We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. However, since there has been no rain, chances are it’s not bad.

Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

And WWALS got excellent results for the Withlacoochee River at Holly Point, down near the Suwannee, for Franks Creek at GA 122 west of Hahira, and for the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia, although GA-EPD did post some clarification about the most recent Ashburn spills; stay tuned for a separate post about that.

Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be sunny. The Withlacoochee River is still a bit high, but not if you know what you’re doing.

So happy fishing, swimming, paddling, and boating this weekend!

Clean Franks Creek, 2025-02-26, Clean Alapaha & Withlacoochee, Rivers 2025-02-27

Alapaha River

For Thursday, WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner got excellent results at both Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach: 33 cfu/100 mL at each site. She noted, “Great results.”

Franks Creek

For Wednesday, WWALS tester Debbie Smith got zero (0) E. coli for Franks Creek at GA 122. We have never seen that result there before.

That’s west of Hahira and upstream of the Little River, upstream of Troupville Boat Ramp.

Withlacoochee River

For Wednesday, Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84, both downstream of Sugar Creek.

For Thursday, WWALS tester Russ Tatum got “Good results this week:” 66 cfu/100 mL.

Chart: Clean Franks Creek Withlacoochee Alapaha Rivers 2025-02-27
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.

Water quality testing training and funding

Suzy Hall reviewed the results. Such review is part of every WWALS tester’s ongoing training.

If you want to get trained WWALS Water Quality Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman 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/

LBR

Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-02-27

NPB

Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-02-27

franks122

Franks Creek @ GA 122, Franks Creek @ GA 122 2025-02-26

HP

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2025-02-27

 -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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