Category Archives: creeks

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07

Update 2026-04-12: Clean Alapaha River 2026-04-09 and Sugar Creek 2026-04-10.

With no rain to wash contamination in, the Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers still look clean in the test results we have.

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

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee 2026-04-06, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07, So far as we know, Happy paddling]
Clean Withlacoochee 2026-04-06, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07, So far as we know, Happy paddling

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. Continue reading →

Baker County opposes Water First North Florida 2026-04-07

Either I just didn’t seen it when I looked a few days ago, or they added it since I looked:

VI. NEW BUSINESS

  1. Approval of Opposition Letter- Water 1st N Florida; Sara Little

Even though that’s on the agenda as “Info Only”, the Agenda Item Request Form on page 157 says “2. Recommended Motion/Action: Approve the opposition letter as submitted.” and “ASAP”

The Baker County Commission meeting started at 5 PM today, so presumably they have already approved this letter.

Thanks to St. Marys Riverkeeper Emily Floore for the tip, and she confirms Baker County did pass the motion.

[Baker County opposes Water First North Florida 2026-04-07, Environment, Public Health, Agriculture, Economy]
Baker County opposes Water First North Florida 2026-04-07, Environment, Public Health, Agriculture, Economy

For similar letters and resolutions from other counties and regional bodies, for who you can contact, including a peitition, and for much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Here is the Baker County agenda for today and the relevant pages from the board packet: Continue reading →

Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06

Update 2026-04-15: ICE detention center back with no alternatives @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16.

The Bradford County Commission has two related items on its agenda for tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM, Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

In 5. Approval of the Consent Agenda:

  1. Site Access Agreement with Florida Department of Environmental Protection for monitoring of the “Douglas Building” Property — 14281 US Hwy 301 South, Starke, Florida.

Farther down the agenda:

  1. Discussion of “Douglas” Building Property Options
    1. Potential Lease with Bradford County Sheriff’s Office for the purpose of installation of a temporary ICE detainment facility.
    2. Other Lease or Marketing Options

[Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility, WWALS to Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06]
Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility, WWALS to Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06

We’ve sent them a letter suggesting they do nothing about leasing the site until the FDEP investigations have reported back. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-01

Update 2026-04-10: Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers look clean in the test results we have.

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

There was some rain Friday, so some contamination may have washed in. As always, we can only advise with the results we have.

Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-01, No sewage spills, Some rain 2026-04-03]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-01, No sewage spills, Some rain 2026-04-03

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. Continue reading →

Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2023-03-24

A pullquote:

Finally, the Board must note the utter disrespect that has been shown to the Board and citizens of Hamilton County.

[Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2026-03-24]
Hamilton County Commission against the utter disrespect of SRWMD and JEA about WFNF 2026-03-24

For much more about this project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Hamilton Rivers, facebook, March 31, 2026, Public Statement: Water First North Florida Project,

To address recent questions and speculation, the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners wants to be clear:

On March 24, 2026, the Board unanimously voted to formally oppose the proposed Water First North Florida Project.

We remain committed to protecting the citizens and natural resources of Hamilton County.

— Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners

Here is that letter from Hamilton County to SRWMD: Continue reading →

Petition: Data Center Due Diligence 2026-03-31

We the undersigned insist on the following:

No datacenters without at least transparency, a datacenter ordinance, due diligence, public hearings, closed-loop cooling, siting away from waterbodies and neighborhoods, a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) study, and a bond in case of premature closing.

The petition:

https://c.org/9FndqzS4dq

[Petition, Lowndes County, GA: Data Center Due Diligence, Withlacoochee River, Mud Swamp Creek]
Petition, Lowndes County, GA: Data Center Due Diligence, Withlacoochee River, Mud Swamp Creek

  1. Local governments need to pass a moratorium on datacenter applications until they have a comprehensive datacenter ordinance.
  2. Local governments need to pass good data center ordinances before considering any application.
  3. Local governments need to do their due diligence, with independent third-party evidence, not just believe what data center companies tell them.
  4. Local governments need to initiate a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) study for any datacenter of sufficient size.
  5. State governments need to prohibit data centers and electric utilities from passing on power costs to other ratepayers.
  6. Local, state, and national governments need to stop passing tax rebates and other favoritism for an industry owned by billionaires.
  7. All needs to be with continual citizen input.
  8. With all the local business parks, no datacenter should be next to a waterbody or a neighborhood.

Everyone needs to consider that the so-called artificial intelligence (AI) industry may be a bubble and putting too many eggs in one basket for jobs and tax revenue is not prudent when the bubble may pop at any time.

For much more information, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

 -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/

Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek 2026-03-21

Update 2026-05-15: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-06-07.

The Withlacoochee River water level was too low for our original plan to launch the WWALS jonboat from Troupville Boat Ramp, around the Little River Confluence and up the Withlacoochee River.

So we put a WWALS canoe in at the railroad trestle downstream from Sugar Creek, and paddled downstream.

The goal was the same: to remove deadfalls and debris to permit passage of canoes, kayaks, and jon boats.

See: WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat 2026-03-23.

https://wwals.net/?p=69810

[Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek, 2026-03-21]
Pictures: Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek, 2026-03-21

Next: join us tomorrow, 9 AM, Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Langdale Park Boat Ramp. We will paddle upstream and down with chainsaws, and Trails4Valdosta will walk along the riverbank.

https://wwals.net/?p=69784

Here are some video clips from March 21:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/25692852150393984/

https://youtu.be/92fO_L0lRfU

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWckvF_CLWB/ Continue reading →

WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat 2026-03-23

We aim to clear a wide and deep enough passage for canoes, kayaks, and jon boats. Sometimes we will clear more if it’s obviously going to just fall back into the passage, or if it will be a problem at a different water level. But we remove only what we must.

We leave most of the rest as habitat for fish, turtles, otters, birds, and other wildlife. Shade, eddies, pools, and general variation in river flow result; all good for wildlife. You may notice that experienced fishers often cast near woody debris for this reason.

[WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat, 2026-03-23]
WWALS Chainsaw Cleanups clear passage, leaving habitat, 2026-03-23

As a reminder, to join WWALS on any river outing you must listen to the safety lecture and sign the insurance waiver. Every person in a boat, no matter their age or size or experience, must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD).

Here are more than 50 examples of WWALS chainsaw cleanups:

https://wwals.net/outings/chainsaw-cleanups/

You can see plenty of habitat beyond where TJ is sawing in this picture. Continue reading →

OK Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

Update 2026-03-27: Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-03-26.

Sugar Creek is dirty again, but not as filthy as last week, according to a WWALS Tuesday sample. So was Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road, also for Tuesday.

For the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta Utilities for Monday got very filthy with E. coli at GA 133, but clean at US 84.

WWALS got clean downstream at Holly Point for Tuesday, and clean upstream at Hagan Bridge for Thursday, also on the Withlacoochee River. And clean for Thursday on the Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp, just above the Withlacoochee.

The Santa Fe River tested clean for Thursday, and the Alapaha River tested OK for Saturday.

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

So chances are the contamination from the big rain of Monday has been diluted. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

Come join us tomorrow, Saturday, for a Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Upstream from Troupville 2026-03-21. You do not have to use a saw. You can pull trimmed branches aside, pick up trash, photograph, or just paddle along.

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

[OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19]
OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

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. Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-03-12

Sugar Creek is filthy again, according to a WWALS sample of Thursday.

All the Withlacoochee River results we have are clean, but the most recent are from Monday, so we don’t know what conditions are like now.

The Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean for Thursday samples.

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

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, but I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River downstream from Sugar Creek.

Come join us today, Saturday, at the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival 2026-03-14, in Drexel Park, on One Mile Branch, in Valdosta, Georgia.

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

[Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown]
Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown

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. Continue reading →