Nineteen paddlers had a good time on a breezy summer Withlacoochee River Saturday from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring. The water was a foot higher (41.27 feet) than two years ago (42.56 feet at the USGS Madison (FL 6) gage), but there were still plenty of rapids, which gained us three new Fallers!
Say water bottle!
No, don’t, you’ll fall in!
Hm, but then
you’ll win a Fallers Award.
Every WWALS outing is also a cleanup, and we collected Continue reading
This morning the Lowndes County Commission discusses and tomorrow evening they vote on relocating some facilities at a sewage pump station, which appears to be the nearest lift station to the county’s 2013 sewage main brak near the Withlacoochee River.
5.g. Relocation of Gate, Utility Pole, and Light Pole at Val-Tech Pump Station, and Quit -Claim Deed to GDOT
Approval of transaction and quit- claim deed
Across from Valdosta State Prison
They bought a new pump for the Val-Tech lift station back on Continue reading
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!
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
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
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2017, Hahira, GA — Citing the sea change of solar power overtaking natural gas in new U.S. electricity last year, and generational damage to the fields of farmers such as Randy Dowdy, WWALS Watershed Coalition today filed more evidence and reasons to stop the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline from going into service and to revoke its permit. WWALS filed the same Monday that Sabal Trail Friday asked FERC to authorize turning on the gas. Plus WWALS explicitly requested FERC do a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to take into account LNG export from Sabal Trail, copious environmental permit violations, and especially new scientific evidence about the Floridan Aquifer.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said: “Such irreparable harm outweighs a few billion dollars spent in error by a few companies.”
And that’s without even getting into risks to education, such as
Sabal Trail only a mile from Clyattville Elementary School.
WWALS filed the document today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The WWALS cover letter is included below in this message, and the FERC filing is available online.
WWALS wrote in Attachment 1:
“Solar power has actually more than doubled every two years since 2013. Yet FERC only counts utility-scale solar power. Adding rooftop and community solar panels, already a sea change has occurred.
Continue reading