Monthly Archives: April 2024

Banks Lake Full Pink Moon Paddle 2024-04-23

Update 2024-06-19: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Pink Moon 2024-04-23.

Join us for a leisurely paddle to see the sun set and the full moon rise. Water lilies are in bloom and bats are active.

When: Gather 7 PM, launch 7:30 PM, moonrise 8:05 PM, sunset 8:06 PM, end 9:15 PM, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Banks Lake Full Pink, Moon Paddle 2024-04-23, Sunset, Moonrise, Bats, and Blooming Lilies]
Banks Lake Full Pink, Moon Paddle 2024-04-23, Sunset, Moonrise, Bats, and Blooming Lilies

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Notice: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Online via zoom, 2024-04-21

Update 2024-04-21: Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Online via zoom 2024-04-21.

WWALS President Sara Jay will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited.

We will be reviewing plans for the Big Little River Paddle Tour, and other outings and events such as the WWALS Webinars, as well as for the next WWALS Gala including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. See https://wwals.net/outings. Plus trash, sewage, water quality testing, opposition to mines (titanium, phosphate, and sand), excess water withdrawals, coal ash, pellet plants, and LNG export, as well as promotion of water trails and solar power: see https://wwals.net/issues/ And of course finances and fundraising.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

When: 6 PM, Sunday, April 21, 2024

Where: Online via zoom.

[FB: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, April 21, 2024]
FB: WWALS Board Meeting, 6-8 PM, Sunday, April 21, 2024

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WWALS @ A Day in the Woods, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, GA 2024-04-20

Come see prescribed fire, basket making, longleaf pine trees, snakes, lizards, frogs, and eat food cooked on the spot.

When: Gather 12 PM, launch 1 PM, end 5 PM, Saturday, April 20, 2024

Put In: Gaskins Forest Education Center, 3359 Moore Sawmill Rd., Alapaha, Georgia 31622

GPS: 31.345454, -83.178356

[WWALS Booth at A Day in the Woods 2024-04-20, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia]
WWALS Booth at A Day in the Woods 2024-04-20, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia

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Madison County, Florida, Health advisory for Withlacoochee River about Valdosta sewage spill 2024-04-17

Update 2024-04-18: Dirty creeks, but clean rivers 2024-04-17.

Update 2024-04-18: Updates on Homerville, Quitman, Tifton, and Valdosta in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2024-04-11.

It’s been a long time since the last Health Advisory from the Madison County, Florida, Health Department.

But Valdosta took the risk of guessing how big to make its sewage catch basin, and found out last weekend it was too small.

[Valdosta sewage spill gets Madison Health Advisory 2024-04-17; 1.67 million gallons into Withlacoochee River 2024-04-12]
Valdosta sewage spill gets Madison Health Advisory 2024-04-17; 1.67 million gallons into Withlacoochee River 2024-04-12

WWALS has already been testing the waters. Results soon.

And now FDEP and SRWMD are joining in with Madison DOH.

Received this afternoon.

DOH-MADISON ISSUES HEALTH ADVISORY NEAR WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER

Contact:
Lisa Hayes
Lisa. Hayes@flhealth.gov
850-879-0683

Madison, Fla.— The Florida Department of Health in Madison County (DOH-Madison) has issued a health advisory to residents and visitors near the Withlacoochee River in North Florida due to a wastewater overflow in the City of Valdosta, Georgia, from a recent weather event with excessive rain amounts. Drinking water is not affected by this advisory.

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Homerville, Rochelle, and Tifton sewage spills 2024-04-11

Update 2024-04-18: Updates on Homerville, Quitman, Tifton, and Valdosta in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2024-04-11.

Update 2024-04-17: Madison County, Florida, Health advisory for Withlacoochee River about Valdosta sewage spill 2024-04-17.

Some more cities spilled during the big thunderstorms last week: Homerville and Rochelle, according to today’s GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

[Homerville, Rochelle, and Tifton, sewage spills 2024-04-11, More Valdosta will appear, No Quitman update yet]
Homerville, Rochelle, and Tifton, sewage spills 2024-04-11, More Valdosta will appear, No Quitman update yet

There are still no spills reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida’s Pollution Spills Report.

Back in Georgia, Doerun is not in the Suwannee River Basin, but got picked up by the WWALS highlighting algorithm, which goes by counties as well as rivers.

Reynolds Creek runs from Rochelle into the Alapaha River. We’ve seen many spills there before.

Valdosta’s small April 9 sewage spill is in here. But not yet its seven April 11 spills nor its 6.7 million gallon spill. GA-EPD is aware of all of those, and presumably they will appear soon.

Tifton got an update with gallons spilled in this Monday’s GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report. 809 E Golden road is on Gum Creek, which runs into the New River, not the Little River. Maybe they meant 809 Golden Road W, which does run into the Little River. I have alerted GA-EPD.

No update yet on Quitman’s April 10th spills.

I had to look up Gallows Branch. Apparently it’s by E. Forest Ave., running into Woodyard Creek, which runs into Surveyors Creek, into the Okefenokee Swamp.

[Homerveille WTP, Gallows Branch, and Woodyard Creek in SRWT]
Homerveille WTP, Gallows Branch, and Woodyard Creek in the WWALS map of the Suwannee River Water Trail (SRWT)

And the Homerville Wastewater Treatment Plant is on E. Forest Ave.

[Homerville WTP --Google Streetview]
Homerville WTP in Google Streetview

 -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/

Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage 2024-04-12

Update 2024-04-18: Updates on Homerville, Quitman, Tifton, and Valdosta in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2024-04-11.

Update 2024-04-17: Madison County, Florida, Health advisory for Withlacoochee River about Valdosta sewage spill 2024-04-17.

Update 2024-04-15: Homerville, Rochelle, and Tifton sewage spills 2024-04-11.

Valdosta says of the 6.7 million gallons of liquid that overflowed from its catch basin, 20% was “conventional sewage”, so that’s 1.34 million gallons of raw sewage.

[Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons, including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage, Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, Spring Branch 2024-04-12-14]
Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons, including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage, Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, Spring Branch 2024-04-12-14

The press release says the City of Valdosta knew about it Friday morning, and the spill stopped Sunday morning, yet Valdosta did not tell the public until Monday, this morning.

That’s from the equalization (EQ) basin at the entrance to the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The one Valdosta built while never revealing how they picked its size. The one with two creeks flowing to the Withlacoochee River, at least one of which is filthy. Continue reading

Lanier County new campground and recreation facility beside Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge –GOSP 2024-03-21

Congratulations, Lanier County, for getting a GOSP grant to enhance Banks Lake!

Lanier County
Improving Recreation & Water Quality; $1,491,057

Lanier County will construct a new campground and recreation facility that would serve the visitors to Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This project features wildlife viewing platforms, new waterway access and kayak launch, disc golf course, walking trail, boardwalk, and green space. The proposed campground will be equipped with full utility hookups, sanitary sewer, and shower and laundry facility.

This project also includes invasive species removal at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

[Lanier County new campground, and recreation facility, beside Banks Lake NWR, $1,491,057 from GOSP 2024-03-21]
Lanier County new campground, and recreation facility, beside Banks Lake NWR, $1,491,057 from GOSP 2024-03-21

This was the only GOSP grant awarded in the Suwannee River Basin.

Lanier County applied in several previous years, and finally got the grant.

If I am not mistaken, this project will mostly be on county-owned land east of Banks Lake Boat Ramp, west of the Rivers Farm House. Continue reading

Clean before the storm, but sewage spills during 2024-04-11

Update 2024-04-15: Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage 2024-04-12

WWALS water quality tests were clean before the storm for the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers, as well as Sugar Creek. Valdosta Wednesday results agreed.

But Valdosta had seven sewage spills for almost half a million gallons during the storm, plus one before, and Tifton and Quitman each had two spills: see Valdosta, Quitman, and Tifton sewage spills in big rains 2024-04-11.
https://wwals.net/?p=64616

Plus almost all the rivers are in flood or at least Action Stage.

I’d avoid the rivers this weekend, except maybe the Suwannee between White Springs an Ellaville, and the Santa Fe upstream from High Springs: those are not yet in Action Stage.

[Clean before the storm, but sewage spills during 2024-04-11: Franks and Sugar Creeks, Little, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers]
Clean before the storm, but sewage spills during 2024-04-11: Franks and Sugar Creeks, Little, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers

Debbie Smith tested Franks Creek at GA 122 west of Hahira on Sunday, April 7, and got Continue reading

Valdosta, Quitman, and Tifton sewage spills in big rains 2024-04-11

Update 2024-04-15: Valdosta spilled 6.7 million gallons including 1.34 million gallons raw sewage 2024-04-12.

Update 2024-04-13: Clean before the storm, but sewage spills during 2024-04-11.

During the recent thunderstorms, Quitman had two sewage spills, presumably into Okapilco Creek, and Tifton had two spills into the New River, according to the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, all of unknown amounts.

According to a City of Valdosta press release, Valdosta had seven sewage spills during the storms, adding up to 434,850 gallons of raw sewage. Plus a small spill a few days before due to grease and rags.

[Tifton, Quitman, and Valdosta thunderstorm sewage spills 2024-04-11]
Tifton, Quitman, and Valdosta thunderstorm sewage spills 2024-04-11

Georgia Updates, Newsbreak, April 12, 2024, Valdosta Residents Face Sewer Overflows After Major Rainfall Event, “Residents are advised to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries in Lowndes County due to potential exposure to untreated sewage.”

That sentence is not in the City of Valdosta press release from yesterday, although that PR is the source for the rest of that story.

Interestingly, no spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in FDEP’s Public Notices of Pollution.

Recent Valdosta Sewage Spills

Here is Valdosta’s 2024-04-11 spill report table, with an additional column for waterbody that I added, and a row for the April 9 grease and rags spill, followed by subtotal and total rows.

Update 2024-04-14 Also I inserted a date column and some reformatting.

LocationDate            Start TimeEnd TimeCauseEstimated
Gallons
Waterbody
1402 N Lee St (1)2024-04-117:30 AM12:00 PMI&I*40,500One Mile Branch
1402 N Lee St (2)2024-04-117:30 AM12:00 PMI&I*6,750One Mile Branch
1402 N Lee St (3)2024-04-117:30 AM12:00 PMI&I*67,500One Mile Branch
1212 Wainwright Dr2024-04-1111:00 AM6:00 PMI&I*150,000One Mile Branch
2509 Seymour2024-04-1111:15 AM3:00 PMI&I*900Two Mile Branch
1817 Gornto2024-04-1110:00 AM6:00 PMI&I*60,000Lake Sheri
1825 Norman Dr2024-04-1110:15 AM3:00 PMI&I*1,200Sugar Creek
213 Knob Hill2024-04-1111:00 AM6:00 PMI&I*108,000Three Mile Branch
Subtotal* Infiltration and Inflow434,850
4051 Huntley Dr2024-04-09?6:30 PMGrease and rags5,000Cherry Creek
Total439,850

What we do not see is any spills from the notorious collapsed sewer main between E. Park Ave. and US 84. Maybe the bypass is finally working correctly.

I commend Valdosta for including start and end times and precise locations, as well as for timely press releases. Next, if they can look in Valdosta Stormwater Division maps to determine which streams the spills end up in, that would be great. Continue reading

Valdosta Huntley Drive FOG sewage spill 2024-04-09

Update 2024-04-13: Valdosta, Quitman, and Tifton sewage spills in big rains 2024-04-11.

Before the recent rains, Valdosta had a sewage spill caused by grease and rags, of about 5,000 gallons into a detention pond on Huntley Drive that drains into Cherry Creek, and then the Withlacoochee River.

This is why you should never put fats, oils, or greases (FOG), or, obviously, rags down your drain.

This spill has not yet shown up on the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report; I have asked GA-EPD about that. However, Tifton and Quitman have two spills each in today’s report.

And Valdosta just announced it had seven spills during the big rain April 11, ranging from 900 gallons to 150,000 gallons. At first glance they seem to have gone into One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, Sugar Creek, and Three Mile Branch, all leading to the Withlacoochee River. Stay tuned for more.

[Huntley Drive Sewage Spill, Valdosta, GA 2024-04-09, Caused by grease and rags, indirectly into Cherry Creek]
Huntley Drive Sewage Spill, Valdosta, GA 2024-04-09, Caused by grease and rags, indirectly into Cherry Creek
Shown on the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

I compliment the City of Valdosta for a precise location, 4051 Huntley Drive, and for a timely press release, which we received the day after the spill.

Here is the Valdosta press release about the Huntley Drive spill. Continue reading