Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-10-31 | WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

WWALS testers Kimberly Godden Tanner and Cindy Vedas got very low E. coli for the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers Thursday. For the Withlacoochee River Wednesday, WWALS tester Russ Tatum got very low results, and Valdosta Utilities got low results.

The weather prediction is still sunny.

The water levels are back down to normal or low everywhere in the Suwannee River Basin. Some rivers, such as the Withlacoochee near Valdosta, are too low for much paddling or motoring.

However, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene, including Langdale Park and Ichetucknee Springs North.

So if you can find an accessible stretch, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2024-10-31 No sewage spills and no rain: happy paddling!

Alapaha River

Kimberley Godden Tanner noted for Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach on the Alapaha River Thursday, “Both sites look great. Still no trash receptacles at Naylor Park Beach, but there was very little trash. Ran into a retired VSU professor on the beach who said they do a clean-up everytime they visit the location. Probably one of the reasons it looks so great!”

She got 0 (zero) cfu/100 mL at Lakeland Boat Ramp and 33 at Naylor Park Beach, both very good results.

Withlacoochee River

Cindy Vedas noted for Franklinville Thursday, “Franklinville has some trees down. No trash.“

For Staten Road Thursday, also on the Withlacoochee River, she wrote, “We have some trees down.”

For both sites she got very clean 0+0+1 * 100 / 3 = 33 cfu / 100mL.

Valdosta Utilities got 175 at GA 133, which is above the 126 three-test average limit, but well below the 410 one-time limit.

At US 84 Valdosta Utilities got very good 30 cfu/100 mL.

Russ Tatum got zero at both his Florida Withlacoochee River test sites, Allen Ramp and Holly Point, “Clean results! The river is low and the water is very clear with only a slight bit of tannic.”

Chart: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-10-31
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 2024-11-02 in the 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 2024-11-02

Anomalies: NOAA River Gauges 2024-11-02

-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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