Update 2024-03-01: Clean rivers and creek 2024-02-28.
Update 2024-02-28: Three small Valdosta spills into Three Mile Branch, Withlacoochee River 2024-02-27.
We got good results for Wednesday for the Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, and Suwannee Rivers, and Franks Creek.
Valdosta’s recent upstream Withlacoochee River results through Monday are good. Although I recently remarked that Valdosta was better lately about posting its results in a timely manner, Valdosta’s Wednesday results are still not posted.
The rain predicted for yesterday turned out to be a drizzle. No more rain is predicted for a week.
So if you like high, fast, and cold water, this weekend is good for paddling. Maybe fishing. Swimming with a wetsuit.
However, the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are up from previous upstream rains. The Santa Fe River is coming back down. The Suwannee was never especially high. I’d recommend the Ichetucknee, Suwannee, or Santa Fe Rivers for this weekend, or Banks Lake this evening.
Due to high and cold water, we cancelled today’s Withlacoochee River paddle.
But this evening’s paddle is on: Banks Lake Full Snow Moon Paddle, 2024-02-24.
Chart, Clean Rivers and Creek, Map 2024-02-21
No sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in the past week.
But three were reported in Georgia.
Valdosta had two small 100-gallon sewage spills this week, at Three Mile Branch from Knob Hill Road, and into One Mile Branch from Boone Drive @ Baytree Road, which drains into Sugar Creek, then to the Withlacoochee River. They were so small they probably did not affect the river.
Tifton had a 7,000 gallon spill on February 12, 2024, into “Gum Creek” (or whatever it is called), about ten creek miles upstream of the Little River.
Maybe Tifton, like Ashburn, should invest in some backup generators. Tifton got a $3 million infrastructure grant two years ago. Maybe they could use some of that money for a backup generator.
Chart: Clean Rivers and Creek 2024-02-21
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing
As previously noted, Valdosta’s last downstream tests were September 1, 2023.
I asked Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes with Valdosta’s new Water Quality Testing Lab, “will Valdosta resume testing downstream at Knights Ferry, Nankin, and State LIne on the Withlacoochee River, and a US 84 on Okapilco Creek?”
He answered, “John we will not continue to do testing downstream its not part of the consent order we are probably looking at testing those site maybe once a quarter but definitely not every week.”
I will discuss with him that downstream testing is advantageous to Valdosta, because it often demonstrates that contamination starts at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, which is downstream of Okapilco Creek coming out of Brooks County, so not coming from Valdosta. Also, doing only what the letter of the law and Consent Orders require is how Valdosta got two more Consent Orders in 2020 and 2023.
Debbie Smith reported good results for Franks Creek for Wednesday at the GA 122 bridge just west of Hahira.
Russ Tatum got good results at Holly Point (downstream from Allen Ramp) on the Withlacoochee River for Wednesday. He noted, “Good results. Water is higher than last post, light tannic in color and somewhat opaque.”
Joanne Tremblay reported for the Santa Fe River at US 27 for Wednesday, “0+0+0= 0 cfu/100 mL. Pretty darned clean. I did not get an image up close. The river is dropping and water is becoming more clear.”
For TREPO Point Park on the Ichetucknee River for Wednesday, she reported, “0+1+2=3/3=1*100=100 cfu/100mL. Water is still up at the confluence.”
Reina Lingle reported good Wednesday results for two Suwannee River sites. For Ivey Memorial Park in Branford, FL, she noted, “ (1 + 1 + 1 / 3) x 100 = 100 cfu/100mL. I included four beautiful photos taken on location.”
For Royal Springs in O’Brien, FL, she got “(0 + 1 + 0 / 3) x 100 = 33 cfu/100mL”.
WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall reviewed all the results.
WWALS Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman delivered supplies to some testers, and all the new testers she trained last week are now on the Testing Committee. We hope to see results from them soon.
If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084
All the WWALS “beaches” for which we have recent data are green,
on the
map.
Here’s a map with Franks Creek highlighted towards top left.
Map: Clean Franks Creek and Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers 2024-02-14
in the WWALS
map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin
That’s a little hard to spot, so here’s a map highlighting the GA 122 bridge on Franks Creek.
Map: Franks Creek
in the WWALS
map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Here’s a live Swim Guide Map.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for another generous grant for water quality testing equipment and materials.
You or your organization could also donate to the WWALS volunteer water quality testing program.
There are more images below.
-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/
franks122
Franks Creek @ GA 122 Form, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2024-02-21
Franks Creek @ GA 122, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2024-02-21
Franks Creek @ GA 122 other, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2024-02-21
HP
Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2024-02-21
PP
Point Park, Ichetucknee River @ SW Riverside Ave. 2024-02-21
sf27
US 27 Ramp, Santa Fe River @ US 27 2024-02-21
RS
Royal Springs Ramp, Suwannee River @ 157 Drive 2024-02-21
IR
Ivey Memorial Park Ramp, Suwannee River @ US 27 2024-02-21
Ivey Memorial Park Ramp at river, Suwannee River @ US 27 2024-02-21
River, Ivey Memorial Park Ramp, Suwannee River @ US 27 2024-02-21
Ivey Memorial Park Ramp Sign, Suwannee River @ US 27 2024-02-21
-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/
Short Link: