Update 2020-09-11: Withlacoochee River looks good; odd Suwannee River results 2020-09-10
Good to go, so far as we know, for boating, swimming, and fishing on the Withlacoochee River this weekend. And both Valdosta and Madison Health concur that last weekend was good.
WWALS testers Michael and Jacob Bachrach for Thursday, September 3, got Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, GA, August 31, 2020 — WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman zoomed into the annual Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Confluence conference on Saturday, August 29, 2020, so WWALS could receive the statewide Volunteer of the Year award while we were finishing the Twomile Branch Cleanup.
The award is for “Individual has gone beyond the call of duty to improve water quality and meet AAS goals.” We emphasized it was not just one volunteer, but many, in our one-minute award acceptance video. We also thanked Georgia Power again for a grant. We didn’t have time to mention we’re getting testing kits to WWALS testers in Florida, upcoming WWALS water quality testing training, and branching out to the Santa Fe River, but all that is in this post.
Testers shown in the video include Sara Jay, Scotti Jay, Suzy Hall, Alex Chesna, Bobby McKenzie, Jacob Bachrach, and Trudy Cole. Continue reading
Update 2020-09-01: Valdosta concurs last week, but not week before, Withlacoochee River 2020-08-28
The good news: all WWALS results for Thursday were good downstream on the Withlacoochee River, and for Tuesday from Madison Health. So as far as we can tell, happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend on the Withlacoochee River.
The bad news: something is still getting into the Withlacoochee River above GA 133, and it does not seem related to rainfall. This bad news has been going on too long. It really needs to be resolved for the Troupville River Park.
![[Good Troupville, Knights Ferry, Nankin, State Line Boat Ramps; bad GA 133]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-27--wq/many.jpg)
Good Troupville, Knights Ferry, Nankin, State Line Boat Ramps; bad GA 133
Thursday (yesterday) I sampled at Continue reading
Here is video of Steve Nichols and Suwannee Riverkeeper talking about the Songwriting Contest on the radio, last Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM, 105.9 FM WVGA.
Tickets to listen are available, $10 online or $12 at the door (children under 12 free).
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/third-annual-suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest-finals-tickets-110284875030
For VIP tables send email to song@suwanneeriverkeeper.org.
![[Radio, History, Waterworks, Georgia Beer Co.]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-18--suwrk-steve-nichols-radio/trio.jpg)
Radio, History, Waterworks, Georgia Beer Co.
The Contest Finals are this Saturday (tomorrow), 7-9 PM, August 22, 2020, at the Turner Center Art Park, 605 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia 31601.
Scott James of 92.1 FM will be the M.C. The headliner, Dirty Bird and the Flu, will play. Then each of the three judges will play. The finalists will play for the judges and you the audience. Somebody will win the $300 First Prize, and the other prizes.
![[First Prize, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-18--suwrk-steve-nichols-radio/20200820_135723.jpg)
First Prize, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Bring your own chairs and tables if you can. We will have some, but if you can bring your own, that will be great. There’s plenty of room to have tables spaced apart. We will be requiring masks when you go up to the WWALS information tables or close to others not in your group.
Food will be by Rico’s Tacos’ food truck. Drinks will be provided by the Pour House.
For much more, follow this link: https://wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-22–songwriting/
Steve Nichols and I also talked about Why care about the waters?, WWALS Cleanups and Outings, Water Quality Testing, Masks at the Contest, and Georgia Beer Company, Top Tier Sponsor.
Video at 3:33. Steve Nichols asked why I was so involved in this water stuff.
A century ago, my grandfather Continue reading
The first of three radio interviews yesterday about the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest was at 7:30 AM on the Scott James show, 92.1 FM.
Scott James will be the M.C. of the Contest, which is this Saturday, 7-9 PM, August 22, 2020, at the Turner Center Art Park, 605 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia 31601.
Tickets to listen are available, $10 online or $12 at the door (children under 12 free).
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/third-annual-suwannee-riverkeeper-songwriting-contest-finals-tickets-110284875030
For VIP tables send email to song@suwanneeriverkeeper.org.
I’m pretty sure M.C. Scott James promised to keep the weather fine this Saturday evening. We will have a couple of tents for the M.C. and the judges.
After Scott James and I talked about that, I asked, “Please bring your own chairs and tables. We will have some, but if you can bring your own, that’s great.”
There’s more below about the Songwriting Contest, about Masks and Distance, and about Georgia Beer Company, Top Tier Sponsor.
We also talked about Current Situation of Water Quality Testing, Suwannee River Basin 2020-08-02, WWALS Summary of FDEP chemical and biological tracers, Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers 2020-08-05, and Troupville River Park, Outings: bike and paddle, full moons, and cleanups. Continue reading
Here are the chemical tracer and DNA marker test results by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) that WWALS has frequently mentioned, for example in Current Situation of Water Quality Testing, Suwannee River Basin 2020-08-02.
Below, please also find a summary of those results by WWALS Science Committee Chair Dr. Thomas Potter.
![[Human and Ruminant DNA markers]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-05--fdep-data/big/hr3.jpg)
Human and Ruminant DNA markers
Thanks to Katrina Yancey of FDEP for sending the data, and for acknowledging that FDEP has no objection to WWALS publishing it. I asked FDEP for whatever they wanted to include, and this is what they sent:
“Thank you for asking, we recently set up our new site so it may be helpful to state that more information may be found at DEP’s webpage for the Suwannee River Basin Sampling Locations (https://floridadep.gov/dear/watershed-monitoring-section/content/suwannee-river-basin-sampling-locations).”
The actual data is on the WWALS website.
Dr. Thomas Potter, WWALS Science Committee Chair
After Continue reading
Update 2020-08-18: Good upstream water quality, Little, Withlacoochee, Okapilco, worst Crooked Creek @ 2020-08-16
The Withlacoochee River looks good for boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend, according to the latest water quality testing results, despite a contamination incident earlier this week.
More than an inch of rain at Moultrie Monday washed E. coli down Okapilco River (as they call it in Colquitt County) and Wednesday Valdosta got very bad 2,800 cfu/100 mL E. coli on Okapilco Creek @ US 84 in Brooks County, and bad 400 on the Withlacoochee River @ Knights Ferry Boat Ramp in Lowndes County. See What do these numbers mean?
Yet downstream at Nankin Boat Ramp and State Line was good Wednesday according to Valdosta, and also good Tuesday and Thursday at State Line, CR 150, and FL 6 according to Madison Health, in data updated online by FDEP early afternoon Friday. WWALS testers Michael and Jacob Bachrach also got very good results Thursday at Knights Ferry and State Line.
![[2020-08-10-14--betterdown]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-13--wq/2020-08-10-14--betterdown.jpg)
2020-08-10-14–betterdown
For context and the complete WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida bacterial test results and rainfall, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/.
So I’ve marked all Withlacoochee River “beaches” green on Swim Guide.
However, once again there was heavy rain at Moultrie, this time on Friday, so don’t be surprised if E. coli shows up on Monday or even Saturday on Okapilco Creek @ US 84 or Withlacoochee River @ Knights Ferry.
Meanwhile, heavy rains at Tifton way upstream on the Little River should be Continue reading
Update 2020-08-08: WWALS concurs, good to boat, Withlacoochee River 2020-08-06.
The good news: all green for boating, fishing, swimming, etc. from Cook County Boat Ramp on the Little River @ GA 76 and on the Withlacoochee River from US 41 through the GA-FL line past Madison Blue Spring. Thanks to Madison Health and the City of Valdosta for testing, and to WWALS testers Trudy and Conn Cole for finding zero E. coli on the Little River @ GA 76 (Cook County Boat Ramp).
The bad news: last Friday, again there was massive fecal bacterial contamination in the Withlacoochee River @ GA 133, far higher than the 410 cfu/100 mL single-test limit and twice the 1,000 alert limit. See also What do these numbers mean?.
The better news: a usually reliable source tells me that GA-EPD has found the culprit and is dealing with it. And the culprit was not governmental; it was a private company. More on that when I know more.
It’s really strange that such a high concentration of fecal bacteria at GA 133 did not show up downstream. Where did it come from? It’s not runoff: there was no rain, except way up at Skipper Bridge, which should have showed runoff contamination at US 41 before GA 133 if that was the source.
It’s not Valdosta or Lowndes County: they had no spills.
It’s almost like somebody dumped some septic tank or RV liquids into the river. Continue reading
People mostly don’t know about all the additional testing, nor the cows, nor the new Consent Order on Valdosta.
Even if you’ve been following the Withlacoochee River water quality situation, some of what has happened and has been discovered is probably not obvious. Here is an attempt to describe the current situation, many of the people and organizations involved, and some things you can do to help. See also printable PDF.
![[Page 01]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-02--wq-situation/2020-08-02--WWALS-Water-Quality-Situation-0001.jpg)
August 2, 2020
To: Potential Partners in helping clean up the Withlacoochee River
Re: Current Situation of Water Quality Testing, Suwannee River Basin
Dear Potential Partner,
Trudy Cole wrote about water quality testing for WWALS:
“We do this so not just our grandchildren,
but your grandchildren have clean water to drink, fish, and swim in.“Clean water, it’s not just important,
it is vital.”
We’ve never found anyone who wants to swim, boat, or fish in dirty water, much less drink it. Continue reading
Update 2020-08-07: GA 133 Friday bad again? But good everywhere else, Withlacoochee River 2020-08-06.
Where is that E. coli going once it crosses the state line on the Withlacoochee River?
We don’t know, but at 4:39 PM Friday FDEP updated its online spreadsheet to contain very good results for Thursday at GA 31 (State Line), CR 150 (Sullivan Launch), and FL 6 (just above Madison Blue Spring).
Accordingly, we have set all the Florida “beaches” green on Swim Guide.
Knights Ferry and Nankin Boat Ramps remain red.
![[How green in Florida?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-07-30--wq/2020-07-27-31--weirddown.jpg)
How green in Florida?
For the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida results, and further context, see https://wwals.net/issues/testing/.
Thanks to Madison Health for continuing to test downstream in Florida.
What’s happening farther downstream on the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers? We don’t know: nobody is testing down there.
Floridians: maybe you’d like to ask your statehouse elected officials to fund FDEP to implement regular river testing all the way from the state line to the Gulf. If Valdosta can do it, the great state of Florida can do it. For that matter, FDEP told us last November that they already had money for that and were allocating it regionally. Maybe you’d like to ask FDEP to allocate some of it to the Suwannee River Basin.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
![[Chart, Plates, Swim Guide]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-09-03--wq/trio.jpg)
![[Award and Cleanup]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-07-29--wwals-aas-volunteers/award-cleanup.jpg)
![[Chart and Map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-13--wq/chartmap.jpg)
![[Map: All green on Swim Guide]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-06--wq/big/map-swim-guide-green.jpg)
![[Swim Guide green for Florida]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-07-30--wq/map-swim-guide.jpg)