Bird Chamberlain and others had been suggesting it for years, and we finally did it: the Alapahoochee River from GA 135 to Sasser Landing on the Alapaha River. We paddled over many deadfalls, across the GA-FL line, past the creek of shark teeth, under old abandoned steel Beatty Bridge, through Devil Shoal, right by Turket Creek Waterfall.

Banners, Alapahoochee River, Deadfall, Beatty Bridge, Devil Shoal, Turket Creek Waterfall

Many thanks to Bobby McKenzie for organizing this expedition, to the WWALS Outings Committee for planning it, and to all who paddled, including Suzanne Welander, author of Canoeing and Kayaking Georgia, who came down from Atlanta for this outing.

Suzanne Welander’s incredibly light canoe, 14:05:50, 30.6008601, -83.0734123

While some of us were shuttling vehicles to the take out, others of us hauled tires up from the river.

Tire and boats, 09:51:41, 30.6284405, -83.0883654

The obligatory photo-op.

Boats and banners, 09:27:55, 30.6284964, -83.0881368

Banners, 09:28:42, 30.6284964, -83.0881368

Bobby McKenzie guided people over many deadfalls.

Out and over, 10:19:00, 30.6259620, -83.0899960

Bird showed us the proper attitude.

Bird Chamberlain relaxing, 10:28:43, 30.6255192, -83.0894308

Everybody liked this photogenic cypress tree.

Portrait of a cypress, 10:36:42, 30.6237470, -83.0888961

Water seeped out of the limestone at several locations.

Running seep, 10:37:47, 30.6232679, -83.0888597

Sometimes in waterfalls.

Tiny waterfall, 10:43:49, 30.6220320, -83.0873834

Nothing in particular marks the state line between Georgia and Florida.

Roots and trunks, 10:45:54, 30.6216090, -83.0856509

Undercut, 10:47:22, 30.6210114, -83.0856253

Tea-colored tannic acid blackwater river under limestone balcony.

Tannic acid water, 10:57:26, 30.6206055, -83.0837756

Sometimes a cave.

Cave, 10:57:50, 30.6206060, -83.0837760

Most boaters stopped to look for fossilized shark’s teeth, and most of them found some.

Must be something in the water, 11:07:46, 30.6180160, -83.0801550

Beatty Bridge is missing a few planks.

Missing planks of Beatty Bridge, 11:19:19, 30.6160800, -83.0797050

Is that a pier from an even older bridge, or something else?

Even older bridge pier, portrait, , 11:20:05, 30.6159358, -83.0796516

A photogenic oak tree.

Oak on shelf, 11:27:06, 30.6138339, -83.0775702

Devil Shoal was fun.

Fun, though, 12:18:35, 30.6103376, -83.0745573

Shirley Kokidko was cautious.

Shirley Kokidko at Devil Shoal, 12:19:48, 30.6102951, -83.0745844

People should stop throwing tires in the river.

Tire closeup, 12:37:55, 30.6058692, -83.0746854

Nice beach.

White sand beach, 12:39:49, 30.6056702, -83.0740798

We’ve paddled up to Turket Creek Waterfall many times before, but never downstream to it.

Shirley Kokidko at Turket Creek Waterfall, 12:44:03, 30.6041995, -83.0755189

Turket Creek Waterfall, 12:44:08, 30.6041995, -83.0755189

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Turket Creek Waterfall, 12:50:06, 30.6044438, -83.0756766

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman, Turket Creek Waterfall, 12:50:27, 30.6043958, -83.0757750

Remember, all our drinking water is underground in this sort of rock, and the aquifers exchange water with the rivers. So let’s be careful what runs off into the rivers.

Karst balcony, 12:52:53, 30.6043542, -83.0756686

Beach, tea-colored blackwater river, limestone balcony.

Gretchen under a balcony, 12:55:52, 30.6030606, -83.0753364

The Alapahoochee River looks tiny compared to the Alapaha River.

Alapahoochee River Confluence, 13:00:04, 30.6018850, -83.0739601

Here we are at Sasser Landing.

Boats up Sasser Landing, 13:02:25, 30.6010320, -83.0736100

No paddling down this shoal this time.

Shoals and CR 150 Bridge, 13:03:20, 30.6008288, -83.0732066

There are many more pictures on the WWALS website.

Many paddlers posted photosets on facebook.

Update 2021-12-28: These same pictures as a facebook photoset.

Because of this outing, we added three Alapahoochee River landings to the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

For more WWALS outings, see https://wwals.net/outings/. Outings are $10 for non-members, and free for WWALS members. Members also get a list of upcoming outings in the membership monthly newsletter, Tannin Times.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

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