Crawford Branch above Valdosta was above the one-time test limit for E. coli, and Sugar Creek which drains most of Valdosta was even higher, above the alert limit, in WWALS sampling for Thursday.

But the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested good.

More WWALS volunteer water quality testers reported this week, but we are still short-handed. Maybe you’d like to become a WWALS tester; please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/DzWvJuXqTQi12N6v7

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

Rain fell hard today, but only briefly, so most of the rivers are probably OK for fishing, swimming and boating this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow morning on Yes Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2023-08-05.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-08-03

The Sugar Creek result may be due to ongoing effects from Valdosta’s July 17th 6,000 gallon sewage spill into Hightower Creek “behind the Target,” reported as at 1700 block River Street. We have no new Valdosta test results related to that spill.

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday, both upstream and downstream. For Monday Valdosta got way-too-high results for US 41 and GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River, even though there was not much rain last weekend. The WWALS Thursday result for US 41 is well with acceptable range: zero.

We don’t know about GA 133; it seems Valdosta could report on that part of the job it is required to do by the 2020 GA-EPD Consent Order.

Thanks to WWALS testers Cindy and David Vedas for that zero result for Thursday at US 41. They also got good results at Franklinville and Staten Road, all on the Withlacoochee River. And they got those too-high Crawford Branch and Sugar Creek results.

Thanks once again to Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes for placing a Valdosta sewage spill warning sign in the Salty Snapper parking lot for Sugar Creek. It has fallen over, however.

Chart: Clean Rivers, dirty creeks 2023-08-03
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

Thanks to Heather Brazell and Phoenix Best for their two Alapaha River sites, just below the outfall of the Town of Alapaha Wastewater Treatment Plant, and just above US 82 and Sheboggy Boat Ramp: their results for both sites were good.

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner and the Jones family for testing the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach, with excellent low results.

I tested Knights Ferry, Clyattville-Nankin, and State Line Boats Ramps on the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman for training the testers and delivering supplies.

Thanks to WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall for herding the testing cats. Suzy also sampled Sugar Creek on Tuesday August 1st, and got good results. Something happened upstream between then and Thursday.

I’ve marked green for the WWALS “beaches” for which we have recent data (except GA 133 is red), on

Map: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, Swim Guide, 2023-08-03

Here’s a live Swim Guide Map.

Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for a 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/

AWWTP

Alapaha Settlement Pond Stream, Alapaha River @ US 82 2023-08-03

SBR

Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82 2023-08-03

LBR

Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2023-08-03

NPB

Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2023-08-03

franklinville

Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2023-08-03

crawfordbranch

Crawford Branch, Withlacoochee River @ Skipper Bridge Road 2023-08-03

staten

Staten Road, Withlacoochee River @ Staten Road 2023-08-03

US41

US 41 Landing, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2023-08-03

SC

Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River @ Gornto Road 2023-08-01

KFNSL

KF, Nankin, SL samples 2023-08-03

KFBR

Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Knights Ferry Road 2023-08-03

NBR

Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Clyattville-Nankin Road 2023-08-03

SLBR

State Line Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Madison Highway 2023-08-03

 -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/

Short Link: