Update 2023-02-09: New week river water quality update 2023-02-06.

Happy paddling, fishing, and swimming (if you like cold) this weekend!

Yes, we are paddling tomorrow (Saturday) on the Withlacoochee River from Allen Ramp to Suwannee River State Park. If you like high water including a quarter mile paddle upstream, join us!

All the WWALS water quality tests were well within the one-time test limit.

The rains promised for yesterday mostly did not happen, so most likely not much contamination washed into the rivers.

The only sewage spill was small and at the top of the Alapaha River watersheds, and it did not appear to affect downstream water quality.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map

The city of Rochelle, Georgia, at least took less than a week to report its sewage spill.

Rochelle spill in GA-EPD Spill Report 2023-01-30

Here’s approximately where the spill was.

Map: Reynolds Creek, Rochelle, in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT)

As you can see that’s way upstream.

Map: Rochelle upstream of the Alapaha River Water Trail

Valdosta did see some very high results after last week’s rains, all the way down to the GA-FL line.

Chart: Clean Rivers 2023-02-02
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

I have more results cooking, for FL 6, Allen Ramp, and Ellaville Landing. They will not be much different from the results already in the table.

Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner for her usual three GA 122 Thursday test sites: Folsom Bridge on the Little River, Hagan Bridge on the Withlacoochee River, and Lakeland Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River.

Thanks to new tester Cindy Vedas for four Withlacoochee River sites: Franklinville, Skipper Bridge, Staten Road, and US 41.

Thanks to Michael and Jacob Bachrach for their usual sites: Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River and Nankin and State Line Boat Ramps on the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to Suzy Hall for herding the testing cats.

Thanks to WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman for training the testers and ordering and delivering testing supplies.

I’ve marked all of the WWALS “beaches” for which we have recent results green on

Map: Clean Rivers, Swim Guide, 2023-02-02

Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for a generous grant for water quality testing equipment and materials.

You or your organization could also donate to the WWALS volunteer water quality testing program.

Or maybe you’d like to become a WWALS water quality tester; please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/DzWvJuXqTQi12N6v7

There are more images on the WWALS website.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Short Link: