Sugar Creek still tested bad for E. coli Wednesday, but not as bad as last week. The Withlacoochee River was bad at US 84, but OK at US 41 and upstream, and downstream near the Suwannee River.

The Alapaha River tested clean for Thursday.

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

There’s a chance of storms through Monday, but mostly in the afternoon.

So if you can get in and out before the rains, avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, and happy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating this weekend.

Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-14

Or join us tomorrow (Saturday) upstream from Valdosta in Lowndes County, Georgia, for Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16.

Withlacoochee River upstream

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas sampled two upstream Withlacoochee River locations Thursday.

For Franklinville Landing at Tyler Bridge, upstream from Cat Creek, she got a clean 66 cfu/100 mL, and remarked, “Trash cleanup in the morning at 9. Hope we have some volunteers show up. Thanks to everyone.”

Tyler Bridge, Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2025-08-14 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

At Langdale Park Boat Ramp, she got even cleaner 33 cfu/100 mL, and noted, “ Park looked good. Had just been mowed. Trash cans emptied.”

Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2025-08-14 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

For Wednesday at US 41 (North Valdosta Road), just upstream from Langdale Park, Valdosta Utilities got 290 cfu/100 mL, which is pretty good and way better than last week.

Table: Sugar Creek Withlacoochee River, US 41, US 84, 2025-08-13 — Valdosta Utilities

Sugar Creek

Valdosta Utilities’ Sugar Creek results for Wednesday were still higher than the one-time test limit of 410, but at least lower than the alert limit of 1,000, so much better than last week. They got 860 cfu/100 mL at Baytree Road, and 970 downstream at Gornto Road.

Table: Sugar Creek, Baytree, Gornto Roads, 2025-08-13 —Valdosta Utilities

Withlacoochee River downstream

Valdosta Utilities for Wednesday mysteriously got 240 at GA 133, only a few miles downstream from Sugar Creek, yet 640 at US 84, downstream from the Little River.

Table: GA 133, US 84 Withlacoochee River Water Quality, 2025-08-13 —Valdosta Utilities

Downstream on the Withlacoochee River in Florida at Holly Point, not far up from the Suwannee River, WWALS tester Russ Tatum for Wednesday got zero (0) cfu/100 mL.

He remarked, “Clean Withlacoochee down here! The river has silted up some and a little more tannic but clean.”

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2025-08-13 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Kim Tanner sampled Thursday at her two Alapaha River locations. She got 66 at Lakeland Boat Ramp and zero (0) at Naylor Park Beach.

Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-08-13 –Kim Tanner for WWALS

She noted, “Both sites looked great. There were a bunch of butterflies puddling at Naylor Park Beach. I understand that to be a sign of a healthy ecosystem. They were enjoying the clean water, too.”

Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-08-14 –Kim Tanner for WWALS

Chart: Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee Upstream and Downstream 2025-08-14
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

WWALS testers Cindy Vedas, Suzy Hall, and John S. Quarterman reviewed the results. Such review is part of WWALS quality control.

WWALS water quality testing trainer Gretchen Quarterman graded tests from her recent training in Jasper, Florida.

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/

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

franklinville

Tyler Bridge, Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2025-08-14 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

LPBR

Downstream, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2025-08-14 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

Tables

Table: Sugar Creek Withlacoochee River, US 41, US 84, 2025-08-13 –Valdosta Utilities

HP

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2025-08-13 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

LBR

Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2025-08-13 –Kim Tanner for WWALS

NPB

Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2025-08-14 –Kim Tanner for WWALS

 -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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