Tag Archives: WWALS

4610 foot explored cave at McIntyre Spring, Withlacoochee River, Georgia

Did you know there’s an almost mile-long cave system under the Withlacoochee River between Lowndes and Brooks Counties, Georgia? Valdosta cave-diver Guy Bryant wrote a fascinating in-depth blog about McIntyre Spring, including this map he drew, and the picture below of him in this cave system that starts in the river bottom.

There’s no land access, so don’t trespass. And don’t try to go in the cave even from boats unless you really know what you’re doing. It’s been visited by some of the most famous cave divers in the world, a couple of whom are no longer with us due to accidents in other underground caverns.

But do please go read Guy Bryant’s blog post. Continue reading →

Pictures of high school student photography contest winners, Serenity at Lime Run Spring

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live Oak, June 4rd 2016 — The photographers of these inspirational pictures were themselves photographed by a local photographer.

“It’s so important to engage young people in respecting and appreciating nature. Hopefully they will want to protect it.” said Deanna Mericle, WWALS member from Hamilton County, who organized this contest along with Eileen Box of Suwannee County and the Live Oak Woman’s Club, two weeks ago in Live Oak, Florida. Continue reading →

Winners of the BIG Little River Paddle Race 2016-05-21

Here are the winners of the Fourth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race held Saturday May 21, 2016 at Reed Bingham State Park. Ready Including four time winner… see below.

On a fine Saturday morning, 34 people paddled, 18 male and 16 female, 19 in kayaks and 15 in canoes.

At this event to benefit Friends of Reed Bingham Park (FORB) and WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS), WWALS board member Bret Wagenhorst officiated as usual, this time assisted in handing out prizes by WWALS PR Committee member Amy Wiegenstein. Other board members of FORB and WWALS were present

Overall winner: Continue reading →

Videos: Elected Officials see sinkholes where Sabal Trail would cross Suwannee River State Park 2016-05-15

You can see U.S. Congress member Ted Yoho FL-03 and a staffer for Sen. Bill Nelson discuss water, air, energy, growth, and past and future generations with local citizens environmental groups, including Suwannee County residents plainly saying they’re in the incineration zone. You can see for yourself sinkholes Sabal Trail omitted from what it told FERC. Soon we hope to see letters from Ted Yoho and Bill Nelson to the Corps and to FERC.

Below are links to the WWALS videos of the event, with many notes. For handouts, still pictures, and more information about this event of Sunday morning May 15th 2016, see Continue reading →

Joint Regional Water Planning Council Meeting, Dublin, GA 2016-06-23

Apparently we get dragged into a meeting of all regional councils with waters flowing into the Atlantic Joint because the Suwannee-Satilla RWPC includes much of the Satilla and St Marys Rivers, even though most of the SSRWPC territory is in our Upper Suwannee watershed. A tiny bit of our Little River Watershed is in Wilcox County, which is in the Altamaha RWPC.

Received from GA-DNR May 25th 2016, NOTICE:

JOINT REGIONAL WATER PLANNING COUNCIL MEETING Continue reading →

Sanford Bishop GA-02 requests Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement for Sabal Trail from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016-05-27

Rep. Sanford Bishop GA-02 just stood up again against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline invader, for the Flint River, the Floridan Aquifer, and his constituents in Albany, and Dougherty and Terrell Counties, pointing out FERC shouldn’t have issued a certificate before all the state Clean Water Act Section 401 permits were in, and asking for a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

Many counties and county seats have passed resolutions against Sabal Trail I’m sure we’re all looking forward to similar requests from Austin Scott GA-07, in whose Congressional district Sabal Trail would cross Okapilco Creek and the Withlacoochee River, and in which Moultrie, Valdosta, and the counties of Colquitt, Brooks, and Lowndes passed resolutions against the pipeline. And especially from Ted Yoho FL-03, in whose district Sabal Trail would cross the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers through the most vulnerable recharge area of the Floridan Aquifer in the Florida Springs Heartland, and in which the counties of Hamilton, Suwannee, and Marion have already sent letters to the Corps, like Rep. Bishop just asked for a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

We know the Corps did a SEIS for Keystone XL. The Corps should do a SEIS for Sabal Trail, so Continue reading →

Prizes awarded to high school students, Serenity at Lime Run Spring photo contest 2016-05-23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live Oak, May 24th 2016 — A Hamilton High student took $100 home for first place, and Branford High took the rest of the prizes, at the Serenity at Lime Run Spring photo contest, last night in Live Oak, Florida, organized by the Live Oak Woman’s Club and WWALS Watershed Coalition. Boys and girls were equally represented in the four prizes awarded, and grades ranged from 10 to 12.

[Prizes awarded to high school students, Serenity at Lime Run Spring photo contest 2016-05-23]
Prizes awarded to high school students, Serenity at Lime Run Spring photo contest 2016-05-23

Anyone of any age or gender or county can enjoy the beauty of the Florida Springs Heartland. We hope recognizing these students and their photographs will help bring awareness to the fragile beauty of Lime Run Spring, located in Suwannee River State Park, and will help preserve this spring in accordance with the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.

Honorable Mention, Mallory Stevens, Branford High School, 11th grade

Continue reading →

Winners of Lime Run Spring Photography Contest at Live Oak Womans Club 2016-05-23

The Winners of the Serenity at Lime Run Spring photo contest have been selected by the judges! Lime Sink Run from the foot bridge, looking out over the Suwannee River We will be having the award ceremony as planned on Monday May 23, 2016 at 6:00 pm. at the Woman’s Club of Live Oak, 1308 11th St. SW, Live Oak, FL 32064.

Anyone who can join us, please do come out and support the winners!

-Deanna Mericle

Preserving and Protecting Pristine Areas of Our Earth for Future Generations.

Why: In order to bring awareness to the fragile beauty of Lime Run Spring, located in Suwannee River State Park, and to help preserve this spring in accordance with the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act.

Organizers: the Woman’s Club of Live Oak and WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. are organizing a photo contest for high school students to capture the beauty and serenity at Lime Run Spring.

Who can participate? Any Continue reading →

Cave Diving Workshop, Lake City, 2016-05-21

If you can’t get to the BIG Little River Paddle Race Saturday at Reed Bingham State Park Saturday morning between Adel and Moultrie, GA, there’s a cave diving workshop in Lake City, FL. And yes, the Paddle Race is still on unless there’s actually lightning, hail, or torrential rain tomorrow morning, and so far that seems unlikely. But you can still paddle at Reed Bingham and go to the social in Lake City tonight, the afternoon part of the Workshop tomorrow, and the rebreather demonstration or spring tours Sunday.

What’s NCS-CDS? National Speleological Society, Cave Diving Section.

Social: 7PM Friday May 20th 2016 at 313 NW Commons Loop, Lake City, FL

Workshop: Continue reading →

Video of Chris Beckham radio show about BIG Little River Paddle Race 2016-05-21

You are invited this Saturday morning to Reed Bingham State Park (between Adel and Moultrie) for a morning of sun, fun, cypress, turtles, and don’t pet the alligator at the fourth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race. You can register online (follow the link) or at the site (also follow the link for details). And Phil Hubbard’s special offer is still open: he will pay for two free registrations. If interested, send email wwalswatershed@gmail.com; first two received win.

Lots of prizes in numerous categories, including $100 for first prize. Plus Phil Hubbard also made and we have available the WWALS Fallers Plaque, which you may win if you inadvertently fall into the water. Thanks again to Bret Wagenhorst of Tifton for organizing the paddle race.

Here’s video of me talking about that on Chris Beckhams’s radio show, WVGA 105.9 FM the morning of May 16th: Continue reading →