Clean Withlacoochee River, but some stretches flooding, and more rains coming 2024-10-06

Update 2024-10-12: Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum got very good water quality for Friday at Holly Point, on the Withlacoochee River downstream of Allen Ramp, near the Suwannee River.

That matches what Valdosta got for Wednesday at GA 133 and US 84.
https://wwals.net/?p=65999

Even though rainwater from Hurricane Helene has apparently diluted or washed downstream any contamination that washed in, this is not a good weekend or week for boating.

Flooding is still rising downstream on the Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers; see below.

The weather report has changed. Upstream, it’s spotty rain today (Sunday) and Wednesday. Downstream, it’s rain all week, due to incoming Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall near Tampa Wednesday or Thursday.

Many national, state, and local parks are still closed after Hurricane Helene, especially on rivers.
https://wwals.net/?p=65987

Afterward the new Hurricane Milton, there will be plenty of more opportunities for pleasant paddles and chainsaw cleanups.

[Clean Withlacoochee River, but downstream Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers rivers flooding from Hurricane Helene, and more rains coming from Hurricane Milton.]
Clean Withlacoochee River, but downstream Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers rivers flooding from Hurricane Helene, and more rains coming from Hurricane Milton.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) updates its Sewage Spills Report on weekdays, and the same for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)’s Public Notice of Pollution (PNP), so if there have been any new sewage spills since Friday, we don’t know about them.

[Chart: Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-04]
Chart: Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-04
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.

[Holly Point, Withlacoochee River 2024-10-04]
Holly Point, Withlacoochee River 2024-10-04

[Map: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-06]
Map: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-06 in NOAA National Water Prediction Service

Flooding

Alapaha River

The Alapaha River has crested as far down as Lakeland. At Statenville, it will rise a few more inches, and crest some time Monday.

[Statenville Gauge, Alapaha River, 2024-10-06]
Statenville Gauge, Alapaha River, 2024-10-06

At Jennings, the Alapaha is still rising. It might crest soon, unless Milton raises it still more.

[Jennings Gauge, Alapaha River, 2024-10-06]
Jennings Gauge, Alapaha River, 2024-10-06

Withlacoochee River

The Withlacoochee has crested as far down as US 41 (North Valdosta Road) and US 84. At US 84, it is back down to Action Stage, and should drop below that in the next day or two.

[Quitman Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06]
Quitman Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06

The Pinetta gauge crested yesterday in Minor Flood, and should get back out of Action Stage within the week, unless Milton raises it up again.

[Pinetta Gauge, Witlacoochee River, 2024-10-06]
Pinetta Gauge, Witlacoochee River, 2024-10-06

The Withlacoochee River is cresting today at Madison Blue Spring, in Minor Flood. We shall see what Milton does to it.

[Madison Blue Spring Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06]
Madison Blue Spring Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06

The Withlacoochee is still rising at Lee, currently in Action Stage.

[Lee Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06]
Lee Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2024-10-06

Suwannee River

At Luraville, the Suwannee River is rising, expected to get to Minor Flood within the week, and ditto most of the downstream gauges. But Milton will bring more rain.

[Luraville Gauge, Suwannee River, 2024-10-06]
Luraville Gauge, Suwannee River, 2024-10-06

Santa Fe River

The Santa Fe River is in Moderate Flood at TREPO, and still rising rapidly. Plus Milton will bring quite a bit of rain to the Santa Fe River Basin.

[TREPO Gauge, Santa Fe River, 2024-10-06]
TREPO Gauge, Santa Fe River, 2024-10-06

Water quality testing training and funding

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.

 -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/