Tag Archives: WWALS Watershed Coalition

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting 2025-04-13

WWALS President Sara Squires Jones will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited to this regular busineass meeting.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

[WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting Agenda, 2025-04-13]
WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting Agenda, 2025-04-13

When: 6 PM, Sunday, April 13, 2025

Where: Online via zoom, registration reauired:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NCdtkmyqSl25taTbgjeTwA

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/527409036791413/

Agenda: PDF Continue reading →

Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09; Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

Update 2025-04-18: Clean Rivers and most creeks; dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16.

Drum roll, please!

The long-awaited, yet unexpected: clean Sugar Creek!

Even after the rain Monday.

Also the Little River was clean upstream and down, and the Withlacoochee River was clean near Valdosta.

But downstream the Withlacoochee River was dirty. Makes me wonder what happened in Quitman?

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

The rivers are still down to boatable levels (except for the Santa Fe at the Ichetucknee River Confluence).

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Clean upstream but Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10]
Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Clean upstream but Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

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Pictures: Ichetucknee River in the State Park 2025-04-05

Update 2025-04-14: Videos.

The weather was perfect, the river and springs were crystal clear, the company was congenial, and there were many turtles and birds (and tubers), on the Ichetucknee River in spring.

[Ichetucknee River, Springs, Turtles, Birds, Tubers 2025-04-05, North Launch past South Launch, to US 27 Bridge]
Ichetucknee River, Springs, Turtles, Birds, Tubers 2025-04-05, North Launch past South Launch, to US 27 Bridge

Thanks to Janet Martin for organizing this outing, and for some of the pictures here.

Videos:

On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/1026695632691778/

On YouTube:
https://youtu.be/awFdQjOQGzo

These pictures go from Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, past many springs and tubers, past South Launch, to the south end of the park.

To be continued with the rest of the Ichetucknee River with many boats, and the Santa Fe River to US 129, with many power boats going fast.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Continue reading →

Last Mile, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2025-04-13

Update 2025-04-15: Pictures: Last Mile, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-13.

Get the last mile of deadfalls below Sugar Creek and anything else we see.

You can join us in a kayak or canoe; it’s all downstream.

You do not have to use a saw of any kind.

You can photograph, pick up trash, or just paddle.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Sunday, April 13, 2025

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, downstream from the North Valdosta Road (US 41) Bridge, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[Last Mile Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-13, From Langdale Park, by Sugar Creek, to Troupville Boat Ramp]
Last Mile Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-13, From Langdale Park, by Sugar Creek, to Troupville Boat Ramp

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Pictures: Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville 2025-04-09

Update 2025-04-15: Pictures: Last Mile, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-13.

Update 2025-04-14: Videos.

Yesterday Phil Hubbard and I found and dealt with two big new deadfalls on the Withlacoochee River near the Little River Confluence.

[Two new Deadfalls, Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, April 9, 2025]
Two new Deadfalls, Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, April 9, 2025

Phil also tried to match my record for getting a saw stuck in a river. But we retrieved the WWALS 24-inch Husqvarna chainsaw, minus its bar and chain cover. That does not match me leaving my similar saw in the Suwannee River for six months, so Phil has to try harder.

Videos:

And we picked up some trash from a few trashjams, including Phil got a baby leg.

The original plan for yesterday afternoon was to go down the Withlacoochee River, plant a sign at the midpoint (Withlacoochee River Hunt Club private boat ramp, courtesy of The Langdale Company), and motor back up.

Since there is some doubt as to which route the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle will take on April 19.
https://wwals.net/?p=67242

That route will depend on water levels, any contamination in Sugar Creek or the rivers, and whether we can get the rest of the deadfalls out of the Withlacoochee River near Sugar Creek. Yesterday we decided to head up the Withlacoochee River instead. Good thing we did, what with those new deadfalls.

Sunset soon meant we did not get up to the last mile of deadfalls below Sugar Creek. That is scheduled for this Sunday, April 12 13.
https://wwals.net/?p=67422 Continue reading →

Signage, Withlacoochee River, Troupville to midpoint 2025-04-09

Update 2025-04-10: Pictures: Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville 2025-04-09.

We will motor down to the midpoint of the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, checking the route and hanging signs.

We will take the usual chainsaws, although we don’t expect to find anything to saw.

If you have a boat and motor, please join us.

If you have a canoe or kayak, we can tow you.

When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2025

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

[Placing Signage, Withlacoochee River, Troupville to midpoint, April 9, 2025]
Placing Signage, Withlacoochee River, Troupville to midpoint, April 9, 2025

Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Welcome to Florida podcast by Craig Pittman 2025-04-08

Thanks to Craig Pittman for inviting me on his Welcome to Florida podcast, Episode 250: The Suwanee River.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169570/episodes/16921299

The Suwannee part starts 6:15.

He spells it Suwanee with one n.

Stephen C. Foster spelled it Swanee.

We talked about the Suwannee, Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee, New, New, Little, and Little Rivers. About sewage and cow manure, fertlizer nitrates leaching into springs and rivers causing algae blooms, the Hamilton County phosphate mine, and Titanium dioxide mines in north Florida at the top of the Santa Fe River Basin and in south Georgia too near the Okefenokee Swamp. About leaping Gulf sturgeon, Alligator snapping turtles, and beavers.

And musicians, don’t forget to send in your song to the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, part of WWALS River Revue, September 6, 2025, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/?p=67322

[Suwannee Riverkeeper on Welcome to Florida podcast, by Craig Pittman, April 8, 2025]
Suwannee Riverkeeper on Welcome to Florida podcast, by Craig Pittman, April 8, 2025

Best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman is joined by radio personality and Florida transplant Chadd Scott to discuss the state’s history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness. You’ll hear great storytelling and have great fun in each weekly episode.

Show Notes Continue reading →

Dirty upstream, clean downstream: New and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-03

Update 2025-04-11: Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10.

WWALS water quality tester Samantha Carr found the New River dirty at 18th Street in Tifton, GA, but clean downstream at GA 125.

Valdosta Utilities found the Withlacoochee River dirty at GA 133, downstream of Sugar Creek. See previous report about filthy Sugar Creek:
https://wwals.net/?p=67384

But Valdosta Utilities found the Withlacoochee clean downstream at US 84, as did WWALS tester Russ Tatum at Holly Point, almost to the Suwannee River. Presumably the larger flow of the Little River entering the Withlacoochee River diluted the contamination.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The rivers are all back down to boatable levels.

So avoid Sugar Creek after rains, at least downstream from Baytree Road.

Other than that, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[New River and Withlacoochee River: Dirty upstream, Clean downstream 2025-04-03]
New River and Withlacoochee River: Dirty upstream, Clean downstream 2025-04-03

Join us this Saturday for Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-04-05.
https://wwals.net/?p=66991

Or come help prevent privatization of Florida State Parks one of the many Florida State Parks Love Fests at the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers:
https://wwals.net/?p=67329 Continue reading →

Notice: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting 2025-04-13

WWALS President Sara Squires Jones will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited to this regular busineass meeting.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

[Notice: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM Sunday, April 13, 2025]
Notice: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM Sunday, April 13, 2025

When: 6 PM, Sunday, April 13, 2025

Where: Online via zoom; the link will be posted.

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/527409036791413/

Much of the work of WWALS is done by committees of members, and many of them have some good results to report. If you’d like to join a committee, please fill out the application.

The board itself does most of its business online via email, but it’s good to have these gatherings once a quarter.

The current board members, officers, and staff are listed on the Board web page.

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations