We have good E. coli results on the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers and Franks Creek for this week.

We don’t know about Sugar Creek; nobody tested that this week.

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

Rain or thunderstorms are likely for the next ten days.

Since these recent tests were after previous rains, apparently we’re past first flush. That means whatever was in the woods has washed out now, so more rain may not cause much contamination.

So as near as we can tell, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can beat the rain!

Clean Alapaha River 2025-06-29, Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-07-02

Maybe join WWALS tomorrow for Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River 2025-07-05.
https://wwals.net/?p=67557

Alapaha River

On Sunday, June 29, 2025, WWALS tester Heather Brasell tested her usual two sites upstream on the Alapaha River, and got very good results at both.

She got 33 cfu/100 mL on the outflow creek from the Alapaha, GA, wastewater treatment facility, and 100 just upstream from Sheboggy Boat Ramp at US 82.

Franks Creek

WWALS tester Debbie Smith tested Wednesday, July 2, at her usual site on Franks Creek at the GA 122 bridge west of Hahira, upstream from the Little River.

She got 33 cfu/100 mL, which is very good.

Withlacoochee River

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas tested Wednesday at her usual three locations.

• At Franklinville Landing on Franklinville Road at the closed Tyler Bridge, she got very good 33 cfu/100 mL. But she reported, “Well there is a tire, a grocery cart and now a red couch in the river at this location!”
• At Staten Road, she also got 33.
• And at Langdale Park Boat Ramp, on Hyta Mederer Drive off of North Valdosta Road, she also got 33. She reported, “Picked up some trash. Trash can was full.”

Just upstream from Langdale Park, Valdosta Utilities reported nothing for US 41 (North Valdosta Road), because the city was only testing there as part of the major spill followup testing.

Table: GA 133, US 84, Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-02 –Valdosta Utilities — Valdosta Utilities

For Wednesday Valdosta Utilities reported 90 at GA 133 and 100 at US 84, both very good, and both downstream from Sugar Creek.

Oddly, they did not report any Fecal coliform results, even though they always have before.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum again got zero for Wednesday at Holly Point, a few miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

He remarked, “Clean Withlacoochee, looking forward to enjoying the river for the 4th with friends and family!”

Chart: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers and Franks Creek 2025-07-02
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.

Map: Alapaha WTP, in the WWALS map of all public landings in the Suwannee River Basin

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS testers Suzy Hall, Cindy Vedas, and Kimberly Godden Tanner reviewed the other testers’ results. Such review is part of every WWALS tester’s ongoing training.

WWALS water quality testing trainer Gretchen Quarterman sent supplies to a tester.

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/

franks122

Form, Franks Creek @ GA 122, 2025-07-02 –Debbie Smith for WWALS

AWWTP

Alapaha Settlement Pond Stream, Alapaha River @ US 82, 2025:06:29 12:30:55, –Heather Brasell for WWALS 31.3894333, -83.2178111

SBR

Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82, 2025:06:29 13:01:37, –Heather Brasell for WWALS 31.3860222, -83.1935583

franklinville

Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road, 2025:07:02 12:57:51, –Cindy Vedas for WWALS 30.9814194, -83.2679583

staten

Staten Road, Withlacoochee River @ Staten Road, 2025:07:02 11:43:39, –Cindy Vedas for WWALS 30.9280306, -83.2934806

LPBR

Downstream, Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road, 2025:07:02 08:56:53, –Cindy Vedas for WWALS 30.8874222, -83.3239528

HP

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way, 2025-07-02 –Russ Tatum 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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