Why do we get to find out in the newspaper Tuesday about a Saturday sewage spill that just “occurred”, and didn’t even show up in GA-EPD’s online Sewage Spill Reports until after the newspaper was printed and distributed? Rest assured it’s not Valdosta’s responsibility, according to Valdosta.
![[Pipe under bridge by apartments]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-03--vld-onemile-branch-sewer-spill/67696345_2766494133365915_1683739819844304896_n.jpg)
Pipe under bridge by apartments
Katelyn Umholtz, Valdosta Daily Times, 5 August 2019, Sewer spill occurs near Drexel Park, Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, Georgia, July 1, 2019 — Three judges are ready to pick the winners at the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest: two from Georgia and one from Florida. Tony Buzella, J.J. Rolle, and Tim Teasley will mark finalists on originality of lyrics and music, musical consistency, showing the integrity and value of the waters, historical value, performance, and more. Radio personality Chris Beckham of Tifton will M.C.
Continue readingPretty clean at the bottom of Vallotton Park (33.3 cfu/100 ml), but rather dirty at the top of Drexel Park (533 cfu/100 ml), on Onemile Branch, with the site of last week’s FOG sewage spill in between; that’s what WWALS water quality testers Sara Squires Jones and Scotti Jay found Monday. These numbers are for the disease-causing bacteria E. coli. The state limit is 200 colony-forming units per 100 mililiters of water (cfu/100 ml). That 533 reading is still below the state’s 1000 limit for real alarm, but it’s still not good.
This map shows in red the spill location on Ashley Street near La Jalisco Supermercado, with the testing locations in blue, at North Lee Street near Mr. B’s IGA at Vallotton Park, and at Williams Street at the east end of Drexel Park.
![[Spill and testing locations]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-06-24--one-mile-branch-testing/map-narrow.jpg)
Map:
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT), with added
Spill and testing locations. Continue reading
Thanks to Sessions Sign Company and funding from WWALS members, we have new signs to go near the Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp. We will have them tomorrow at the BIG Little River Paddle Race if you want to see them before we plant them.
These are nice thick polymetal signs, and they cost accordingly: $35 a pair. Plus 4×4 signpost, bolts, nuts, and concrete, that’s about $50 to plant a pair of metal signs at a landing or boat ramp. If you’d like to sponsor a sign, let us know, or make a donation. We can put your logo on the sign for the boat ramp or landing you sponsor.
This sign is specific to this boat ramp, with Continue reading
Welcome, Georgia Beer Co.!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PDF)
Georgia Beer Company Sponsors Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Hahira, Georgia, April 22, 2019 — The first brewery in the Suwannee River Basin is the top-level sponsor of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. When the finalists compete for the judges and music lovers at The Salty Snapper on August 24, 2019, at the top of the sponsor banner will be Georgia Beer Company. This maker of brews, such as Cypress Knee – Single Hop Mosaic, understands clean water is essential to every beer. So Georgia Beer Company, as the Aria level sponsor, supports Suwannee Riverkeeper for fishable, swimmable, drinkable water.
![[Sponsor package]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-24--suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest/sponsor.jpg)
Photo: Sara the bartender;
Left to right: Bartender, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman receiving sponsor merchandise and check from Jack “J. Ryce Martin” and Chris Jones, founders of Georgia Beer Co.
“When I was a reporter in Madison, Florida, I wrote about Valdosta sewage frequently,” said Georgia Beer Co. co-founder Chris Jones. “Unfortunately, that is still a story. We support Suwannee Riverkeeper to help stop that problem, and to clean up other things getting into our rivers.”
“I’m thrilled for this support of our water quality testing program by Georgia Beer Company,” said WWALS lead tester Sara Jay. “We can buy more testing materials and Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PDF)
Submissions open for Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Hahira, Georgia, April 1, 2019 — No fooling but fun: today songwriters can start submitting new songs about the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, or Little Rivers, or other lakes, swamps, springs, or sinks in the Suwannee River Basin. New this year is a separate winner category for finalists younger than eighteen, in the Second Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Well-known radio personality Chris Beckham will be the Master of Ceremonies inside in air conditioning Saturday afternoon, August 24, 2019, at The Salty Snapper in Valdosta, Georgia. Three judges will select winners as finalists play. Snacks are included, plus a silent auction and kayak raffle. Come have some family musical fun supporting your local nonprofit WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper.
Photo: Bret Wagenhorst, of Emmett Carlisle playing at the 2018 Contest
Last year’s winner, Laura D’Alisera has driven from Jacksonville for every contest organizing committee meeting this year, and will sing this year while the judges are judging. She says, “To encourage working songwriters, this year we will Continue reading
Update 2019-03-12: The #Trashtag Challenge: Cleanups are good, but throwaway plastic needs to be stopped.
Not bad for an idea from a few days before: a cleanup at Onemile Branch in Drexel Park during Azalea Festival.
Juan and Luisa from Colombia with the VSU English Language Institute waded into the stream, with Beatriz Potter holding the bucket and Tom Potter advising.
Sara Jay explained her WWALS water quality test kit.
Continue readingThree tasks at once at Troupville Boat Ramp last Tuesday! Scotti Jay picked up trash, while Sara Jay did water quality testing (you, too can learn to do that). Then while Sara finished up Scotti and I replanted the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Sara Jay with water quality testing kit, Scotti Jay with trash bag, Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail signs.
Here are the winners of the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia at State Line Boat Ramp in Lowndes County past Brooks County, into Madison and Hamilton County, Florida and back again. Everybody had fun and wants to do it again next year. We’re thinking of billing it also as a Georgia-Florida contest. Lots more pictures and videos are being posted.
WWALS Boomerang Winners, by Jay Blanton of Georgia Photography Fanatic
Thanks to everybody who paddled and who helped, especially to our sponsors and vendors: Continue reading
Thanks to Valdosta Utilities Director Darryl Muse and staff for the Tour of Valdosta wastewater treatment plants Wednesday. Afterwards, I got them to sit down in a conference room and say again the most important points. They said what they had done to prevent future spills like the big ones this year.
Counterclockwise from front: Utilities Director Darryl Muse, Public Information Officer Ashlyn Becton, Environmental Manager Scott Fowler, Mud Creek WTP Superintendent Mud Creek
Stanley K. Martin.
We also elicited Valdosta Utilities’ view on the letter establishing the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force, which was mainly Continue reading
![[Three]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-08-24--suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest/judges.jpg)
![[#1: 6 colonies]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-06-24--one-mile-branch-testing/downstream0625191636d.jpg)
![[Side by Side]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-04-25--troupville-metal-signs/side-by-side.jpg)
![[Beatriz assisting]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/20190310_144703.jpg)
![[Sara explaining]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/20190310_142225.jpg)