A sinkhole opened in U.S. 90 in the middle of Live Oak, Florida, yesterday. FDOT says it’s fixed since yesterday evening.
But chronic overpumping of groundwater produces such cavities, and increasintly big rains wash them open.
![[Live Oak Sinkhole, U.S. 90, 2025-08-25, Between Dowling Ave. and Union Ave.]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-25--live-oak-sinkhole/fbmany.jpg)
Live Oak Sinkhole, U.S. 90, 2025-08-25, Between Dowling Ave. and Union Ave.
Live Oak Police Department yesterday reported with a video of the sinkhole opening: Continue reading
Update 2025-09-08: Rescheduled, Public Notice for Public Hearing, Bradford Road subdivision 2025-09-18.
Here are WWALS videos of the hour in which several speakers brought up the lack of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and many other subjects at the Berrien County Planning Commission. This Public Hearing was about a proposal to put a ten-house subdivision on agricultural land on Bradford, Strawder, and Old Valdosta Roads.
Lisa Sumner spoke first, about that Plan, and last, specifically wanting to know why were we meeting, since county ordinances require the Plan to be submitted. After much discussion among Commission and Staff, they moved to adjourn. Before the vote, Della Gladieux asked if people would get to speak next month. Yes, they said, people who had not already spoken.
Meanwhile, you can speak in other ways, such as signing the petition against this subdivision of ten houses on agricultural land:
https://chng.it/kKDVsN92xT
People who live in Berrien County can also call or write your Planning Commissioner or Berrien County Commissioner. Anyone can come to that next Planning Commission meeting, which will probably be September 18, since they seem to meet on the third Thursday of the month, at 201 North Davis Street, Nashville, GA 31639.
See for yourself in these WWALS videos of each spaaker, followed by a WWALS video playlist.
See also: Continue reading
Update 2025-08-27: Stopped: Overflow from Valdosta Withlacoochee Wastewater Treament Plant 2025-08-27.
Valdosta’s Withlacoochee WWTP catch basin is overflowing again, into Spring Branch to the Withlacoochee River.
Seems like the catch basin is not big enough.
Received 9:30 PM, Sunday, August 24, 2025, and currently on Valdosta’s website. We also got the same release at 9:10 PM, Sunday, August 24, 2025.
Sanitary Sewer overflow at the Withlacoochee WWTP
On Sunday, August 24, 2025, the City of Valdosta Utilities Department and City Management were notified that the secondary Equalization (EQ) Basin at the Withlacoochee Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) had begun to overflow.
The Utilities Department immediately mobilized the appropriate divisions to assess and respond. The overflow was determined to be the result of excessive Infiltration and Inflow (I&I), which caused a hydraulic overload of the sanitary sewer collection system. This condition followed a significant weather event in which the City of Valdosta received more than eight inches of rainfall within a 48-hour period.
WPCP operators have worked tirelessly Continue reading
Update 2025-08-25: Overflowing Catch Basin at Valdosta Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant 2025-08-24.
You’ve seen the
WWALS videos of the presentation by Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes
to the Rivers Task Force.
https://wwals.net/?p=68201
These are the slides he used, obtained from the City of Valdosta with an open records request.
See also:
![[Slides: Jason Barnes, Valdosta Utilities Director, to Florida River Task Force, August 24, 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-14--valdosta-utilities-slides-task-force/fbmany.jpg)
Slides: Jason Barnes, Valdosta Utilities Director, to Florida River Task Force, August 24, 2025
Here are the slides: Continue reading
We found surprisingly little trash at the Withlacoochee River below Franklinville Road, but plenty of yellowjackets and deadfalls. Also, Cat Creek stinks like sewage.
Thanks to Cindy Vedas for organizing this expedition, and for bringing lunch.
Thanks to landowner Robbie McMillan for access, including mowing a path down to the Withlacoochee River at the Hahira-Moody AFB power line, for swimming, and for chainsawing.
I actually did most of the chainsawing this time, from my kayak, but there are no pictures of that.
Early on, I was chainsawing an opening in the brush towards Tyler Bridge, when something started stinging me. I backed off, but they followed me: Southern Yellowjackets, Vespula squamosa. Continue reading
Scotti Jay updated around 1 PM today, “Wainwright still spewing sewage a day later. Lid popped. No warning signs. No lime. No response team. Only a press release stating the city found the leak.”
Scotti added, “A city truck pulled up. I told him it’s still spewing. Asked when they were going to put up signs. His only response was ‘Thanks for letting us know.’”
Valdosta posted midafternoon: “Update as of August 24, 2025, 3:30 p.m.: The overflow has stopped. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 gallons of stormwater diluted wastewater to the adjacent creek. All required agencies have been notified.”
![[Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-24--sewage-spill-wainwright-drive/fbmany.jpg)
Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24
So that’s a bit less than 27 hours after Scotti Jay reported the spill to the city at 12:50 PM yesterday. Sort of quick. Better than in many previous years.
20,000 gallons is twice a major spill. Not good.
Still no warning signs. Also not good.
This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. Continue reading
It was a small but jolly group on the morning Black Moon paddle around the perimeter of Banks Lake, approximately 4 miles. Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this one.
We saw a little gator as we were starting, and I saw a bigger one later.
We found again the same cleft bat tree we found September 4, 2023.
Plenty of water lilies and red maple turning red.
Two white birds, one probably a Great Egret.
Seasonal Black Moons happen about once every 33 months. It was the third of four new moons in a season.
See also pictures by: Continue reading
Update 2025-08-24: Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24.
Scotti Jay reports, “Active sewage spill at Wainwright Dr neglected manhole. Aug 23, 2025 12p.m.”
![[Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-23--sewage-spill-wainwright-drive/fbmany.jpg)
Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again
Scotti says he reported it to Valdosta Utilities at 12:50 PM.
I called Utilities Director Jason Barnes at 1:00 PM. He said he would send someone over there right now.
This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. The sewage goes directly into One Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek, then into the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading
Update 2025-08-23: Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-23.
The Withlacoochee River tested clean this week.
Nobody tested Sugar Creek, but I’d avoid it until somebody gets clean results.
Nobody tested Cat Creek or Beatty Branch, either, but I can attest that Cat Creek smelled like sewage last Saturday.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
There’s a strong chance of storms through Sunday, but mostly in the afternoon.
Rains lately have been spotty here and there, and any rain could wash contamination into waterways. We can only report test results we know.
So if you can get in and out before the rains, happy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating this weekend.
![[Clean Withlacoochee River, Storms through Sunday, Happy paddling, 2025-08-21]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-21--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Withlacoochee River, Storms through Sunday, Happy paddling, 2025-08-21
Or join us at 8:30 AM tomorrow (Saturday) for
Black Moon Morning Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23.
https://wwals.net/?p=68213
Hahira, GA, August 22, 2025 — You’ll hear seven songs written by eleven songwriters from Florida and Georgia, at WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 6, 2025, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia.
Genres include Americana, blues, two folk songs, two bluegrass, and an American Folk Revival song. Topics range from Florida history to good times on the rivers to defending the Okefenokee Swamp.
Plus a sit-down catered meal, drinks, and a silent auction. With two speakers, from Florida and Georgia, and a headliner.
Follow this link for tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and more:
https://app.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2025
“Your ticket or sponsorship helps support everything WWALS does, from water quality tests to paddle outings and chainsaw cleanups, and beyond to advocacy to stop trash at its sources, strip mines, and pipelines. We work for water trails, solar power, and the Right to Clean Water, with growing engagement for youth and marginalized communities,” said organizing committee chair Sara Squires Jones. “Thanks to our sponsors so far (see the flyer). You, too, can be a sponsor! Or just join us for WWALS River Revue 2025.”
Rachel Grubb will headline, with her winning song from last year and her haunting encore.
These are the ten songwriter finalists, in alphabetical order, with a bit they wrote about themselves: Continue reading
![[Tabled: Bradford Road @ Berrien County Planning Commission 2025-08-21, No Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-21--bradford-road-rezoning-pictures/igmany.jpg)
![[Overflowing Catch Basin, at Valdosta Withlacoochee, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sunday, August 25, 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-24--valdosta-wwtp-sewer-overflow/fbmany.jpg)
![[Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16, Yellow Jackets and Chainsaws, Deadfalls, and Cat Creek Stinks]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-16--franklinville-cleanup-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23, Gator, bats, red maple, lilies, and Great Egret flying]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-23--black-moon-morning-paddle-banks-lake-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Flyer: WWALS River Revue 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-22--songwriting-finalists/flyer-wwals-river-revue-trim.jpg)