Reporter Patrick Barry of The Spectator, VSU’s independent, student-run newspaper, was there, came to One Mile Branch yesterday to follow up on the One Mile Branch Cleanup WWALS did in November 2017. He found more than one story.

Plating a sample

Yesterday Sara Jay tested the water from One Mile Branch, downstream from VSU, at the bridge on Wainwright Drive. She plated bacterial samples upstream and down. The results will be interesting, considering the foul smell. Also, each set of four PetriFilm plates costs about $6, so maybe you’d like to contribute to the WWALS Water Quality Testing Program.

Smells bad

And the dead fish.

Dead fish

It’s a little hard to believe they all swam to that one spot to go belly-up, considering that downstream there appeared to be a cooler lid and farther down a cooler. More likely somebody dumped them there.

But why is the creek sand discolored?

Not tannic acid color

That is not a tannin color, and this creek’s water is not tea-colored. What caused that odd sand color?

This was in the infamous 1200 block of Wainwright Drive, where Valdosta has repeatedly spilled sewage, including 166,275 gallons December 3, 2018 and 51,800 gallons December 14, for 218,075 gallons of raw sewage into One Mile Branch in December 2018 alone.

For the WWALS automated updates on GA-EPD Sewage Spills Reports, see wwals.net/issues/vww/ga-spills/.

Scotti Jay probably found where those spills occur, and it’s no wonder, looking at it.

Lime and broken concrete

There are more pictures on the WWALS website.

You can contribute or volunteer for the WWALS Water Quality Testing Program.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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