Tag Archives: WWALS

Water higher than two years ago, Sullivan to Madison Blue, Withlacoochee River, 2017-06-24

Two years ago the water level was 41.27 feet and today it’s 42.56 at the USGS Madison (FL 6) gage, so the Withlacoochee River is fine for today’s WWALS outing from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring; follow the link for details. Also WWALS Outings Chair Phil Hubbard visited the put-in and the take-out yesterday, and reports the water is fine.

Here are some pictures from the same route two years ago, 24 October 2015.

We won’t see as many rapids today since with the water more than a foot higher we’ll float over some of those shoals, but we’ll see some, and many springs. Bring swimming clothes and also trash bags, because every outing is also a cleanup.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Hard data on lack of need for Sabal Trail –SeekingAlpha

An analyst on a leading stock blog confirms what we’ve been saying for years: there is no need for Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline. Instead, Sabal Trail is taking gas away from FGT and Gulfstream. The article does not mention all those LNG export operations right where this pipeline chain goes. It does get to the heart of what even FPL admits:

“The challenge is natural gas in Florida faces growing competition from residential, commercial and utility scale solar resources as well as power forecasts that are revising lower despite a growing population and customer counts….”

You can help fight Sabal Trail even now that its gas is on, and reform FERC so we don’t get any more pipeline boondoggles.

BTU Analytics, SeekingAlpha, 20 June 2017, Sabal Trail Adding Pipeline Capacity But Not Demand, Continue reading →

Clean water is a fundamental right –Delaware Riverkeeper Network vindicated in court

Courts in other states should affirm or institute the “sea-change” the Pennsylvania Supreme Court just upheld:

“…the people’s rights to clean water and air and the preservation of a healthy environment are on par with our other fundamental rights and freedoms…”

Delaware Riverkeeper Network, press release, 20 June 2017, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Environmental Rights in Milestone Case,

Delaware Riverkeeper Network [logo]
For Immediate Release
June 20, 2017
Contact: Jordan Yeager, Attorney, Curtin and Heefner Law Firm, 267.898.0570
Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, 215.369.1188 x 102
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Environmental Rights in Milestone Case
Continue reading →

Florida may require licensing of paddle boats and boards

Here’s a bad idea that doesn’t seem to die: making people pay to register non-motorized boats in Florida.

Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 29 January 2017, Florida may require licensing for kayaks, canoes, paddle boards,

No registration or permit needed for this U.S. Coast Guard Vessel ID Sticker

A citizens panel assembled by state-boating authorities will meet in Orlando on Wednesday to explore what could become a path to adopting registration and fees for small boats powered by humans, wind and currents.

“That sounds like Continue reading →

WiLFest, Gainesville, FL 2017-06-17

Today in Gainesville, FL, Jim Gross of Florida Defenders of the Environment and John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, will be speaking at Water is Life Fest. With music!

When: 6PM Saturday 17 June 2017

Where: Civic Media Center
433 S Main St, Gainesville, Florida 32601

Event: facebook

“WiLFest features: Continue reading →

If we hear about a sinkhole or a leak, we’ll be there –WWALS @ WCTV 2017-06-15

It’s not over just because the gas is flowing through Sabal Trail. We’ll be watching, and we’re escalating.

Noelani Mathews, WCTV, June 15, 2017, Local environmentalist groups prepare for Sabal Trail Pipeline to go online,

“We’ve always did a lot online and through legal angles and we’re going to continue doing a lot of that,” says John Quarterman, WWALS President. “If we hear about a sink hole or a leak, we’ll be there taking pictures.”

Sabal Trail Transmission spokeswoman Andrea Grover said, Continue reading →

Improved Sheboggy Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82

Here’s a pleasant surprise! The access road has been smoothed out and Sheboggy Ramp itself has been re-concreted. Thanks to Ben Warren, Berrien County Roads Superintendent, for doing the work.

Ramp with new concrete

Thanks to Bret Wagenhorst for these pictures, Continue reading →

Sabal Trail in-service: keep watching them 2017-06-14

There are still many things you can do, from permit violations to FERC reform, after FPL gloated yesterday about starting the gas through Transco, Sabal Trail, and FSC. Pipelines leak, and another pipeline’s go-ahead just got slapped down by a federal court, plus we need to change the whole legal game. Meanwhile, continuing the rocketing rise of solar power in the Sunshine State and everywhere else is the best way to pry the clammy grip of the fossil fuel industry off our political system.

Photo: Mitch Allen

Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 14 June 2017, Sabal Trail, Florida SE Connection are now piping fuel to FPL,

“The start of Florida Southeast Connection and Sabal Trail Transmission natural gas pipeline operations is an important milestone for FPL customers and Florida’s economy,” FPL president and CEO Eric Silagy said.

It may indeed be a milestone of the last pipeline ever built into Florida or through Georgia.

It may even be a milestone of Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Moon Paddle 2017-07-08

Bring bon-bons, lights, and boats to paddle the moonlit mysteries of our own mini-Okefenokee: Banks Lake, as the sun sets between Lakeland, GA and I-75.

Bring something somewhat more substantial and we will have a brief pot-luck at the gazebo before paddling. No cooking at the site.

When: 8PM Saturday, July 8, 2017

Where: Banks Lake Boat Ramp,
1099 W Main St. (GA 122), Lakeland, GA 31635.
Or: 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, Lanier County

GPS: 31.03492, -83.09619

Event: facebook, meetup.

Duration: Continue reading →

Pictures from coal movie and panel, Live Oak, FL 2017-06-09

Reporting from the event, Jim Tatum, OSFR, 10 June 2017, “From The Ashes” Screening by Suwannee St Johns Sierra Club North Florida Working Group,

The North Florida Working Group of the Suwannee St Johns Sierra Club presented an early screening of the documentary “From the Ashes” at the Live Oak Woman’s Club on June 9, 2017….

Susanna Rudolph, Joy Ezell, and Gretchen Quarterman, panelists; Photo: Jim Tatum, OSFR

After the showing Deanna Mericle lead a panel composed of Susanna Randolph, Campaign Senior Representative for Beyond Coal, Sierra Club from Orlando, Joy Ezell, active environmentalist and founder of Help Our Polluted Environment (HOPE) from Perry, and Gretchen Quarterman, Board member and treasurer of WWALS Watershed Coalition, Hahira, Georgia.

Follow the link for more pictures and text.

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.