Update 2024-04-05: Apparently clean rivers after rain 2024-04-04.

We got bad results for Thursday for the Alapaha River. We have few other results, but we know there was much rain Wednesday and Thursday, and that usually washes contamination into the rivers.

If I were you, I would pick something else to do this weekend instead of boating, swimming, or fishing.

Also, Ashburn had yet another spill, although that was probably too far upstream to have much effect. It sure looks like there was some sort of overflow from the city of Alapaha wastewater treatment plant, even though none has yet shown up in the reports.

Instead, join us a week from Saturday for Withlacoochee River Earth Day Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-04-13.

Valdosta’s most recent upstream Withlacoochee River results are for Wednesday a week ago. Apparently they did not post their Wednesday results for this week because today is a holiday.

Similarly, most of the usual WWALS testers are off because of the holiday weekend.

Rain and river contamination 2024-03-28

There are no Valdosta Monday results, because, as we learned from Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes, “we are collecting once a week.”

As previously noted, Valdosta’s last downstream tests were September 1, 2023. Since for two weeks now Valdosta has reported “No Sample” for North Valdosta Road, we guess they’re not collecting there any more, either.

Perhaps it is not coincidental that it is now three years (minus one month) since the March, 2020, GA-EPD Consent Order on Valdosta that required downstream testing as a way to reduce the amount of the fine.

Chart: Rain and river contamination 2024-03-28
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

No sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida. But in Georgia, Ashburn had yet another spill, of 150,000 gallons from Rockhouse Road and Sylvia Drive into Hat Creek into the Alapaha River. The spill happened on March 23, and showed up in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report on March 28.

2024-03-23 Ashburn spill, 150,000 gallons, Rockhouse Road and Sylvia Drive, into Hat Creek into the Alapaha River, reported 2024-03-28

You have to wonder what other spills have not yet showed up in the Sewage Spills Report. For example, was there was one from the City of Alapaha?

Heather Brasell sampled at a creek from the city of Alapaha Wastewater Treatment Plant and got three times the alert limit. She sampled the Alapaha River downstream from there and just upstream from Sheboggy Boat Ramp and got higher than the one-time sample limit.

Joanne Tremblay sampled two sites, but had a bad plating week.

WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall reviewed all the results.

WWALS Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman graded 21 training tests. We hope some of them and others from her previous training will test 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 Sheboggy Boat Ramp highlighted towards the top.

Map: Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82
in the WWALS map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin

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/

AWWTP

Alapaha Settlement Pond Stream, Alapaha River @ US 82 2024-03-28

SBR

Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82 2024-03-28

PP

Point Park, Ichetucknee River @ SW Riverside Ave. 2024-03-26

Lemmons

William Guy Lemmons Memorial Park Ramp, Santa Fe River @ US 129 2024-03-26

 -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: