We are staging the Suwannee River Paddling Festival  - March 31-April 2nd.   There are five spots left and we hope to see you there! It is a terrific finale to our season.  Paddlers will have the opportunity to camp at Suwannee River State Park and paddle the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers.  Dorsey DeMaster, President of Florida Paddling Trails Association (the 34th paddler and the first female veteran of the United States military to paddle all 1,515 miles of the CT trail), will be speaking Friday and guitarist Brian Smalley will be entertaining  us on Saturday.  Also, the winner of our "Kayak Package" will be announced on Saturday evening! Click here to get your tickets.   

Included in this issue are:  "The Suwannee River” by Doug Alderson; "We Just Won in Court Again", by Ryan Smart; "What’s That Critter in the Suwannee River", and "How to Paddle a Kayak: Basic Strokes"  by Megan Green Wells

Thanks to everyone who supported us this season! Our partners, vendors, speakers and musicians. For those who came on trips, who donated to our cause and to those who volunteered with us! YOU make a difference and enable us to continue our mission of protecting Florida’s waterways!

Today, springs advocates achieved the biggest legal victory in recent memory.

The 1st District Court of Appeals ruled that DEP’s water quality restoration plans for 13 Outstanding Florida Springs (Basin Management Action Plans, or “BMAPs”) do not meet the minimum requirements under Florida statutes.

The ruling forces DEP to draft new, effective BMAPs for Outstanding Florida Springs.

This victory is the result of a four-year legal battle by the Florida Springs Council and our member organizations. It is the difference between impaired and healthy springs in Florida’s future. [Read More…]

“Having supplied ourselves with ammunition and provision, we set off in the cool of the morning, and descended pleasantly, riding on the crystal flood, which flows down with an easy, gentle, yet active current, rolling over its silvery bed. The stream almost as transparent as the air we breathe; there is nothing done in secret except on its green flowery verges.” --William Bartram, 1773, commenting on a clear Suwannee River

The Suwannee is a hybrid river that defies categorization. During normal water levels, it is a tannin waterway fed by both the vast Okefenokee Swamp—one of the Southeast’s largest wetlands—and numerous springs. In fact, the Suwannee basin is believed to have the largest concentration of freshwater springs in the world and during severe droughts, the river flow consists almost entirely of clear spring water.. [Read more…]

Photo credit: Doug Alderson

More than 60 species of fish are found in the Suwannee River basin. Minnows, suckers, chain pickerel, longnose gar, Florida gar, bowfin (mudfish), as well as catfish and bullheads are common. Sport fishing is quite popular on rivers and lakes in the District.

The Suwannee River hosts the largest population of the imperiled gulf sturgeon. These large, prehistoric-looking fish are famous for their frequent jumps and loud splashes. It’s best to go slow on the Suwannee River, especially from May through August, to avoid an accident with a jumping sturgeon. [Read More …]

Support Paddle Florida and our GREEN dish program by purchasing our NEW Paddle Florida Coffee Mug for $30 (add $10 to have it shipped to you), or we can bring it to you on your next trip!

* Powder-coated finish, double-wall stainless steel 18oz tumbler that has a clear push-on acrylic lid.

* Vacuum insulation helps keep a drink hot or cold for hours.

How To: How to Paddle a Kayak: Basic Strokes

Click here for the article.