek.

Valdosta’s other two sewage spills this month, Wednesday, February 8th into Hightower Creek above Sugar Creek and Saturday, February 11th into Cherry Creek probably were too small to have any significant effect on the Withlacoochee River. The WWALS Sunday tests on Cherry Creek and the river appear to have verified that lack of effect for that one, and regular test results after the Hightower Creek one ditto.

No other recent sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida: just Valdosta. Continue reading →

Valdosta River Street sewage spill into Hightower Creek 2023-02-08

Update 2023-02-24: Another Valdosta E. Park Ave. sewage spill, 171,750 gallons 2023-02-20

Update 2023-02-18: Clean rivers 2023-02-16.

This one showed up Tuesday, February 14th in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, reporting a Valdosta spill of the previous Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

[Spill report, manhole, map]
Spill report, manhole, map

The reason given was “Pipe failure”.

The good part is that with only 1,170 gallons spilled, there was probably little effect on Sugar Creek and none to worry about on the Withlacoochee River. Nothing unusual showed up in water quality testing by Valdosta or WWALS for that day or the next two.

Below is a map of the area, and a Google streetview of my best guess of where it was, going by Valdosta’s sloppy week-late report of “1700 block of River St”. Continue reading →