Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-09-19 | WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

Update 2024-09-28: Probably clean rivers before Hurricane Helene, but please stay home 2024-09-25.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean for Wednesday, and the Alapaha River for Thursday. Valdosta got high results for Franks Creek at Inner Perimeter, upstream of Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. However, Ashburn, Georgia, showed up in today’s GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report as having a 30,000-gallon raw sewage spill on August 24. See below.

There was some rain this week, but very scattered, so probably not much contamination washed into the river. As always, we can merely report what test results we have. Actual conditions may vary.

The weather prediction is sunny for the next five days.

Most rivers are back to normal water levels, even the Ichetucknee River. The only gauges still in Action Stage are for the Santa Fe River at Three Rivers Estates and Worthington Spirngs, and the New River (of the Santa Fe) at Lake Butler, and the Suwannee River above Gopher River Confluence.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Maybe join us tomorrow for Red Roberts Little River Chainsaw Cleanup, 2024-09-21. You do not have to use a saw. You can come take pictures, collect trash, or pull limbs out of the way. Kayaks and canoes welcome, to accompany the WWALS jon boat and 9.9 hp outboard.

Clean Rivers: Withlacoochee 2024-09-18, Alapaha 2024-09-19, but Ashburn Sewage Spill 2024-08-24

Alapaha River

For Thursday, Kimberly Godden Tanner got good results for her two sites on the Alapaha River:

0 + 1 + 1 = 2/3 x 100 = 66 cfu/100 mL at Lakeland Boat Ramp @ GA 122

Both areas look good. I tested Lakeland from the bottom of the boat ramp rather than the bridge because the fog was thick.

2 + 3 + 0 = 5/3 x 100 = 166 cfu/100 mL at Naylor Park Beach @ US 84

Naylor Park Beach was very clean as usual these days. There were many awesome spider webs more noticeable because of the moisture provided by the fog.

Ashburn Spill

That’s right, Ashburn spilled almost four weeks ago. That’s probably not a record for slow reporting, but it’s up there.

Reason for the spill? “Collection system.” Which could be anything. Not even “Wet weather.”

Withlacoochee River

The City of Valdosta for Wednesday got OK results at GA 133 (295) and at US 84 (270).

Russ Tatum got good results at his two Florida Withlacoochee River sites: 100 at Allen Ramp and zero (0) at Holly Point.

He noted, “Clean results! The river has come up some in the last couple of days. The water is mostly clear, slightly tannic and silty. It appears to be more clear at Holly point than at Allen Ramp, perhaps Blue Springs adds to the clarity down stream at HP.”

WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall reviewed all the results.

Chart: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-09-19
For context, see: https://wwals.net/issues/testing

The numbers in the chart boxes indicate E. coli levels as colony-forming units per 100 mililiters (cfu/100 mL), according to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream bacterial monitoring protocols:
Zero (0) is what we want to see, and often we do, on the Alapaha and upstream on the Suwannee Rivers.
From 1-125 is within long-term average limits according to U.S. EPA and Georgia and Florida state agencies.
From 126-409 long-term is not good, and is likely to make some people sick.
From 410-999 is likely to make some people sick; try not to get that water on you.
From 1,000 and up: high alert; best not to get close to that water without gloves; wash clothes afterward.
The letters before the numbers indicate the source of the datapoint, as in W100 means 100 cfu/100 mL found by a WWALS tester.
W: WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS), Suwannee Riverkeeper
V: Valdosta, GA
L: Lowndes County, GA
Q: Quitman, GA
SGRC: Southern Georgia Regional Commission
SRWMD: Suwannee River Water Management District
FDOH: Florida Department of Health
FDEP: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Rain: From USGS and UGA and other gauges.

Map: NOAA River Gauges in NOAA National Water Prediction Service

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman graded the tests for the testers she trained last Saturday. Spoiler: they all passed. We look forward to them starting testing.

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

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/

-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/

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