News Stories about WWALS 2021.
For the rest see News.

• 2021-12-01: Release (WWALS PR), Valdosta Today, 1 December 2021, Suwannee Riverkeeper asks to oversee inland LNG export facilities,

  
  LNG export facilities; WWALS Rulemaking petition to FERC

  Even a competing inland LNG company complained of economic issues: “During its pendency, the Commission has determined that certain LNG projects are outside its jurisdiction, permitting those projects to compete free from the FERC regulatory burdens that FGS and other FERC-regulated projects bear in what has become an active, urgent and highly competitive small-scale LNG market.”

  WWALS views the FERC regulatory burdens as public goods of construction, environmental, and safety review, but the point remains that competition has been warped by FERC’s inland LNG export decisions.

  “We filed this Petition under the same Federal law as three cases back in 2013-2015 when FERC abdicated oversight of inland LNG export operations,” said WWALS member Cecile Scofield, who opposed an ill-conceived huge 8 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per year LNG import terminal in Massachusetts in early 2000. She also noted that, “A Rulemaking is needed to determine FERC jurisdiction before a developer spends millions of dollars constructing an inland export facility only to have it shut down by FERC after it begins operation.”

  “Last March, FERC found an LNG operation in Puerto Rico is under FERC jurisdiction, and ordered its owner to show cause why not,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

  Scofield noted that, “In that March Order, FERC Chair Richard Glick wrote, referring to a 2014 FERC decision that we and many others think did not follow the law, ‘We should revisit Shell to ensure that we are carrying out our statutory responsibilities under the letter of the law.’”

  Quarterman summed up, “Ideally, the Commission should, as Chairman Glick suggested, ‘revisit’ Shell, and revoke all three of those bad 2013-2015 decisions. Otherwise, the rulemaking we propose seems like the least FERC can do to make amends for substituting its policy judgment for that of Congress and creating a regulatory gap with adverse effects on competition, health, and safety.”

• 2021-11-30: From “staff reports” i.e. WWALS PR, KPVI (Pocatello, Idaho), 30 November 2021, Environmental group asks FERC to assume oversight of liquid natural gas facilities,

  Because FERC half a decade ago disclaimed oversight of export facilities for explosive compressed LNG unless ships loaded right there for overseas shipping, such facilities are lacking FERC’s environmental, construction, and safety oversight, causing risk of “loss of life and significant environmental and economic consequences,” according to FERC’s own strategic plan. Residents of densely populated neighborhoods where inland LNG export plants are being sited, constructed, and operated are in harm’s way….

• 2021-11-30: From WWALS PR, Johnson City Press (Tennessee), 30 November 2021, Environmental group asks FERC to assume oversight of liquid natural gas facilities,

  HAHIRA — After years of trying to get the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to pay attention to economic, health, and safety issues, Suwannee Riverkeeper for the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River Watershed Coalition Inc. has asked FERC to make a rule requiring inland liquid natural gas export facilities to at least ask FERC whether it has oversight….

• 2021-11-30: From “staff reports” i.e. WWALS PR, Albany Herald, 30 November 2021, Environmental group asks FERC to assume oversight of liquid natural gas facilities,

  Most of the seven-page WWALS letter sets forth the case. The actual WWALS request is simple: “We respectfully request that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issue a formal rulemaking mandating developers of proposed small-scale inland liquid natural gas export facilities file Petitions for Declaratory Order with the commission in order for FERC to determine federal jurisdiction before a developer proceeds with a project.”

• 2021-11-17: Terry Richards, Valdosta Daily Times, November 17, 2021, Valdosta council opposes swamp mine plan (see also WWALS blog post),

  
  Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson; Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman; Map: Okefenokee Swamp, Valdosta, mine site

  VALDOSTA — An Alabama-based mining concern said a resolution by Valdosta’s city council won’t stop them from starting a controversial South Georgia mining project.

  “The Valdosta City Council’s resolution has no impact on our plans whatsoever,” said Steve Ingle, president of Twin Pines Minerals, in a statement.

  Valdosta City Council voted Nov. 11 to oppose Twin Pines’ plans to start a mining project near the Okefenokee Swamp, about 75 miles from Valdosta. The vote was….

• 2021-11-16: Valdosta Today, November 16, 2021, Valdosta passes resolution opposing strip mine near Okefenokee Swamp (see WWALS PR),

  The most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed Twin Pines Minerals (TPM) strip mine or any others within ten miles of the Okefenokee Swamp.

  “This is a national resource that Valdostans and surrounding cities and counties have enjoyed for a long time,” said Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson. “Anything that would threaten it: I would hope this Council would come out in support of its citizens, and the activities that this natural resource presents to all of us.”

  “If the state of Georgia will risk the Okefenokee, what won’t they risk?” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman. “Many thanks to Valdosta Mayor and Council for helping stop this threat to the Okefenokee Swamp, a gem of an ecosystem that supports 700 jobs and is the headwaters of the Suwannee River. You can also ask the state to stop this mine:” https://wwals.net/?p=55092

  The resolution further asks….

• 2021-11-15: Kyra Purvis, WFXL, November 15, 2021, The city of Valdosta is working together to protect Okefenokee Swamp (see also WWALS blog post and WWALS PR),

  The city of Valdosta is working together to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from a proposed strip mine being placed near the area.

  
  Reporter, Mayor, Suwannee Riverkeeper, mine in WWALS Suwannee River Basin map

• 2021-11-14: Johnson City Press (Tennessee), November 14, 2021, Valdosta City Council passes resolution opposing mine near Okefenokee (see WWALS PR).
   

• 2021-11-14: From staff reports (WWALS PR), Albany Herald, 14 November 2021, Valdosta City Council passes resolution opposing mine near Okefenokee,

  Valdosta City Council passes resolution opposing mine near Okefenokee, VALDOSTA — The most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed Twin Pines Minerals strip mine or any others within 10 miles of the Okefenokee Swamp.

  “This is a national resource that Valdostans and surrounding cities and counties have enjoyed for a long time,” Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson said. “Anything that would threaten it, I would hope this council would come out in support of its citizens and the activities that this natural resource presents to all of us.”

  “If the state of Georgia will risk the Okefenokee, what won’t they risk?” Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said. “Many thanks to the Valdosta mayor and council for helping stop this threat to the Okefenokee Swamp, a gem of an ecosystem that supports 700 jobs and is the headwaters of the Suwannee River. You can also ask the state to stop this mine (at https://wwals.net/?p=55092).”

• 2021-10-08: Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, October 8, 2021, Community groups to host river, creek cleanup (see WWALS PR),

  VALDOSTA – Various locations in Lowndes County will get a makeover during a river and creek cleanup Saturday.

  Lowndes County, the City of Valdosta and WWALS Watershed Coalition are collaborating to host the cleanup 9-11 a.m., Oct. 9.

  Locations are Drexel Park near Valdosta State University (One Mile Branch), Lee Street Pond (One Mile Branch), Sugar Creek near the Salty Snapper, the land between Little and Withlacoochee rivers and Mozell Spells Site near the Highway 31 Georgia–Florida line.

  The meeting place for Sugar Creek is the parking lot of Salty Snapper, 1405 Gornto Road, and the meeting place for the land between the rivers is Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Highway.

  “It will be hunting season. Please wear hunting orange. Do not cross the river,” WWALS members said in a statement.

  The cleanup is related to the Georgia Rivers Alive cleanup program, they stated.

  John Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, said he plans to attend the cleanup near the Salty Snapper.

  “There’s much less trash in Sugar Creek there than there used to be due to recent cleanups by Valdosta Stormwater,” he said. “However, there is plenty of trash in the fences below the parking lot. A few trash cans there would probably help that situation. Meanwhile, we will clean up there.”

  Quarterman said his wife, Gretchen, WWALS executive director, will set up an information table at Troupville Boat Ramp.

  Bobby McKenzie, WWALS member, will guide volunteers “downstream into the woods on Helen Tapp’s private property to clean up there,” Quarterman said.

  …

• 2021-10-01: Valdosta Today, October 1, 2021, Valdosta Officials Celebrate Georgia Cities Week

  Saturday | Oct 9

  Love Your River Clean-Up | 9 AM -11 AM

  Lowndes County, the City of Valdosta, and WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) are jointly organizing a river cleanup in both the city and county, at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River, at Highway 31 GA/FL Line on the Withlacoochee River, and in Valdosta with two cleanup sites on One-mile Branch.

• 2021-09-17: Valdosta Today, September 17, 2021, River and Creek Cleanup event for Lowndes, Valdosta (see WWALS PR)

  

• 2021-09-14: Valdosta Today, September 14, 2021, Volunteers encouraged to join ‘Love Your River’ cleanup scheduled for October.
• 2021-08-29: J.J. Rolle, singer, actor, Judge at Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest –VDT 2021-08-29,

  John Jeffery ‘J.J.’ Rolle is a performer and judge at the recent Fourth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Rolle has been a musician for decades.

  VALDOSTA — “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages … put your hands together for Valdosta’s very own, J.J. Rolle,” emcee Wes James called out at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  
  J.J. Rolle: judge and performer; Photo: Angela Duncan

• 2021-08-24: Staff Report, Lake City Reporter, August 24, 2021, “O’Brien man places in songwriting contest: Wingate one of nine finalists from across the southeast.”

  VALDOSTA — Chosen from a record number of finalists, an O’Brien man was one of three winners named Saturday night at the fourth annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  Out of the nine finalists that competed at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts’ Art Park, O’Brien’s KJ Wingate won for the best song from inside the Suwannee River basin. Wingate won a $50 prize from the WWALS Watershed Coalition for his folk/country song, “The Hymn of Convict Spring.”

  
  Lake City Reporter, KJ Wingate, Rachel Grubb
  Finalists that competed in the fourth annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting contest included O’Brien’s KJ Wingate (from left), Katherine Ball, David Rodock, Sweet William Billy Ennis, Jimi Davies and his brother, Kathy Lou Gilman and Rachel Hillman. Not pictured are Brandon Fox and Lake City’s Rachel Grubb, who could not attend. Angela Duncan Courtesy of WWALS.

• 2021-08-23: WCJB Staff, WCJB, Gainesville, FL, 23 August 2021, Two North Central Florida musicians win Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest awards,

  SUWANNEE, Fla. (WCJB) — A pair of North Central Florida musicians are taking home a couple of awards as part of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  KJ Wingate of O’Brien won best song from Inside the Suwannee River Basin with his folk/country tune “The Hymn of the Convict Spring.”

  Billy Ennis of Palatka won first place in the Studio Recording Time category with his song “Flat Bottom Boats.”

  
  Billy Ennis band
  Photo: Angela Duncan for WWALS.

• 2021-08-23: Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, August 23, 2021, By the Riverside: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest winners revealed (see also WWALS blog post)

  VALDOSTA — Sweet William Billy Ennis of Palatka, Fla., is the first-prize winner of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  
  First Prize Winner Sweet William Billy Ennis.
  Top: receiving the prize from Judge J.J. Rolle, introduced again by M.C. “Big Country” Wes James WAAC FM to play again.
  Bottom: Sweet William Billy Ennis and his band playing his winning song, “Flat Bottom Boats.”
  Photos: Angela Duncan for WWALS.

  The annual competition was sponsored by WWALS and took place Saturday at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts Art Park and was also live-streamed on Zoom.

  Scott Perkins and the Little Perks in Paradise headlined the show. Perkins is a past winner of the contest.

  Ennis is a singer/songwriter who has penned original songs of multiple genres relating to various subjects, including love and war with blues influence, for 50 years, according to his biography.

  As the first-place winner, he received $300 along with $300 value in studio time.

• 2021-08-23: From press release, Valdosta Today, 23 August 2021, Winners of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,

  Chosen by three judges from a record number of Finalists from Atlanta, Georgia, to Palatka, Florida, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is pleased to announce the winners of the Fourth Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  
  All winners
  Finalists that competed in the fourth annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting contest included O’Brien’s KJ Wingate (from left), Katherine Ball, David Rodock, Sweet William Billy Ennis, Jimi Davies and his brother, Kathy Lou Gilman and Rachel Hillman. Not pictured are Brandon Fox and Lake City’s Rachel Grubb, who could not attend. Angela Duncan Courtesy of WWALS.

• 2021-08-20: Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, August 20, 2021, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest changes bands,

  VALDOSTA – Dirty Bird and the Flu, originally tapped to headline the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest show this weekend, will not perform, according to organizers.

  However, the contest will continue 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts Art Park, off North Patterson Street.

  “Scott Perkins and his band, Little Perks in Paradise, are coming from Atlanta to play as a headliner,” John Quarterman, Suwannee [R]iverkeeper, said….

• 2021-08-16: Jill Nolin, GPB, August 16, 2021, Virtual River Mapping Project Underway In Georgia Aims To Raise Awareness,

  Another group here, the Suwannee Riverkeeper and WWALS watershed coalition, has photographed parts of the Withlacoochee River.

• 2021-08-05: Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, August 5, 2021, Suwannee Riverkeeper song finalists named,

  VALDOSTA – Nine finalists from Georgia and Florida have been named for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

  Each of the finalists will perform during a gathering 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts Art Park.

  They are Katherine Ball of Valdosta, Jimi Davies of Atlanta, Billy Ennis of Palatka, Fla., Brandon Fox of Leesburg, Kathy Lou Gilman of Kingsland, Rachel Grubb of Lake City, Fla., Rachel Hillman of Tallahassee, Fla., David Rodock of Adel and K.J. Wingate of O’Brien, Fla.

  “Their songs are all so good, the WWALS Songwriting Contest Committee couldn’t bring itself to omit any of them,” Tom H. Johnson Jr., committee chair, said in a statement.

  The public was invited to vote for their favorites during the selection process.

  Laura D’Alisera, committee member and the winner of the first songwriting contest, said in a statement that the voting was beneficial and that the entries were so good, they couldn’t be excluded.

  The group will be judged by Josh Duncan, J.J. Rolle and Kenji Bolden, according to organizers.

  They were tasked with writing original songs that focused on the Suwannee River or its tributaries, according to organizers. Genres ranging from folk to blues to jazz are represented, organizers stated.

  Prizes are ….

• 2021-08-02: Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, August 2, 2021, Suwannee Riverkeeper contest scheduled (WWALS blog post),

  VALDOSTA — The musical notes of folk, blues, soul, rock and jazz will soon cover the Art Park during the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest in late August.

  Finalists have been selected to perform at the annual event, 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts Art Park.

  The public had until July 29 to cast votes for the contest.

  John Quarterman, Suwannee riverkeeper, said a committee will take into account the votes while choosing finalists, which will be announced Aug. 4.

  And the Committee selected all nine songwriters as Finaliasts!

  

  Judges Josh Duncan, J.J. Rolle and Kenji Bolden will select winners at the Aug. 21 event, where Little Perks in Paradise and Dirty Bird and the Flu will each headline.

  Little Perks in Paradise features….

• 2021-07-09: Typhani Gray, Fox 31 WFXL, 9 July 2021, WWALS Watershed Coalition thanks Atkinson Commission for support, (WWALS blog post),

  WWALS Watershed Coalition was started after organizers were concerned about sewage spills, and roads being closed because of trees being down in the river.

  
  Willacoochee Landing @ GA 135, Alapaha River Water Trail, Suwannee Riverkeeper at Atkinson County Commission, Reporter Typhani Gray and Tester Valerie Folsom, ARWT road sign

• 2021-06-11: Rebecca Heilweil, Vox, 11 June 2021, The controversy over Bill Gates becoming the largest private farmland owner in the US: People are drawing connections between Gates’s vast farmlands and climate change advocacy, (WWALS blog post),

  One Georgia farmer and environmental advocate, John Quarterman, told NBC that while he expected that Gates would encourage more sustainable practices after buying farmland nearby, his acquisition of that land didn’t change much. And the National Farmers Union has suggested that the growing number of non-farmer owners like Gates buying up farmland — and renting it out — could lead to practices that hurt the environment: Short-term farmers who rent land are less likely to take long-term conservation steps, the organization argues, and non-farmer owners don’t have the experience to “understand the importance of protecting natural resources.”

  
  Photo: Chris Mericle, Dust storm in Hamilton County, Florida, March, 2014, Suwannee Riverkeeper by NBC News, June, 2021

• 2021-06-08: April Glaser, NBC News, 8 June 2021, updated 9 June 2021 (WWALS blog post), McDonald’s french fries, carrots, onions: all of the foods that come from Bill Gates farmland: Gates does not appear to count his farming investments as the nation’s largest farmland owner as part of his broader strategy to save the climate.

  Algae bloom

  But some farmers whose land is adjacent to that of the Gateses have expressed disappointment that despite the couple’s wealth, they have not done more to preserve the environment. Quarterman also serves as the Suwannee Riverkeeper and advocates for conservation of the intricate network of springs and rivers in the region, where water from the swamps of Georgia flow into Florida before they release into the Gulf of Mexico. He said that this is where large tracts of rich farmland is used to raise livestock and grow many of the vegetables that end up in grocery aisles up and down the East Coast.

  
  John Quarterman stands by the Withlacoochee River in Georgia. Matt Odom / for NBC News

  All that farming has led to large water withdrawals from Florida’s aquifer system and requires fertilizer, which leaches through the ground into waterways, emptying nitrogen that has led to destructive algae blooms and severe loss of fish and marsh habitats.

• 2021-05-09: Bryce Ethridge, Valdosta Daily Times, 9 May 2021, OSSOFF: Lawmaker tries Valdosta’s new public transit system; answers questions about mining near Okefenokee Swamp (WWALS blog post),

  
  Okefenokee

  During Ossoff’s visit, Suwannee Riverkeeper John Quarterman asked about the proposed heavy mineral sands mine near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

  This refuge is the largest east of the Mississippi and carries a hefty amount of wildlife biodiversity. The mine could potentially impact the refuge’s native species, basin hydrology and overall integrity.

  An environmental review process was attempted but has since been encumbered because of a change in interpretation of the Army Corps of Engineers’ jurisdiction, according to a U.S. Senate letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s principal deputy director, Martha Williams.

  Ossoff said he and fellow Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock have already asked the USFWS to “engage and support” the Environmental Protection Division’s permit review of the mine.

  “We will be monitoring closely this process and urging federal participation in this process to ensure that proposed commercial developments don’t damage the refuge and swamp,” Ossoff said.

• 2021-04-19: Valdosta Today, Spaces are filling up for the Ninth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race (see WWALS PR)
• 2021-04-07: Jill Nolin, Georgia Recorder, 7 April 2021, Feds propose protection for hefty Suwannee alligator snapping turtle (and Moultrie Observer; see also WWALS blog post),

  John Quarterman, who is the Suwannee Riverkeeper with the WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., said he hopes potential new federal protections will highlight the need to shield part of the turtle’s potential habitat from a proposed mining project near the Okefenokee Swamp. The [Georgia] state Department of Natural Resource[s] is weighing whether to issue mining permits to Twin Pines [Minerals LLC of Alabama].

  The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is included in the turtle’s range outlined by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

  “It’s yet another reason to protect the swamp,” Quarterman said this week.

  Please send your comments to Georgia officials asking them to thoroughly review and then reject the five permit applications from the miners:
  https://waterkeeper.org/news/help-suwannee-riverkeeper-save-okefenokee-swamp/

• 2021-03-29: Bryce Ethridge, Valdosta Daily Times, 29 March 2021, Down the River: Mayor’s Paddle back on track (and WWALS blog post),

  VALDOSTA — Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and 40-plus city and Lowndes County residents gathered Saturday for a three-hour trip down the Withlacoochee River.

  The Mayor’s Paddle is a fundraiser and kayaking experience that started in 2020 via a partnership with WWALS Watershed Coalition. “Last year, we formed it just to have a conversation with the cities and municipalities to our south, and to anybody who loved the river here,” Matheson said.

  
  Troupville Boat Ramp, WWTP Outfall; Photos: John S. Quarterman

• 2021-03-24: Valdosta Today, 24 March 2021, from WWALS PR, Big Little River Paddle Race announced for late Apri.

   

• 2021-03-14: Terry Richards, Valdosta Daily Times, March 14, 2021, SunLight Project: Sunshine Laws keep government meetings, documents in public view,

  VALDOSTA — State law requires local governments to be open and transparent…

  John Quarterman, a Lowndes County resident and a member of the WWALS Watershed Coalition, said he has had difficulties with both open meetings and access to public records.

  He said he has missed government meetings because of inadequate advance notice.

  “They’re required to make one posting (of a meeting’s time) and they have to send it to the county’s legal organ, the newspaper,” he said. “The newspaper may or may not print the notice … so you might not know there’s a meeting unless you see the notice posted to the courthouse door.”

• 2021-03-06: Staff reports, Valdosta Today, March 6, 2021, Mayor’s Paddle on Withlacoochee rescheduled … again (see also WWALS PR),

  VALDOSTA — The annual Mayor’s Paddle is having a tough time getting off the ground — and into the water — this year.

  “We’re rescheduling four weeks later, for 8 a.m., March 27,” Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said of the fun, 11-mile paddle. “Right now, where we usually park the boats at the end of the paddle is under water. The Withlacoochee River is spread out in the flood plain, increasing possibility of people getting tipped over by overhanging branches. So a month later makes a lot more sense for attracting novice paddlers.

  “With the Withlacoochee River still hovering around flood stage, myself and WWALS, in consultation with Lowndes County Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye, have decided to postpone the Mayor’s Paddle until March 27. We again ask everyone with a love for our area blueways to mark that date and join us for a great day of fellowship on the river.”

• 2021-02-09: kpvi.com, Pocatello, Idaho, February 9, 2021, Mayor’s Paddle on Withlacoochee rescheduled because of weather; see WWALS PR.
• 2021-02-08: Center for Biological Diversity, February 8, 2021, EPA Petitioned to Protect Communities, Environment From Radioactive Phosphogypsum Stacks, Wastewater (see also WWALS PR),

  WASHINGTON— Conservation and public-health groups petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency today to improve federal oversight of the radioactive waste produced by phosphogypsum facilities, including wastewater from phosphoric acid production.

  Phosphogypsum and process wastewater from phosphogypsum facilities are currently excluded from certain federal hazardous waste regulations.

  Today’s petition asks the EPA to begin overseeing the safe treatment, storage and disposal of phosphogypsum and process wastewater, as required under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Toxic Substances Control Act….

  “WWALS opposes expansion of the decades-old moonscape of a phosphate mine in Hamilton County, and another proposed in Union and Bradford Counties,” said John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper. “These mines not only suck up massive amounts of water that reduce spring and river flows, they feed ever-growing phosphogypsum stacks with radioactive waste.”…

• 2021-02-05: Valdosta Today, 5 February 2021, Rescheduled Mayor’s Paddle to take place soon (from WWALS PR).

   

• 2021-02-02: Valdosta Today, February 2, 2021, WWALS to host Mayor’s Paddle on February 6 (see WWALS PR).
• 2021-02-05: Desiree Carver, Valdosta Daily Times, 5 February 2021, Mayor’s Paddle postponed due to weather,

  VALDOSTA – The Mayor’s Paddle scheduled for Saturday morning, Feb. 6, has been postponed, according to the WWALS Watershed Coalition.

  Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson started the Mayor’s Paddle last year. It was supposed to begin at Troupville Boat Ramp and end at Spook Bridge, same as last year. Spook Bridge is a private property owned by the Langdale Company that allows the use of the area for the event.

  “We want to send a positive message about paddling, and the weather this weekend does not work for that,” Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson said in a statement from WWALS.

  Bobby McKenzie, expedition leader, decided to postpone the event, stating the group doesn’t want “to risk inexperienced paddlers in this kind of weather.”

  The paddle has been rescheduled for Feb. 27.

• 2021-01-28: Desiree Carver, Valdosta Daily Times, 28 January 2021, Mayor’s Paddle: Matheson continues river paddling tradition.
• 2021-01-27: [your]NEWS (Lanier County News), 27 January 2021, Mayor’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River, Troupville to Spook Bridge (see WWALS PR)
• 2021-01-27: [your]NEWS (Lanier County News), 27 January 2021, Banks Lake Full Wolf Moon Paddle (see WWALS PR)