Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-07-09

We have good E. coli results on the Withlacoochee River for this week.

Clean Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-09, Happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing

We don’t know about Sugar Creek; nobody tested that this week. Strange as it seems, chances are that creek is also clean.

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

Rain or thunderstorms are likely for the next ten days.

As near as we can tell, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can beat the rain!

Maybe join WWALS today for Chainsaw upstream from Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-12.
https://wwals.net/?p=67870

Withlacoochee River

Valdosta Utilities reported nothing for US 41 (North Valdosta Road), because the city was only testing there as part of the major spill followup testing.

Table: GA-133 & US 84, Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-09 –Valdosta Utilities — Valdosta Utilities

For Wednesday Valdosta Utilities reported 90 at GA 133 and 95 at US 84, both very good, and both downstream from Sugar Creek.

They did not report any Fecal coliform results. According to Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes, this is because the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) no longer requires Fecal coliform for regular testing. They do still require it for sewage spill followup testing.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum again got zero for Wednesday at Holly Point, a few miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

He remarked, “Clean Withlacoochee, had a great time on the river for the fourth!”

Chart: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-07-09
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.

The location of Troupville Boat Ramp is highlighted in this WWALS map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin.

Map: Troupville Boat Ramp, Little River, 2025-07-12 –WWALS, Suwannee River Basin

This is the gauge closest upstream to Troupville Boat Ramp. The level is looking good for today.

US 41 Valdosta Gauge, Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-12 — NOAA National Water Prediction Service

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS testers Suzy Hall, Cindy Vedas, and Kimberly Godden Tanner reviewed the other tester’s results. Such review is part of every WWALS tester’s ongoing training.

If you want to get trained by 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/