Happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend!
![[Green Swim Guide and test results]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-10-08--wq/many.jpg)
Green Swim Guide and test results
The opposite of last week’s advisory, this week all testers show quite clean results up and down the Withlacoochee River, and at Cook County Boat Ramp on the Little River, too. Continue reading
Update 2020-10-16: Ashburn spilled sewage three times in September 2020-09-27
It was harsh, but it went by fast. Except there seem to have been at least two sources of contamination.
The Health Advisory has been lifted for the Withlacoochee River, and I’ve set all the Withlacoochee “beaches” green again on Swim Guide.
![[Lifted, Green on Swim Guide, Sources]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-10-05--wq/many.jpg)
Lifted, Green on Swim Guide, Sources
The contamination that reached the GA-FL line on October 1st appears to have started from Continue reading
Steve Nichols and Suwannee Riverkeeper will ask again: does anybody want to drink dirty water? That’s 8:30 AM tomorrow, October 6, 2020, on 105.9 FM WVGA. In addition to water quality testing, we’ll also discuss the big cleanup coming up this Saturday on three rivers and many creeks, and the Third Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia into Florida and back. Plus some other outings.
![[Water Quality Testing]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-08-18--suwrk-steve-nichols-radio/5testing.jpg)
Water Quality Testing 2020-08-18
The top rated morning talk show in south Georgia, Steve Nichols offers both sides of every story from Berrien County to the Beltway, and everywhere in between.
You can listen at 105.9 FM, on the WVGA Live apps, through ValdostaToday.com (link on front page), on Alexa devices, or you can stream in-studio video at the official Morning Drive Facebook page.
When: 8:30 AM, Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Where: 105.9 FM WVGA (see above for how to listen)
Event: facebook
Thanks to Steve Nichols for helping promote the Third Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, which went very well.
On Saturday, October 10, 2020, in conjunction with Lowndes County,
WWALS will be doing a three-location cleanup at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River, on Sugar Creek down to the Withlacoochee River, and at Naylor Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, plus Valdosta is organizing several creek cleanups.
https://wwals.net/?p=53557
![[Flyer: Cleanup on three rivers, many creeks]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-10-10--tri-river-cleanup/trioflyer.jpg)
Flyer: Cleanup on three rivers, many creeks
On Saturday, October 24, 2020, there’s the Third Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia into Florida and back.
Tickets to the WWALS Boomerang are
$20 online through Ocotber 15,
then $30 at the event.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wwals-boomerang-paddle-race-2020-tickets-118844038719?aff=efbeventtix
For much more, follow this link: wwals.net/pictures/2020-10-24–boomerang/ Continue reading
Update 2020-10-02: Health Advisory, Withlacoochee River, State Line 2020-10-02.
Mostly all clear on the Withlacoochee River in a bunch of data Valdosta and FDEP posted recently, except a bad reading at Knights Ferry Friday a week ago, and yet again a problem at GA 133 this past Monday.
The latest (Wednesday by Valdosta and Thursday by Madison Health) indicates good quality for this weekend. Since there has been hardly any rain to wash anything into the river, all the WWALS Withlacoochee River “beaches” remain green on Swim Guide.
Happy boating, so far as we can see!
Valdosta’s new data goes back two and a half weeks downstream, and FDEP filled in Tuesday a week ago as well as this Tuesday and Thursday.
That long chart is hard to read, so let’s take it a week at a time. Continue reading
Update 2020-09-22: Bad far upstream and far downstream: Withlacoochee, Clyatt Mill Creek, Suwannee, Santa Fe 2020-09-21
On the Withlacoochee River, for yesterday (Thursday, September 17, 2020), WWALS testers Michael and Jacob Bachrach got excellent results at Knights Ferry, Nankin, and State Line Boat Ramps, and Madison Health got good results at the GA-FL line and at the usual two places in Florida (CR 150 and FL 6).
Valdosta has reported good results upstream for Monday and Wednesday for US 41 and US 84. Not so good on Fecal coliform at GA 133 Wednesday, but still acceptable on E. coli.
So all the WWALS Withlacoochee River “beaches” remain green on Swim Guide. Happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend, so far as we know! Do be aware there was significant rain upstream, which could wash things into the rivers.
Not so good news at the bottom of the Suwannee River. The town of Suwannee, Florida, had a sewage spill. But there’s good news even for that: it was tiny (25-50 gallons) and did not last long.
Thanks to FDEP for the email alert for the Pollution Notice below, received at 10:10 AM this morning.
Hurricane Sally did not cause any other Continue reading
Update 2020-09-16: Bad lower Suwannee, good Withlacoochee and Alapaha 2020-09-14.
Results look good from the Alapaha River Saturday, at Berrien Beach and Lakeland Boat Ramp. Florida Thursday Withlacoochee River results corroborate the WWALS State Line results of that same Thursday we reported last time, and extend them downstream into Florida, also good.
However, more than half an inch of rain fell on Okapilco Creek Thursday, 0.75″ at Spence Field east of Moultrie, and also 0.6″ at Dixie in the west of Brooks County. Is that enough to wash some manure into the creek? We shall see.
![[Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers]](/pictures/2020-09-12--wq/rivers.jpg)
Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers
After the Berrien Beach Boat Ramp (and Beach) cleanup, I collected a sample at Continue reading
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
![[Charts and map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-09-24--wq/many.jpg)
![[Chart and Map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-09-17--wq/many.jpg)
![[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)