Tag Archives: Weather

Ashburn sewage spill 2026-08-02, Clean Alapaha River 2026-08-08 but dirty Town of Alapaha, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-08-12

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The Alapaha River tested clean last Friday, but the Town of Alapaha Wastewater Treatment Outflow was filthy.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean for Monday and for Wednesday downstream.

The only sewage spill reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia, was a 25,000 gallon spill into Hat Creek on August 2, that Ashburn, Georgia didn’t report to GA-EPD until Monday, August 10. That’s upstream of the Alapaha River.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, if you can avoid the rains.

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

[Ashburn sewage spill 2026-08-02, Clean Alapaha River 2026-08-08, but dirty Town of Alapaha, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-08-12]
Ashburn sewage spill 2026-08-02, Clean Alapaha River 2026-08-08, but dirty Town of Alapaha, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-08-12

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 →

River up at Langdale Park Boat Ramp; erosion on access road 2026-08-13

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The Withlacoochee River is up at Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

At 118 feet NAVD88 yesterday and 119.19 feet today on the Valdosta Gauge at US 41, that’s several feet above the WWALS recommended minimum of 116 for boating. It’s probably even high enough to put in a boat with a motor and go over most of the remaining deadfalls at the bottom of the park.

Unfortunately, the rains that brought the river up also once again produced erosion on the access road, out of the private development site.

[2026-08-13: River up at Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, erosion on access road]
2026-08-13: River up at Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, erosion on access road

Down at the boat ramp, you can see the WWALS signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) and below them a container with rack cards for people to take. Continue reading →

Update: Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River 2026-08-07

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Update 2026-08-14: Ashburn sewage spill 2026-08-02, Clean Alapaha River 2026-08-08 but dirty Town of Alapaha, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-08-12.

Following up on the August 3 clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road into the Withlacoochee River, we already posted that there was no effect on the Withlacoochee River detectable in E. coli measurements by Valdosta Utilities or WWALS.

[Update: Clay Silt Runoff, St. Augustine Road into Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA 2026-08-07]
Update: Clay Silt Runoff, St. Augustine Road into Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA 2026-08-07

Valdosta City Engineer Ben O’Dowd sent this update on August 7:

The property owner is required to install and maintain a series of BMPs (silt fencing, check dams, sediment storage basins, etc.) to prevent the escape of sediment from the permittee’s property throughout construction.

Sometimes those components of the construction plan are not maintained appropriately or the fail during severe inclement weather and need to be repaired, replaced, or supplemented in order to prevent the escape of sediment from the permittee’s property.

Following receipt of the report of sediment escape from the property, we had our ESPC inspector visit the subject property, document the deficiencies which resulted in the escape of sediment from the property, and notify the owner and their contractor of the deficiencies.

We also reached out to the owner’s design professional and recommended a modified construction phasing approach which would reduce the risk of repeat occurrences.

If the incident occurs again, or if the identified deficiencies are not rectified within the required timeframe, we will progress through the City’s enforcement procedures for locally issued permits.

Please let us know if you identify any other deficiencies or if you have any more questions.

Have a good weekend!

You may wonder why it took WWALS so long to post this update. Continue reading →

Low Withlacoochee River Water Levels, then Rain 2026-08-09

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Charisma Myers asked on facebook, August 6, 2026, “Have yall seen the river out on 41 completely dry before????”

It’s not completely dry, just very low, but yes. Drought. Lack of rain. It’s going to happen more often, as will floods, due to climate change. You looked on Thursday. It was even Friday last week. Since then the rains brought it up 4 feet.

Right now you could put in on the Withlacoochee River about half a mile below that bridge at Langdale Park Boat Ramp and paddle quite a ways. But you probably won’t make it past the bottom of Langdale Park, because there are several log jams that we haven’t yet gotten to in the WWALS chainsaw cleanups.

https://wwals.net/outings/chainsaw-cleanups/

Once we get through those and any other deadfalls down to Sugar Creek, we’ve already cleared passage from there down to the Little River Confluence, and then it’s easy up to Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River.

[Withlacoochee River Water Levels, US 41, 2026-08-09 --USGS One Year]
Withlacoochee River Water Levels, US 41, 2026-08-09 –USGS One Year

That’s the USGS US 41 Withlacoochee River Gauge on North Valdosta Road, set to show one year of measurements.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-02317755#dataTypeId=continuous-63160-0&period=P365D&showFieldMeasurements=true

Below is another view, from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service, set for one month.

https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/vdrg1

For all river gauges on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT),

https://wwals.net/blog/maps/withlacoochee-river-water-trail/

see the Access page.

https://wwals.net/maps/withlacoochee-river-water-trail/wrwt-map/wrwt-access/

For all the WWALS water trails, go to wwals.net, then in the menu select Water Trails.

https://wwals.net/water-trails/ Continue reading →

Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River 2026-08-03

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Update 2026-08-14: Update: Clay Silt Runoff, St. Augustine Road, into Withlacoochee River 2026-08-07.

Update 2026-08-07: Clean Withlacoochee, Little, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-08-05.

A WWALS member on Monday reported clay silt running out of a construction site, down St. Augustine Road, to the Withlacoochee River.

[Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River, 2026-08-03 stopped 2026-08-04]
Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River, 2026-08-03 stopped 2026-08-04

I reported it to GA-EPD and the City of Valdosta.

City Engineer Ben O’Dowd responded within minutes, saying the City was “addressing the compliance issue directly with the permittee”.

As of 3 PM Tuesday, the runoff had stopped.

We don’t know what measures have been put in place to make sure it does not happen again in the next rain.

The location is:
1660 N Saint Augustine Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29

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Update 2026-08-07: Clean Withlacoochee, Little, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-08-05.

Update 2026-08-06: Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River 2026-08-03.

Update 2026-08-03: Florida State House District 9: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-03.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers again tested clean for E. coli in the results we have for this week. So did Poe Springs, but with much algae.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, before the rains starting tomorrow afternoon.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29

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 →

Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard 2026-09-22

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Hear two experts talk about half an hour of above and underwater pictures and video footage that Ken Sulak and Chris Getlinger captured this past spring.

What better way to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox?

It’s online by zoom, noon to 1 PM, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Register to join the zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o02HNIbuSaOXTx7hP4Sriw

Encourage others to join by marking going on this facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1758099698528493

[Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22]
Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22

Ken Sulak says fall is an appropriate time to talk about sturgeon, because, “Sturgeon spawning this spring was likely a total failure due to the drought and then rapid warming of the river. But 20% of the population, a genetically distinct portion, is adapted to spawn in October-November as the river cools below 25 C. Good time to talk again about sturgeon migration and spawning—and the potential impact of naturally-occurring low river levels, exacerbated by excessive withdrawals.”

Ken Sulak described his video footage:

Over the course of approximately eight weeks, we were fortunate enough to be able to capture the ancient and enigmatic, Gulf sturgeon during their annual spawning migration up the Suwannee River. A journey that takes them up river 120 miles Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River 2026-07-22

Update 2026-09-31: Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29.

The Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and the Santa Fe River again tested clean in the results we have for this week.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, before the rains starting tomorrow afternoon.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River, 2026-07-22]
Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River, 2026-07-22

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 →

Withlacoochee River 2026-07-13 and Sugar Creek and Santa Fe River 2026-07-15

Update 2026-07-24: Clean Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Santa Fe River 2026-07-22.

The Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and the Santa Fe River tested clean in the results we have for this week.

So did Poe Springs for Wednesday, even though Alachua County closed its swimming area Thursday due to “due to poor water clarity.”

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, before the rains starting tomorrow afternoon.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee 2026-07-13, OK Sugar Creek 2026-07-15, Clean Santa Fe 2026-07-15, Happy paddling, swimming, etc.]
Clean Withlacoochee 2026-07-13, OK Sugar Creek 2026-07-15, Clean Santa Fe 2026-07-15, Happy paddling, swimming, etc.

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 →

Poe Springs Swimming Area Closed 2026-07-16

The drought has browned out stopped another spring.

Alachua County, July 15, 2026, Poe Springs Swimming Area Temporarily Closed,

Effective Thursday, July 16, 2026, the designated swimming area at Poe Springs Park will be temporarily closed due to poor water clarity.

[Poe Springs Swimming Area Closed 2026-07-16, Due to poor water clarity, The Park remains open]
Poe Springs Swimming Area Closed 2026-07-16, Due to poor water clarity, The Park remains open

Recent conditions have reduced underwater visibility to the point that the county has determined the swimming area is no longer safe for public use.

The remainder of Poe Springs Park will remain open, including the picnic areas, trails, and boat ramp. Visitors may continue to enjoy these amenities, including launching kayaks and canoes.

County staff will monitor water clarity on a weekly basis, and the swimming area will reopen as soon as visibility returns to a safe level.

The county appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation as we prioritize visitor safety.

For more information, Continue reading →