Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16

Update 2025-01-24: Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20.

Thursday WWALS water quality samples showed the Alapaha River clean at Lakeland and Naylor.

But Valdosta Thursday samples showed Sugar Creek worse again at Gornto Road.

As noted yesterday, the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers also seem clean, although I’d avoid the Withlacoochee near Sugar Creek, and Sugar Creek itself.

We hear there is a Sugar Creek bypass, but that creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.

If you like rain (Saturday) or cold (Sunday), this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.

[Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week]
Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner for Thursday got zero (0) E. coli at Lakeland Boat Ramp. Can’t get cleaner than that.

[Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16]
Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16

[West, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16]
West, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16

[Downstream, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16]
Downstream, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16

[Across, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16]
Across, Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-01-16

[Plates, Lakeland Boat Ramp 2025-01-16]
Plates, Lakeland Boat Ramp 2025-01-16

Lakeland Boat Ramp is highlighted on this map, northeast of Valdosta, and southeast of Tifton, near the middle of the Alapaha River Water Trail.

[Map: Lakeland Boat Ramp --ARWT]
Map: Lakeland Boat Ramp in the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT)

Kim Tanner’s result for Thursday for Naylor Park Beach at US 84 was 33 cfu/100 mL. As she said, “Near perfect results.”

[Chart: Clean Alapaha River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-01-16]
Chart: Clean Alapaha River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-01-16

[Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16]
Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16

[Downstream, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16]
Downstream, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16

[Upstream, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16]
Upstream, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16

[Gate, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16]
Gate, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16

She added, “I did notice that the sign before the turn into the boat ramp appears to be knocked over. Had not noticed that previously. I included a picture from the back side of the sign.”

[Water trail road signs askew, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16]
Water trail road signs askew, Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-01-16

[Plates, Naylor Park Beach 2025-01-16]
Plates, Naylor Park Beach 2025-01-16

Sugar Creek

Valdosta’s web page 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing shows E. coli increased at Gornto Road on Thursday, from 4,590 to 6,434 cfu/100 mL. That’s more than 6 times the 1,000 alert limit.

[Table: Valdosta Sugar Creek Spill Testing 2025-01-16]
Table: Valdosta Sugar Creek Spill Testing 2025-01-16

Upstream at Baytree Road, E. coli decreased, from 190 to 140.

It’s worth wondering whether there was more than one leak.

[Chart: Clean Alapaha River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-01-16]
Chart: Clean Alapaha River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-01-16
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.

Suzy Hall reviewed the various test results.

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS Water Quality Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman delivered a test kit to new tester Samantha Carr, and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman delivered her a WWALS water quality warning sign for use at the next Tifton sewage spill site.

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/