

# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle to see SPZ
- **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 10 Jan, 2026 at 09:00 am
- **Event Description**: Update 2026-01-08: The Park has gotten much more strict about food. You can’t carry any, only one non-breakable water container. Unless you’re diabetic and you ask, then you get one snack. You can, however, take food and any other legal refreshments on the WWALS shuttle to TREPO Point Park and leave them there for after the paddle.

Don’t take the Park shuttle: come on the WWALS Point Park shuttle. Be at North Launch Ichetucknee Springs State Park by 10 AM to drop off your boats, then we take most of our vehicles to Point Park, leave them there, and drive back in as few vehicles as possible.

If you do not have a boat, you can rent one right there at the Launch.

Florida FWC decided against the SPZ on November 10, 2025. But there may be further proposals. Come see what we are all trying to conserve.

Plus this paddle is now free to everyone, due to a newly-discovered park rule.

End of update.

Come see what the Ichetucknee Springs Protection Zone (SPZ) is about. Swim in the itch head spring. Then join us for a leisurely paddle 4 miles downstream in crystal clear waters with the possibility of seeing manatee, several types of gar and bird species.

Thanks to Linda Dicker, who proposed the SPZ, for leading this expedition, and for arranging takeout at the private TREPO Point Park.

Thanks to WWALS water quality tester Christiaan Ard for assisting leading this outing.

The Ichetucknee River is great paddling in the park. From there down to the Santa Fe River, power boats abound, producing wakes, endangering humans and wildlife, and eroding shorelines. The SPZ would require a No Wake Zone and maybe ban personal watercraft.

You can write to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWC), using this handy form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYFArSQsstOauhRVYTCMoikXYIo0i_gDmkuDlbTC-7OSsgQQ/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=114012348461689332646

When: Gather 9 AM, shuttle 10 AM, launch 11 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, January 10, 2026

Put In: Dip in Ichetucknee Headspring, then paddle starting at North Launch Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Ichetucknee S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, in Columbia County.

GPS: 29.98292, -82.76053

[Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and River Paddle 2026-01-10, to see SPZ, Springs Protection Zone]

Take Out: TREPO Point Park

Boats: Bring your own kayak or canoe if you can.

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit.
Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Please follow Leave No Trace principles by packing out all trash, avoiding damage to vegetation, and respecting wildlife.
Do not bring things prohibited by the park rules, such as glass containers, disposable containers, pets, tobacco or nicotine including vapes, radios, speakers, or loud music, water guns or blasters, or fishing gear.

Safety: Be on time. If you miss the safety briefing, you cannot paddle with us.
Each person in a boat, no matter how young or old, must wear a PFD.

Free: This outing is free to everyone.
The park charges $6 per vehicle.

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

[Ichetucknee Headspring, 2020-01-04 --jsq for WWALS]

Duration: 5 hours

Paddle: 5 miles, 4 hours.

[Ichetucknee Springs North Boat Ramp, 2020-01-04 --jsq for WWALS]

Shuttle: 8 miles one way, 40 minutes round trip.
This outing includes the traditional WWALS shuttle. Everybody takes their boats to the put-in, most people drive to the take-out, and the drivers pile into one or two vehicles and go back to the put-in.


[Point Park, Ichetucknee River @ SW Riverside Ave. 2025-11-03 –Christiaan Ard for WWALS]

Host: Linda Dicker

Contact: John S. Quarterman

Backup: in case of bad weather or high or low water is: Reschedule to 2026-01-17

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

https://wwals.net/?p=68835
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/fort-white/ichetucknee-polar-plunge-and-paddle-to-see-spz/200029199621120
- **Event Categories**: trips-adventures, sports, nonprofit
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 172

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200029199621120?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=fort+white-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Fort White
- **state**: FL
- **country**: United States
- **location**: Ichetucknee Springs North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038
- **lat**: 29.98609
- **long**: -82.76
- **full address**: Ichetucknee Springs North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, United States

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: WWALS Watershed Coalition  is Suwannee Riverkeeper (https://allevents.in/org/wwals-watershed-coalition-is-suwannee-riverkeeper/25961739)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/c022905b5f909ca35fa3089f79daa250a026c73e96b00d7c5ff0996e8df269e9-rimg-w1200-h628-dc5f615e-gmir?v=1768020921
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/df0f2c535f95b7c864416b1ef20403b65efe5945b4b87863ccf4a051d1ab4bd1-rimg-w300-h300-dc787a75-gmir?v=1768020921

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Sat, 10 Jan, 2026 at 09:00 am
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** Ichetucknee Springs North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038, United States
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** WWALS Watershed Coalition  is Suwannee Riverkeeper
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** trips-adventures, sports, nonprofit
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle to see SPZ ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

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