Clean Rivers and most creeks; dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16

Sugar Creek was not as clean this week.

But two Tifton Creeks and Franks Creek were clean.

As were the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

The rivers are all down to boatable levels, even Santa Fe River.

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

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-16, Clean Tifton & Franks Creeks, Dirty Sugar Creek

Join us tomorrow for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River, with a surprise route change.
https://wwals.net/?p=67456

For these and other WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

Little River

WWALS Tester Samantha Carr tested two Tifton Creeks that run into the Little River and got clean results.

For McCormick Drive Bridge she got
0+1+1+1=(3/3)*100=100 cfu/100mL
We’re calling that Tifton Longhorn Creek.
For Kell Road Bridge she got
0+0+0+0=(0/0)*100= 0 cfu/100mL
“My first clean site :)”
We’re calling that Kell Road Creek.

If you know the real or historic names of those creeks, please let us know.

WWALS tester Debbie Smith tested her usual Franks Creek location at GA 122 west of Hahira:
4+2+2 = 8 * 100 / 3 = 266 cfu/100 mL.

She noted, “I forgot to take my photos but it was beautiful out there. I was low on supplies but I will test again next week and do chemical testing as well. Happy Easter!”

Sugar Creek

Valdosta Utilities tested two Sugar Creek locations, upstream (south) to downstream (north).

Baytree Road: 490 cfu/100 mL
Gornto Road: 760 cfu/100 mL

Those are both above the 410 one-time test limit, so don’t play in it.

But they are below the 1,000 alert limit.

Withlacoochee River

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas got very clean results at Staten Road:
0+0+0=0/3×100=0 cfu/100 mL

Valdosta Utilities got 100 at GA 133 and 150 at US 84, both downstream from Sugar Creek.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum got “Clean results, but it doesn’t look it, the water is dark tannic and somewhat silty.”

at Allen Ramp:
0 + 0 + 1 = 1 / 3 = .33 * 100 = 33 cfu/100ml
at Holly Point:
0 + 0 + 0 = 0 / 3 = 0 * 100 = 0 cfu/100ml

Alapaha River

Kimberly Godden Tanner tested her usual two Alapaha River sites twice: Lakeland Boat Ramp @ GA 122 and Naylor Park Beach @ US 84, on April 11 and 14, 2025.

“We had great results at both locations. There were a lot of people boating and swimming enjoying the great weather at both locations on both dates.

“Bia, our Host Daughter (exchange student from Brazil). is helping me collect samples now. Thanks to Gretchen for getting her trained to help with the bacterial testing. We sampled a couple of times for her to use for a science fair project. We are enjoying time together doing something productive for our environment!”

Lakeland Boat Ramp on 4/11
0+0+1=1/3=.33×100= 33 CFUs
Naylor Park Beach on 4/11
0+0+1=1/3=.33×100= 33 CFUs
Lakeland Boat Ramp on 4/14
0+1+0=1/3=.33×100= 33 CFUs
Naylor Park Beach on 4/14
1+3+0=4/3=.133×100= 133 CFUs

Chart: Clean Creeks Rivers Dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16
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.

Map: Sugar Creek
in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)

Map: NOAA Gauges 2025-04-18
in the NOAA National Water Prediction Service.

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS Water Quality Testers Kim Tanner and Suzy Hall reviewed the results. Such review is part of every WWALS tester’s ongoing training.

WWALS water quality testing trainer Gretchen Quarterman delivered supplies to several testrs.

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/

-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/

Short Link:

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

Little River

Sugar Creek

Withlacoochee River

Alapaha River

Water quality testing training and funding

LBR

NPB

mccormick

kellrd

franks122

staten

GR

Allen

HP

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