WWALS testers found the Alapaha, Suwannee, and Santa Fe Rivers clean within the past seven days, and the Withlacoochee River clean upstream and downstream.

But according to Valdosta Utilities Sugar Creek was again filthy, and the Withlacoochee had too much E. coli downstream of Sugar Creek at GA 133. And One Mile Branch was above the 410 one-time-test limit at Wainwright Drive, but not downstream at West Gordon Street. There hasn’t been much rain. Are there still one or more undiscovered sewage leaks in the City of Valdosta?

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

Storms are predicted this weekend, but mostly in the afternoon.

I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, But if you can beat the rain, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

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

Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, Clean Withlacoochee up and down, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-02

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 Alapaha, Suwannee, and Santa Fe Rivers and Withlacoochee Downstream, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-02
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.

Santa Fe River

New WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler once again got a very clean 33 cfu/100 mL at Mills Dock on the Santa Fe River, upstream from Poe Spring, this time for Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

“No Change. Water level low, clear, tannic. Some hydrilla. Air temp 22.0 C. Water temp 24.1 C.”

Mills Dock, Santa Fe River @ NW 282nd Dr 2025-10-01 –Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

Suwannee River

New WWALS tester Thomas Underwood got a zero for Saturday, September 27, 2025, at Trails Airpark, upstream from the Hal W. Adams Bridge on the Suwannee River, same as he got on Tuesday, September 16.

Air temp. 27.5 C, Water temp. 24 C, pH 7.0, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) 5.0 ppm, conductivity 302.

Trails AirPark, Suwannee River @ 209th Drive 2025-09-16 –Thomas Underwood for WWALS

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Heather Brasell sampled Saturday, September 27, 2025, and got 33 for the creek at the outflow of the Town of Alapaha wastewater treatment ponds.

Alapaha Settlement Pond Stream, Alapaha River @ US 82 2025-09-27 –Heather Brasell for WWALS

And zero at US 82 just upstream from Sheboggy Boat Ramp.

Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ US 82 2025-09-27 –Heather Brasell for WWALS

Cat Creek and Beatty Branch

This is a volunteer water quality testing program, and nobody had time to test Cat Creek or Beatty Branch this week. We are seeking grants to compensate testers.

Withlacoochee River upstream

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas for Wednesday got an OK 166 at Franklinville Road.

Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2025-10-01 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

She got a clean 66 at Staten Road.

Staten Road, Withlacoochee River @ Staten Road 2025-10-02 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

She got even cleaner 33 at Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and remarked, “Needs a trash clean up badly. Looked good other than that.”

I have alerted Lowndes County Public Works that their Litter Crew is needed there.

Valdosta got 130 at US 41, just upstream from Langdale Park: that’s pretty clean.

As you can see on this map, Langdale Park Boat Ramp is just downstream from US 41, and those points and Staten Road are downstream from Cat Creek. They’re all upstream from Sugar Creek.

Map: Langdale Park Boat Ramp —WLRWT

One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, and Sugar Creek

Valdosta tested Thursday, and got worse results this week on One Mile Branch uptream at Wainwright Drive, 700, but better downstream at W Gordon Street, 280.

And Valdosta Utilities got way worse 2,360 at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek and about the same filthy 1,180 at Gornto Road on Sugar Creek, both higher than the alert limit of 1,000.

There has been very little rain.

Is there still another undiscovered sewage leak in the city of Valdosta?

Table: Creek Results, 2025-10-02 –Valdosta Utilities; see:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills

Withlacoochee River downstream

Downstream of Sugar Creek, Valdosta got 500 at GA 133, above the 410 one-time-test limit. At least that is consistent with what Valdosta usually gets there when it gets high results on Sugar Creek.

Downstream at US 84 Valdosta got pretty clean 160, same as last week.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum for Wednesday again got a cleanest zero at Holly point, down the Withlacoochee River almost to the Suwannee.

Holly Point, Withlacoochee River @ NE Withla Bluffs Way 2025-10-01 –Russ Tatum for WWALS

He reported, “Same as last week, The Withlacoochee is low and clear and clean here.”

Water quality testing training and funding

WWALS testers Suzy Hall, Cindy Vedas, and John S. Quarterman reviewed the results. Such review is part of WWALS quality control.

WWALS water quality testing trainer Gretchen Quarterman helped bring the new testers up to speed, as they went through the usual learning curve of actually testing and reporting.

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/

AWWTP

SBR

franklinville

staten

LPBR

Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2025-10-01 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

Tables

HP

AirPark

MillsDock

 -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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