Update 2026-01-12: Filthy Hightower Creek 2026-01-08 but clean upstream ILM Pond 2026-01-09.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean for this Wednesday.

We have no new creek results since last week.

The inch of rain last Saturday seems to have little effect on the rivers, neither level nor water quality.

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

The weather is supposed to be fine this weekend, so if you can find a river with enough water, and happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers; No new creek results, 2026-01-07

Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow for Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle to see SPZ 2026-01-10. Meet us at Ichetucknee State Park North Entrance: 9 AM to dip in the spring; 10 AM for the paddle.

Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results rainfall and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet.

Chart: Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, 2026-01-07 –WWALS Composite Spreadsheet
For context see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing
 
Previous WWALS water quality reports are here:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results
 
Also follow that link for the underlying spreadsheet of water quality, sewage spills, and rainfall from Georgia and Florida sources for the Suwannee River Basin.

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.

Withlacoochee River

Valdosta Utilities got an OK 230 cfu/100 mL at GA 133, and a very clean 40 at US 84. Those locations are both downstream from Sugar Creek.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum got a good result of 100 cfu/100 mL for Holly Point, only a few miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

He noted, “We received over an inch of rain here last Saturday so I’ll attribute these results to that but the water is still nice and clear.

He added, “The drought has been hard on the pine trees but the river has been beautiful. I’m down stream from Madison Blue Springs so the river hangs at a pretty consistent level when it’s this low.”

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2026-01-07 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler got a clean 66 cfu/100 mL at Mills Dock, a bit upstream from Poe Spring.

Bob noted, ”River looks good but low volume. Low water definitely reduces boat and jet ski traffic.”

Also:
Air Temp 21.8 C
Watger Temp 20.6 C
pH 6.5
DO 5.2
Conductivity 0.49

Mills Dock, Santa Fe River @ NW 282nd Dr 2026-01-07 –Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS testers Suzy Hall and Cindy Vedas reviewed the WWALS results. Such review is part of the WWALS standard ongoing testing quality analysis.

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/

Tables

Table: River Results, 2026-01-07 –Valdosta Utilities

HP

Plates, Holly Point 2026-01-07 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

MillsDock

Data, Mills Dock, Santa Fe River @ NW 282nd Dr 2026-01-07 –Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

Plates, Mills Dock 2026-01-07 –Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

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