Friends of Pascagoula River WMA

Friends of Pascagoula River WMA To expand awareness of and involvement in the Pascagoula River Area

09/04/2026

Good morning! Happy Labor Day Weekend!

I rode down to Josephine Sandbar this morning and it’s looking pretty good. This week the State crew mowed the camping and parking areas, scattered a few more rocks on the road, and bushhogged one pass along each side of the road.

The river is pretty low which means there’s a lot of sandbar exposed. Also, the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend is a typical late summer forecast—hot (but not unbearably so) with a chance of afternoon thundershowers.

In other words, it’s all looking good for a great weekend at the river. Get out there and enjoy.

Good morning! This is just an update on the upcoming podcast. A few notes:1. We have already had a dry run—or rehearsa...
09/03/2026

Good morning! This is just an update on the upcoming podcast. A few notes:

1. We have already had a dry run—or rehearsal if you will. It went really well. I’m excited at the prospects of how this is going to go.
2. You noticed I said “we”? I will have a co-host. His name is William Graham. William is intelligent and quick witted (and has a much better broadcast voice than me). Our test run showed considerable potential for lively banter between the two of us.
3. We still have several kinks to work out when it comes to production of the podcast. Gwen is working on those issues, including both software and hardware considerations. Gwen is my “techie” and I’d be lost without her. This may take a little while to get all our ducks in a row but I really believe it’ll be worth the extra effort.
4. The foundation for a podcast/radio show/ television program, etc. is certainly the sponsors. They are the people who make it all possible. I spent a day visiting with the previous sponsors for my radio program and a couple of other likely prospects. Every single person I talked to agreed to sponsor the podcast. And here’s the gratifying part: They were not only willing but enthusiastic. These guys are supportive of our efforts to advocate for the swamp and want to help any way they can.
5. Speaking of sponsors, I have actually had some other folks to contact me wanting to sponsor the program. Some of these people are from out of town as well as people whom I’ve never even met. All indications are that sponsors will NOT be an issue.
6. If sponsors are the foundation of a successful podcast, then good guests are the backbone. I already have some guests lined up and, just as with sponsors, I have had several people contact me wanting to be guests on the podcast. After we’ve done a couple of episodes to work out the kinks, I should be able to have a steady stream of interesting guests.

In short, the podcast is coming together nicely. Just be a little patient with me while we get the kinks worked out. I can’t wait until we actually go public. In the meantime, your prayers will certainly be appreciated.

As they used to say on TV: “Stay tuned to this channel for further details.”

Good morning! Well, it’s now September. And what does that mean? It means we’re gearing up for the planned celebratio...
09/02/2026

Good morning!

Well, it’s now September. And what does that mean? It means we’re gearing up for the planned celebration on the Josephine Sandbar.

What are we celebrating? Several things.

First and foremost, we are celebrating the purchase of the Pascagoula River Swamp (or at least a big chunk of it) by the State of Mississippi just before it was sold to a company with publicly stated intentions of clearcutting the whole swamp.

Let us consider that event for a moment. The sale to the clearcutting paper company was almost complete when Graham Wisner, Herman Murrah (my dad), and several others stepped in and stopped it in its tracks. I can only imagine what our precious swamp would look like now if these heroes hadn’t stepped up to the plate and changed local history. Yes, I really do imagine the barren landscape every time I bask in the beauty of the swamp. That’s not all—I have nightmares about what may happen in the future. The wolves are always at the door. Folks, I strongly believe the saving of the swamp was one of the most consequential events in George County’s history. Certainly worthy of celebration!!

The sale of the swamp to the state was finalized on September 22, 1976. That’s fifty years ago. We’re also celebrating a few more anniversaries this year: The 125th anniversary of the City of Lucedale, the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Pascagoula River Basin Alliance, and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We have a lot to celebrate.

So, mark your calendars and plan to join us at the Josephine Sandbar on Saturday, September 19th at about 10am. We will have remarks from numerous government officials and dignitaries followed by a devotional. Then comes the food. Numerous of our followers and supporters have donated to provide a hearty (and free) meal to all the attendees. Also, my good friend, Shawn Harris, has offered to provide a fleet of kayaks for the kids to enjoy.

We’re looking forward to a big crowd and a great celebration. Come join us!!

Good morning! As many of you know by now, my outdoors radio program, “Swamp Talk”, has officially ended. I will no long...
08/27/2026

Good morning!

As many of you know by now, my outdoors radio program, “Swamp Talk”, has officially ended. I will no longer be associated with the local radio station.

Instead, I will shortly be launching a podcast called “Singing River Outdoors”. Further details, such as where you can access the podcast will be announced soon on this page.

I expect to reach considerably more people through a podcast than I was reaching on a small local radio station and will also be able to monitor the size and scope of the audience.

I already have more committed sponsors lined up for the podcast than we had for the radio program and look forward to working with each of them. With a defined and verifiable audience, I don’t expect sponsorship will be an issue.

In other words, under this new scenario, I expect to reach more people, generate more income for our mission, and have less restrictions on what I can say. I will also have complete flexibility to record the episodes around my schedule rather than a set time to perform live on the radio. You will likewise have the flexibility to listen to the podcasts on your phone, computer, or tablet at your leisure rather than having to tune in at a specific time for a radio broadcast.

I am looking forward to this new venture and sincerely hope you will join me when we kick off the first episode of “Singing River Outdoors”. I can’t wait!!

Davy

Good afternoon!!How about a little quiz this weekend?Important rule: If you are a hunter, you're not allowed to answer ...
08/15/2026

Good afternoon!!

How about a little quiz this weekend?

Important rule: If you are a hunter, you're not allowed to answer the question. That would be unfair. Let's leave this one to the uninitiated.

Here's the question. What do you see in the picture and what does it mean?

Have fun.

Update: Everybody figured this one out. Too easy. I'll have to make the next one a bit more challenging.

Good morning! Two stories this morning:First, as many of you know, we have established a nonprofit company called The P...
08/14/2026

Good morning!

Two stories this morning:

First, as many of you know, we have established a nonprofit company called The Pascagoula River Swamp Initiative with the express intent to assume management and maintenance responsibilities for Josephine Sandbar and the surrounding area. At this point, we are in negotiations with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks in pursuit of the stated goal. To their credit, the MDWFP has apparently entered these negotiations with a positive attitude and an open mind. I will, of course, keep you advised of any significant developments on this front.

Secondly, the MDWFP has been busy down at the sandbar. As you can see from the attached photos, they have recently:

1. Improved the parking area at the lower access to the sandbar.
2. Improved the parking area at the upper access to the sandbar.
3. Bulldozed the weeds between the parking area and the sandbar at the upper access.
4. Bushhogged the walking trail.
5. Installed four (4) picnic tables with benches.
6. Mowed the camping area.

Looking a lot better down there!

Update: Upon further investigation, the nature trail has NOT been bushhogged. They bushhogged both ends but missed a section in the middle. Reason: There are a couple of washouts from the spring floods that would have taken an hour or so to repair. So.......the nature trail has been out of commission since the spring. My apologies. I never considered they would bushhog both ends but not the middle.

08/05/2026

Good morning!

The potential for Josephine Sandbar to (once again) become a destination is tremendous.

Listen this afternoon at 4pm to "Swamp Talk" on WRBE 106.9FM for further details. If you're outside the WRBE broadcast area, you can listen by going to WRBEFM.com and clicking on the "listen now" button.

Davy

Good morning! Programming update: My guest this week on “Swamp Talk” will be Mr. Shawn Harris. Shawn is the current ...
07/28/2026

Good morning!

Programming update: My guest this week on “Swamp Talk” will be Mr. Shawn Harris. Shawn is the current president of the Pascagoula River Basin Alliance. He is also active in Pinebelt Blueways and the Seven Rivers Canoe Club. By the way, in his spare time, Shawn is a vice president at Hancock Whitney Bank in Hattiesburg.

Shawn is an avid outdoorsman, a devout conservationist, and a canoe/kayak enthusiast. We will be discussing the PRBA, Seven Rivers, canoeing/kayaking, the great outdoors, etc.

Join us tomorrow at 4pm on WRBE 106.9 FM for “Swamp Talk”. If you’re outside of the WRBE broadcast area, you can always listen by going to WRBEFM.com and clicking on the “listen now” button.

Good afternoon!!I am thrilled to finally post that the Josephine Sandbar is now in good shape. The river is down enough...
07/17/2026

Good afternoon!!

I am thrilled to finally post that the Josephine Sandbar is now in good shape. The river is down enough to expose a lot of sandbar and the mud from the recent flood has dried up for the most part. It's looking good.

The weather forecast for this weekend is your typical summer forecast---lows in the 70s, highs in the 90s, and about a 30% chance of afternoon or evening thundershowers.

The big washout in the middle of the road has been repaired. There are still several potholes that will jar your teeth so just take it slow and try to avoid them. Also, a hole is developing in the low-water ford across Mound Slough so, again, take it slow and avoid it.

It looks to be a great weekend to spend on the sandbar!!

Good morning!The radio program, "Swamp Talk", seems to be going quite well. I have received considerable positive feedb...
07/12/2026

Good morning!

The radio program, "Swamp Talk", seems to be going quite well. I have received considerable positive feedback. However, I'm looking for additional input. Are you listening? What do you think? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Personally, I'm really enjoying doing the show. My guest this upcoming Wednesday (at 4pm) will be Lucedale Mayor Al Jones. Mayor Jones is acutely aware of the potential benefit the Pascagoula River Swamp (particularly the Josephine Sandbar) could have on Lucedale and George County. I suspect the gist of our conversation will be on that particular subject.

I'll make you a deal: Send me some feedback (positive or negative) and I'll randomly pick a responder and send him/her an autographed copy of "WE CALL IT A SWAMP".

Your response can take the form of a comment on this post, a private message, or an email to [email protected].

By the way, if you're out of the reach of the WRBE transmission, you can listen to the program by going to their website (WRBEFM.com) and click on the "listen now" button.

Thanks in advance,

Davy

Address

4204 E. Wilkerson Ferry Road
Lucedale, MS
39452

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