Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10

Update 2024-10-16: Clean Alapaha River 2024-10-13.

There has been very little rain since Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Milton brought rain only to the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers. By what data we have, the rivers are probably clean.

The weather report is sunny and cool for the next week, although you never know what might blow in off the Gulf or the Atlantic.

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

The Santa Fe River is in flood or Action Stage along much of its length, and the Suwannee River is in Action Stage from Branfrod most of the way to the Gulf.

The Withlacoochee River is still in Action Stage at Lee, but below that upstream. The Alapaha River is still in Moderate Flood at Statenville and Jennings, but below Action Stage upstream.

Power is back on most places, but there are still some road obstructions and many put-ins are closed or flooded.

If you paddle, motor, fish, or swim this weekend, be careful.

Afterwards, there will be plenty of more opportunities for pleasant paddles and chainsaw cleanups.

We have a Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon paddle scheduled for this Thursday, but Banks Lake is closed indefinitely due to unstable trees, so we shall see.

[Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10 Flooded Santa Fe River and lower Suwannee, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers]
Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10 Flooded Santa Fe River and lower Suwannee, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida. by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), or in Georgia by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD).

Valdosta did not report water quality results this week.

We only have one water quality sample this week, for the Withlacoochee River at Holly Point, downstream from Allen Ramp, towards the Suwannee River Confluence. It’s clean.

Thanks, Russ Tatum, for your report:

Good results! The water is fairly clear but tannic and dropping fast.

At Holly Point: 2 + 1 + 0 = 3 / 3 = 1 * 100 = 100 cfu/100mL

Kim Tanner experienced technical difficulties with her Alapaha River samples. Better luck next week.

[Chart: Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10]
Chart: Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10
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.

This map covers more area than usual. Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster for the Suwannee River Basin that will take months if not years of recovery, with severe coastal flooding and much wind damage inland. But at least we did get the severity of flooding many other areas are experiencing. Rivers in flood plains, yes. Flooded town centers and industrial sites, no. Other places got those.

[Map: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12]
Map: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12 in NOAA National Water Prediction Service

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.

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/

[Legend: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12]
Legend: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12

[Anomalies: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12]
Anomalies: NOAA River Gauges 2024-10-12

HP

[Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2024-10-10]
Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2024-10-10

[Holly Point other, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2024-10-10]
Holly Point other, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2024-10-10

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

GG

[Statenville Gauge, Alapaha River 2024-10-12]
Statenville Gauge, Alapaha River 2024-10-12

[Jennings Gauge, Alapaha River 2024-10-12]
Jennings Gauge, Alapaha River 2024-10-12

[Lee Gauge, Withlacoochee River 2024-10-12]
Lee Gauge, Withlacoochee River 2024-10-12

[Worthington Spring Gauge, Santa Fe River 2024-10-12]
Worthington Spring Gauge, Santa Fe River 2024-10-12

[Fort White Gauge, Santa Fe River 2024-10-12]
Fort White Gauge, Santa Fe River 2024-10-12

[Branford Gauge, Suwannee River 2024-10-12]
Branford Gauge, Suwannee River 2024-10-12

 -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/