Category Archives: creeks

Clean Withlacoochee River, but some stretches flooding, and more rains coming 2024-10-06

Update 2024-10-12: Apparently clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-10.

WWALS tester Russ Tatum got very good water quality for Friday at Holly Point, on the Withlacoochee River downstream of Allen Ramp, near the Suwannee River.

That matches what Valdosta got for Wednesday at GA 133 and US 84.
https://wwals.net/?p=65999

Even though rainwater from Hurricane Helene has apparently diluted or washed downstream any contamination that washed in, this is not a good weekend or week for boating.

Flooding is still rising downstream on the Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers; see below.

The weather report has changed. Upstream, it’s spotty rain today (Sunday) and Wednesday. Downstream, it’s rain all week, due to incoming Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall near Tampa Wednesday or Thursday.

Many national, state, and local parks are still closed after Hurricane Helene, especially on rivers.
https://wwals.net/?p=65987

Afterward the new Hurricane Milton, there will be plenty of more opportunities for pleasant paddles and chainsaw cleanups.

[Clean Withlacoochee River, but downstream Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers rivers flooding from Hurricane Helene, and more rains coming from Hurricane Milton.]
Clean Withlacoochee River, but downstream Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers rivers flooding from Hurricane Helene, and more rains coming from Hurricane Milton.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) updates its Sewage Spills Report on weekdays, and the same for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)’s Public Notice of Pollution (PNP), so if there have been any new sewage spills since Friday, we don’t know about them. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River after Hurricane Helene, but much flooding and storm damage 2024-10-02

Update 2024-10-06: Clean Withlacoochee River, but some stretches flooding, and more rains coming 2024-10-04.

Valdosta’s Wednesday water quality samples show the Withlacoochee River clean after Hurricane Helene. Valdosta’s Wednesday a week ago samples corroborate clean before Helene, matching WWALS testing.

There are no new WWALS test results, because none of us have had electricity, which is needed to incubate the samples at 95 F for 24 hours. Two WWALS testers have power back, so maybe some new results soon.

The weather report is sunny for the next week, although you never know what might blow in off the Gulf or the Atlantic.

Many national, state, and local parks are closed, especially on rivers.
https://wwals.net/?p=65987

Upstream rainfall now running downstream is causing widespread river flooding. See separate report on the Alapaha River.
https://wwals.net/?p=65990

If you can, please stay home until the power and road situations are better.

Afterwards, there will be plenty of more opportunities for pleasant paddles and chainsaw cleanups. Continue reading →

Hurricane Helene Sewage Spills 2024-09-27

Update 2024-10-06: Corrected location of Valdosta Ponderosa Lift Station (1001 Ponderosa Drive).

Update 2024-10-04: Clean Withlacoochee River after Hurricane Helene, but much flooding and storm damage 2024-10-02.

Tifton spilled 1.375 million gallons of raw sewage during Hurricane Helene, 950,000 into a creek that goes to the Little River, and the rest into creeks that go to the New River above the Withlacoochee River.

Sycamore spilled 350 gallons above Hat Creek, above the Alapaha River.

According to Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes, Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons due to a tree falling on a lift station, above Knights Creek, which goes to Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. He said he has reported it to GA-EPD. Perhaps it will appear Monday in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

[Tifton spilled 1.375,000 gallons, Sycamore 350, during Hurricane Helene. Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons, tree on lift station.]
Tifton spilled 1.375,000 gallons, Sycamore 350, during Hurricane Helene. Valdosta spilled 9,000 gallons, tree on lift station.

I would avoid the directly-affected creeks. But these are all so far upstream of their rivers that the rivers were probably not much affected.

But you might check with Reed-Bingham State Park for their latest lake contamina tion report before swimming there. Continue reading →

Are the rivers rising? 2024-10-01

Somebody asked: has the Suwannee River crested after Hurricane Helene? Yes, upstream from the Alapaha River (Nobles Ferry Gauge) and downstream from the Santa Fe River (Rock Bluff Gauge). In between (Nobles Ferry to Branford Gauge) it’s still rising, although nowhere near Action Stage.

[Flooding: Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers 2024-10-01 Not flooding: Suwannee, Ichetucknee, New, Santa Fe Rivers]
Flooding: Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers 2024-10-01 Not flooding: Suwannee, Ichetucknee, New, Santa Fe Rivers

The Santa Fe and New Rivers were mostly unaffected by the storm.

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are or were all in flood upstream, rapidly heading downstream.

So if you must go boating, the Santa Fe River or the Middle Suwannee River are your best bets. But if you can, stay off the roads and let emergency vehicles, road crews, and utilities work.

Details below, taken from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. NOAA is the first option in River water levels in the Suwannee River Basin 2024-08-07. Continue reading →

Rack Cards, ARWT and WLRWT 2024-09-30

After we asked several weeks for input on water trail signs and rack cards, the WWALS Outings Committee provided many opinions.

[Rack Cards for the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2024-09-30]
Rack Cards for the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail 2024-09-30

Here are the images that went to press Monday, September 30, 2024. That’s 10,000 copies each for the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

They’re the same size as the WWALS z-fold brochures for the same water trails. But rack cards are a single sheet, front and back. They are much less expensive to print, so more appropriate for Interstate highway welcome centers and such.

They each have a QR code and a URL for finding more information.

I especially like the ARWT front. Continue reading →

Probably clean rivers before Hurricane Helene, but please stay home 2024-09-25

Update 2024-10-04: Hurricane Helene Sewage Spills 2024-09-27.

Please stay home and let emergency responders, electric utilities, and road crews work.

The rivers were probably clean before Hurricane Helene. And even that unprecedented storm may not have caused many sewage spills, since rainfall many places was not as much as in previous hurricanes. But wind was extreme, and damage is widespread.

I called Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes this morning and asked if he knew of any spills. “No, we’re good,” he said. Since rain on Valdosta was less than in previous hurricanes, that makes sense.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. But once again, Ashburn, Georgia, reported late, showing up in the September 23 GA-EPD Sewage Spills Reportbelow.

With the hurricane rains, some contamination may have washed into the rivers. And there may have been sewage spills elsewhere not yet reported.

The weather prediction is sunny for the next week.

The rivers are rising. The Withlacoochee River at Skipper Bridge Road above Valdosta is already in Minor Flood, and that water is heading downstream.

Meanwhile, please stay home until the power and road situations are better.

Afterwards, there will be plenty of more opportunities for pleasant paddles and chainsaw cleanups.

[Please stay home after Hurricane Helene 2024-09-26 Rivers may be clean, but let utilities work.]
Please stay home after Hurricane Helene 2024-09-26 Rivers may be clean, but let utilities work.

Continue reading →

Georgia House Navigable Streams Committee in Nahunta 2024-10-11

Update 2024-10-24: Navigable Streams: Georgia House Study Committee in Newnan, GA 2024-11-13.

Update 2024-10-09: According to attorney Brock Perry this morning: “The meeting this week has been cancelled in light of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The area is still recovering, and hosting a meeting there is not practical or the priority at the moment. There will be a meeting next month, but the date has not been finalized. At that meeting, there will be a period of time dedicated to issues related to South Georgia rivers to compensate for our cancelled meeting.”

Their third meeting (second with public input) will be near Waycross on October 11. Actually, on the Satilla River, halfway between Waycross and Brunswick.

If you want to continue to be able to paddle or motor on your favorite stream, you may want to show up and speak, or send written input to your state representative. You can ask them for a 21st-century update to the 1863 Georgia navigability law.

[Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams in Nahunta 2024-10-11: Ownership, Property Rights, Recreation, Economy]
Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams in Nahunta 2024-10-11: Ownership, Property Rights, Recreation, Economy

Chair Lynn Smith of the Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams and Related Matters announced at the end of the September 20 meeting at Unicoi State Park that there would be a third meeting in October in Waycross.

It will be 9 AM, October 11, 2024, northeast of Nahunta:
Location Strickland’s Lodge, 829 Wildlife Drive, Nahunta, GA 31553. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-09-19

Update 2024-09-28: Probably clean rivers before Hurricane Helene, but please stay home 2024-09-25.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean for Wednesday, and the Alapaha River for Thursday. Valdosta got high results for Franks Creek at Inner Perimeter, upstream of Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. However, Ashburn, Georgia, showed up in today’s GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report as having a 30,000-gallon raw sewage spill on August 24. See below.

There was some rain this week, but very scattered, so probably not much contamination washed into the river. As always, we can merely report what test results we have. Actual conditions may vary.

The weather prediction is sunny for the next five days.

Most rivers are back to normal water levels, even the Ichetucknee River. The only gauges still in Action Stage are for the Santa Fe River at Three Rivers Estates and Worthington Spirngs, and the New River (of the Santa Fe) at Lake Butler, and the Suwannee River above Gopher River Confluence.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Maybe join us tomorrow for Red Roberts Little River Chainsaw Cleanup, 2024-09-21. You do not have to use a saw. You can come take pictures, collect trash, or pull limbs out of the way. Kayaks and canoes welcome, to accompany the WWALS jon boat and 9.9 hp outboard.

[Clean Rivers: Withlacoochee 2024-09-18, Alapaha 2024-09-19, but Ashburn Sewage Spill 2024-08-24]
Clean Rivers: Withlacoochee 2024-09-18, Alapaha 2024-09-19, but Ashburn Sewage Spill 2024-08-24

Continue reading →

PFAS Sampling Deployment, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Update 2024-11-27: Retrieving PFAS samplers, Withlacoochee River 2024-11-23.

This weekend we deployed four PFAS samplers, upstream and downstream from two wastewater treatment plants, on the Withlacoochee River and on Mud Swamp Creek.

These are a new design that you leave in the flowing water for 28 days thereabouts, then retrieve, and effectively they’ve been taking a sample a day.

If you encounter them, please leave them be.

[PFAS Sampling Deployment, Waterkeeper Alliance Program, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15]
PFAS Sampling Deployment, Waterkeeper Alliance Program, Withlacoochee River 2024-09-14, Mud Swamp Creek 2024-09-15

Continue reading →

Chemours spilled wastewater from Trail Ridge Mine into Bradford County, FL 2024-09-14

Update 2025-02-23: Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine Process Water Spill 2025-02-16.

Chemours had another spill into the Santa Fe River Basin from its Trail Ridge South titanium dioxide (TiO2) Mine. They say this one was very small.

It took a different path than the one on January 30, 2024, but it also eventually drains into the Santa Fe River.

This spill was north of Camp Road, west of Treat Road, actually in Clay County, on land owned by the State of Florida, draining into Bradford County.

The spill was reported at coordinates 29.89094873, -82.04341783, puts it at the top of Double Run Branch 03110206003356, on land in Clay County owned by Armory Board State of Florida.

[Tailings Spills from Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine in Clay County into Bradford County, Santa Fe River]
Tailings Spills from Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine in Clay County into Bradford County, Santa Fe River

That drains west into Bradford County, through land owned by SRWMD and Rayonier Forest Resources, LP, into Double Run Creek, which goes through land owned by Schoeffel Enterprises LLC and Harry W. and Mary Ann Kyle, before it drains through more Rayonier and SRWMD land into the Santa Fe Swamp Conservation Area into the Santa Fe River.

Here is the report we received from FDEP at 5:11 PM, Monday, September 14, 2024. Continue reading →