Tag Archives: south Georgia

Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23 and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27

1 Reply

Update 2026-05-09: Clean Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-05-06.

Valdosta Utilities got a pretty good E. coli number for Monday at GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) on the Withlacoochee River, and a good result at US 84 that same day. That’s much improved from previous weeks.

WWALS results for Sugar Creek last Thursday were also OK.

And a WWALS result for Batterbee Branch, in Ray City, Georgia, upstream from Cat Creek, was OK.

Still no significant rain, and still no new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can find any water.

Rain is predicted for this weekend, but it was predicted for yesterday, too, and didn’t happen.

If there is rain, maybe it will at least dampen some wildfires. Remember not to light anything outdoors.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23, and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27, No rain, no sewage spills]
Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23, and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27, No rain, no sewage spills

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD 2026-04-27

Leave a reply

Georgia starts to catch up with Florida in drought declarations.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division Declares Drought Response Level 1

On April 27, 2026, after consideration of the drought severity and the water resource impacts, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a state-wide Drought Response Level 1 for public water systems using surface water and/or groundwater. EPD has been closely monitoring drought conditions in Georgia for months, and on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, EPD held conference calls with public water systems to discuss current water supply and EPD’s consideration of issuing a Level 1 drought response. Following the conference calls, the public water systems had three days to submit any additional feedback before EPD could proceed with a drought response declaration.

[Statewide Drought Response Level 1 --GA-EPD, April 27, 2026]
Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD, April 27, 2026

As a result of the Level 1 Drought Response, public water systems must implement a public information campaign including, at a minimum, notice regarding drought conditions and drought-specific announcements in one or more of the following ways: newspaper or online ads, bill inserts, social media, and notices in public libraries. This public information campaign is designed to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies, and the need for water conservation.

Outdoor water use between the hours of 4 PM and 10 A.M. is still Continue reading →

Pictures: Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Upstream, Withlacoochee River 2026-03-29

2 Replies

This is part 2 of the Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup of Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Part 1 was downstream.

Here we go upstream, with Brianna Schawalder of Trails4Valdosta in her canoe, helping pull limbs aside and photographing, and Russell Hassenstab of Kona Ice paddling the Suwannee Riverkeeper Old Town Canoe, while Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman chainsaws.

[Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Upstream from Langdale Park BR, Towards US 41 Bridge, Sunday, March 29, 2026]
Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Upstream from Langdale Park BR, Towards US 41 Bridge, Sunday, March 29, 2026

Here are some video snippets.

https://youtu.be/JstBEtdI8qU

Thanks to Continue reading →

Review and comment: DRI for Project Arrowhead Datacenter, Irwin County, GA 2026-04-24

1 Reply

Update 2026-05-13: Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer –WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11.

Everyone has two weeks, until Monday, May 11, 2026, to review and comment on the Development of Regional Importance (DRI) application by Project Arrowhead to build a huge datacenter in Irwin County, Georgia, near Irwinville and the Alapaha River.

The attachments SGRC sent are on the WWALS website, with images of each page below.

https://wwals.net/pictures/2026-04-24-dri-irwin-county-project-arrowhead

I see nothing from the applicant that WWALS hasn’t previously posted, such as when the DRI application appeared on April 10.

The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) has helpfully annotated the Kimley-Horn site maps we saw back in March, and added other useful maps.

Plus SGRC points out the most significant part of the Data Center Ordinance the Irwin County Commission passed on April 6: the table permitting a Data Center as a Special Exception (SE) allowable use in the Agriculture (A-U), Heavy Industrial (H-I), and the Adult Commercial (C-A). I’m not sure that ordinance added SE for A-U, but it certainly called it out.

For much about what we do not know, such as who the real applicant is, or what closed loop cooling means in this case, see Who is Project Arrowhead in Irwin County, GA? –Vesper 2026-04-16.

https://wwals.net/?p=70067

For much more about Datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Review and comment: DRI for Project Arrowhead Datacenter, Irwin County, GA, Comment to SGRC by May 11, 2026]
Review and comment: DRI for Project Arrowhead Datacenter, Irwin County, GA, Comment to SGRC by May 11, 2026

Received by email Friday, April 24, 2026, at 7:32 PM: Continue reading →

Pictures: Downstream chainsawing, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2026-03-29

2 Replies

Update 2026-04-26: Pictures: Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Upstream, Withlacoochee River 2026-03-29.

Brianna Schawalder of Trails4Valdosta and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman did some sawing from the Suwannee Riverkeeper Old Town Canoe, but most of the work downstream from Langdale Park Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River was done by Austin Roark and his equipment and crew from Roark’s Land Clearing and Restoration.

[Pictures: Downstream chainsawing, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2026-03-29, Roark Land Clearing and Restoration, Trail4Valdosta, WWALS]
Pictures: Downstream chainsawing, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2026-03-29, Roark Land Clearing and Restoration, Trail4Valdosta, WWALS

They removed the snaggly tree just downstream from the boat ramp that was making fishing and paddling difficult. And a tree a bit farther down that stuck so far across it was eroding the right bank.

Cindy Vedas come to staff a WWALS table at the boat ramp.

Phil Hubbard couldn’t come because he had the flu.

Here are a few video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/931293323150513/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXjp9PFCLct/

https://youtu.be/51At2Dn83WI

After we went upstream and back (stay tuned for that report), whole families were fishing where those trees had been.

So that looks like success.

Thanks to all, and to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for their cooperation.

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River filthy upstream, clean downstream 2026-04-23

1 Reply

Update 2026-04-30: Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23 and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27.

Valdosta Utilities got an even higher E. coli number for Monday at GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) on the Withlacoochee River, but a good result at US 84 that same day.

WWALS results downstream in Florida for Thursday were cleanest.

We also have good water quality results for Thursday for reported standing water in a drainage easement at Gornto Road near Sugar Creek in Valdosta.

Still no rain, and still no new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can find any water.

It might rain, but not enough to wash much contamination into the river. Maybe it will at least dampen some wildfires.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Withlacoochee River filthy upstream 2026-04-20, clean downstream, Plus a drainage easement 2026-04-23]
Withlacoochee River filthy upstream 2026-04-20, clean downstream, Plus a drainage easement 2026-04-23

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

Hahira, GA, April 21, 2026 — “Back again at the beach pavilion on the Little River at Reed Bingham State Park, it’s Juneteenth with boats! WWALS will provide stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

WWALS will provide boats for new paddlers at a gathering of people from Brooks, Cook, Lowndes, and Tift Counties and beyond in celebration of Juneteenth.

Food and activities for children will be provided by Fannie Gibbs and Macedonia Community Foundation.

When: 11 AM – 3 PM, Saturday, June 20, 2026

Put In: Reed Bingham State Park Beach, 542 Reed Bingham Rd, Adel, GA 31620. Take I-75 Exit 39, turn west on GA 37, right on Evergreen Church Road (CR 99), left on Reed Bingham SP Road (CR 221), in through the gate and across the dam, and the beach is on your right, in Colquitt County.

GPS: 31.162563, -83.548506

[Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20]
Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20

Continue reading →

Signed Irwin County Datacenter Ordinance 2026-04-06

It looks like the Irwin County Commission added a few things about water, power, and enforcement to their draft datacenter ordinance before they passed it.

The final version, received today in response to a WWALS open records request, is on the WWALS website.

For comparison, a copy of the original draft is here:

https://wwals.net/?p=69663

Do you see any other differences?

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Signed Irwin County Datacenter Ordinance 2026-04-06, Changes to Water, Energy, Enforcement]
Signed Irwin County Datacenter Ordinance 2026-04-06, Changes to Water, Energy, Enforcement

Subclause (3) is new on page 4:

(d) Water Usage Standards.

(1) Only closed-loop cooling systems are permitted in Irwin County.

(2) There shall be no discharge of cooling water into public sewers or ground without treatment.

(3) Before a certificate of occupancy is provided, all data centers shall submit a hydrogeologic study conducted by an independent third-party engineering firm showing estimated annual water usage. Such report should compare estimated water usage to the prior owner/user of the subject property or of that of similar surrounding areas.

Also on page 4, this subclause (1) is new: Continue reading →

Wildfires –watchduty.org 2026-04-20

If it seems smoky, that may be because there’s a wildfire nearby, in the current extreme drought.

[Wildfire map, --watchduty.org 2026-04-20, Suwannee River Basin, Numerous wildfires]
Wildfire map, –watchduty.org 2026-04-20, Suwannee River Basin, Numerous wildfires

For wildfires at a glance, see https://app.watchduty.org/, which appears to draw its data from state forestry services. Continue reading →

Mixed Withlacoochee River 2026-04-13, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-04-14

Update 2026-04-24: Withlacoochee River filthy upstream, clean downstream 2026-04-23.

Valdosta Utilities got a high E. coli number for Monday at GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) on the Withlacoochee River, but a good result at US 84 that same day.

WWALS results for the Santa Fe River for Tuesday were cleanest.

Still no rain, and still no new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River above the Little River Confluence. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can find any water.

Maybe join us for >Tupelo Blossom Paddle, Suwannee River Sill Ramp 2026-04-18.

https://wwals.net/?p=70035

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Mixed Withlacoochee River 2026-04-13, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-04-14, Very low water, Avoid Withlacoochee above Little River]
Mixed Withlacoochee River 2026-04-13, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-04-14, Very low water, Avoid Withlacoochee above Little River

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →