Clean Batterbee Branch, Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee downstream, Filthy Withlacoochee upstream 2026-05-27

The Withlacoochee River tested even worse this week at GA 133 in Valdosta Utilities results. Yet it again tested good at US 84, both for Wednesday.

WWALS got even better results for Wednesday downstream in Florida, four miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

WWALS also got excellent results for the Santa Fe River, also for Wednesday.

Meanwhile upstream from the Withlacoochee River and Cat Creek in Berrien County, Georgia, Tish Hall got pretty good results for Tuesday for Batterbee Branch at Shiloh Road, Ray City.

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

I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River upstream of the Little River Confluence.

So at your own risk, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, where-ever you can find enough water, and if you can avoid the rains predicted this weekend.

Or join us tomorrow, for Alapahoochee River Cleanup 2026-05-30.

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

Clean Batterbee Branch 2026-05-26, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-05-27, Withlacoochee clean downstream, Filthy upstream 2026-05-27

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 Batterbee Branch & Santa Fe River; Withlacoochee Filthy Upstream, Clean Downstream 2026-05-27 –WWALS Composite Spreadsheet of Water Quality Results
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.

Batterbee Branch

From the water sample she took Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Tish Hall got 100 cfu/100 mL, which is pretty clean.

She also got:
Air Temp 27 C
Water Temp 25 C
pH 5
DO 3.8
Conductivity 155

Left, Batterbee Branch @ Shiloh Road 2026-05-26 –Tish Hall for WWALS

Withlacoochee River

For Wednesday, May 27th, Valdosta Utilities got a horrible 2,360 cfu/100 mL at the GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) bridge over the Withlacoochee River. That’s more than twice the 1,000 alert limit.

There was quite a bit of rain here and there Saturday and Sunday. But it’s getting a little hard to believe these bad results at GA 133 are always first flush.

They also got 50 at US 84, which is a very good result; better than last week. That’s downstream from the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River. And also downstream from Okapilco Creek out of Brooks County, Georgia.

Table: GA 133 & US 84, Withlacoochee River, 2026-05-27 –Valdosta Utilities

Downstream in Florida for Wednesday, WWALS tester Russ Tatum again got zero (0) for Holly Point, four miles upstream from the Withlacoochee River.

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2026-05-27 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for Wednesday again got 0 cfu/100 mL at Mills Dock on the Santa Fe River, a bit upstream from Poe Springs.

They remarked, “Control Plate is clear but has two imperfections from plating technique.”

That usually means fingerprints on the control plate.

They also got:
Air temp 26.2 C
Water temp 27.3 C

Mills Dock, Santa Fe River @ NW 282nd Dr 2026-05-27 –Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS testers Suzy Hall, Kim Tanner, and John S. Quarterman 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, Don Hutchinson, 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/

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WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Batterbee Branch

Withlacoochee River

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Water quality testing training and funding

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