Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

Verizon tower in Langdale Park? @ GLPC 2026-06-29

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Verizon Wireless wants to put a 159-foot-tall communications tower in Langdale Park, a stone’s throw from the main trail kiosk, too close to White Trail A, and with no demonstration that no existing tower would do, not even an inventory of existing towers.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) will hear this case at 5:30 PM, Monday, June 29, 2026, and the Lowndes County Commission will decide at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

County staff wrote that the application satisfies the requirements of the county’s Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Actually, it fails to do so in at least four ways.

[Verizon tower in Langdale Park? Next to White Trail? @ GLPC 2026-06-29]
Verizon tower in Langdale Park? Next to White Trail? @ GLPC 2026-06-29

The GLPC agenda sheet for “8. TWR-2026-02 Bermuda Run, 3781 North Valdosta Road, Map and Parcel 0076C-025” says in part: Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-25

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

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, and it’s even supposed to be sunny this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Gibson County Park to SRSP Paddle, Suwannee River 2026-06-27.

https://wwals.net/?p=70541

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, plus Sugar Creek, 2026-06-25]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, plus Sugar Creek, 2026-06-25

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 →

Construction materials dumped at Hagan Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ GA 122 2026-06-26

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Update 2026-06-26: Lowndes County Code Enforcement says they have started an investigation and they’ll handle cleanup.

If the Withlacoochee River rises much more, all this trash could be swept downstream.

I don’t think we want antifreeze or plastic pipes or even random plywood and wood slats in the river.

[Construction materials dumped at Hagan Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ GA 122, First reported 2026-06-25]
Construction materials dumped at Hagan Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ GA 122, First reported 2026-06-25

So I have reported this trash dump to Lowndes County Code Enforcement so they can see if they can determine who put it there.

And also to Lowndes County Public Works, in hopes their litter crew can come collect it.

Remember, you can report trash, sewage spills, or anything else that could affect waterways:

https://wwals.net/report/

We were alerted to this trash by a post by Johnnie D Smith on June 25, 2026, in the facebook group Lowndes County, Georgia Voices.

 -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/

Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-06-19

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Update 2026-06-26: Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-25.

WWALS got a filthy water quality result for Sunday at the WaterGoat on Sugar Creek, just downstream from Two Mile Branch and not far upstream from the Withlacoochee River.

I was hoping to include the City of Valdosta’s Monday results for GA 133 and US 84 on the Withlacoochee River, but those are not published yet.

No new sewage spills were reported since our last WWALS water quality report in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

But we have to wonder, since these high Sugar Creek results keep happening, whether there is still some sewage problem on Sugar Creek or upstream on Two Mile Branch or One Mile Branch.

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

[Filthy Sugar Creek at WaterGoat 2026-06-19, Just upstream from Withlacoochee River]
Filthy Sugar Creek at WaterGoat 2026-06-19, Just upstream from Withlacoochee 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 →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-18

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Update 2026-06-24: Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-06-19.

The Withlacoochee River 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, if you can find some time between the rains.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20.

https://wwals.net/?p=70133

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

[Clean Withlacoochee River, 2026-06-18, Water levels up, Much rain predicted]
Clean Withlacoochee River, 2026-06-18, Water levels up, Much rain predicted

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 →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-06-07

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We put in at Troupville Boat Ramp and chainsawed a few big deadfalls and some small ones up past Sugar Creek.

[Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Up past Sugar Creek 2026-06-07, From Troupville Boat Ramp, And back again]
Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Up past Sugar Creek 2026-06-07, From Troupville Boat Ramp, And back again

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and doing most of the chainsawing.

Thanks to Daniel Reinlieb for riding along, sawing, bailing, and picking up trash.

Here are some video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/959705457046263/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZxzra9IFZP/

https://youtu.be/eIwdkvY8t6w Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-10

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Update 2026-06-19: Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-18.

Even better news! The Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers tested even better this week.

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

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Statenville to Sasser Landing, Alapaha River 2026-06-13.

https://wwals.net/?p=70464

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

[Clean Alapaha 2026-06-07, Withlacoochee 2026-06-08, Santa Fe 2026-06-10, Happy paddling & swimming]
Clean Alapaha 2026-06-07, Withlacoochee 2026-06-08, Santa Fe 2026-06-10, Happy paddling & swimming

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 →

Rezoning application for potential datacenter, Coleman Road, Lowndes County 2025-06-30

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I keep getting asked for the rezoning application for the potential datacenter site on Coleman Road in Lowndes County.

Please note that there is no application yet for a datacenter in Lowndes County.

The rezoning application for the potential site is in the board packets for the June 30, 2025, Planning Commission meeting and the July 7-8, 2025, Lowndes County Commission meetings.

[Rezoning application for potential datacenter site, Coleman Road North to Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County 2025-06-30, 2025-07-08]
Rezoning application for potential datacenter site, Coleman Road North to Withlacoochee River, Lowndes County 2025-06-30, 2025-07-08

The Planning Commission board packet materials, 2025-06-30

These were obtained from Lowndes County in response to an open records request from Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE):

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/06/packet-two-lowndes-county-rezoning-materials-glpc-2025-06-30.html

In case it’s not obvious, see this file:

https://wwals.net/pictures/2025-06-30-coleman-road-lowndes-county-rezoning-datacenter-site/REZ-2025-11-GLPC-Packet.pdf

Images of each page are below.

They include the relevant pages about the target zoning, M-1 (Light Manufacturing), from the Lowndes County Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-03

Update 2026-06-12: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-10.

Good news! The Withlacoochee River tested much better this week at GA 133 in Valdosta Utilities results. And it again tested good at US 84, both for Monday.

WWALS got even better results for Wednesday downstream in Florida, four miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

WWALS also got excellent results for the Santa Fe River, also for Wednesday.

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

Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating. The rivers are up, so you should find all that easier to do.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee & Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-03, No new sewage spills: Happy, paddling, swimming, & fishing]
Clean Withlacoochee & Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-03, No new sewage spills: Happy, paddling, swimming, & fishing

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 →

SRWMD Governing Board Meeting 2026-06-09

There’s nothing on the SRWMD agenda Tuesday about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

But you can speak in item “4. Public Comment” about most anything. Don’t be late: it’s very near the start of the meeting.

That’s 9 AM, Tuesday, June 9, 2026,
at SRWMD HQ, 9225 Co Rd 49, Live Oak, FL 32060.

You can watch remotely on SRWMD’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@SRWMD

[SRWMD Governing Board Meeting, 4. Public Comment, 9 AM, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, SRWMD HQ, 9225 Co Rd 49, Live Oak, FL]
SRWMD Governing Board Meeting, 4. Public Comment, 9 AM, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, SRWMD HQ, 9225 Co Rd 49, Live Oak, FL

Elsewhere on the agenda there are:

https://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/Archive.aspx?ADID=1753

  • 5. Consent Agenda Item No. 22 – Task Work Assignment with Water & Air Research, Inc (see below)
  • 7.A. Hydrologic Conditions Report
  • 21. Water Resources Division Updates
  • Workshop Following Board Meeting: Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Tentative Budget Presentation

Plus some details about surplus lands as well as work at various parks.

Last month twelve people spoke about WFNF, but the Minutes record them each only as Water First North Florida concerns. You can see them in SRWMD’s own video. They were: Continue reading →