Withlacoochee filthy upstream; Santa Fe River clean 2026-05-14

More results have come in since Friday’s report.

WWALS got even worse results upstream on the Withlacoochee River for Thursday at Franklinville Road, which is upstream from Cat Creek and Valdosta.

That looks even more like first flush, when a big rain washes the woods wildlife have been using as a latrine.

Meanwhile, WWALS got clean results for Thursday on the Santa Fe River.

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

And considering Colquitt and Brooks Counties, Georgia, got a lot of rain that could wash contamination into Okapilco Creek, I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River in Georgia.

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 for Sunday.

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

Withlacoochee filthy upstream, Above Valdosta & Cat Creek, Santa Fe River clean, 2026-05-14

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: Filthy Withlacoochee River and Clean Santa Fe River 2026-05-14 —-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.

Withlacoochee River

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas got 700 cfu/100 mL for Thursday at Franklinville Road, which is upstream not only from Valdosta, but also from Cat Creek.

That’s over the 410 one-time test limit and higher than her Staten Road result.

She noted, “Nice to see water in the river again. However, the water was very muddy looking.”

Signs, Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2026-05-14 –Cindy Vedas for WWALS

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler got 33 cfu/100 mL at Mills Dock on the Santa Fe River, a bit upstream from Poe Springs.

They remarked, “Bob is Back! Santa Fe S-8169 is Clean. Water level is very low and Bob reports there are water mites which can cause rash or irritation.”

Also:
Air Temp 21.1 C or 70.5 F
Water Temp 25.6 C or 78.10 F

Mills Dock, Santa Fe River @ NW 282nd Dr 2026-05-14 –Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for WWALS

Water quality testing training and funding

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

WWALS Water Quality Testing Trainer Gretchen Quarterman trained two more new testers Saturday at Suwannee River State Park.

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, 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/