Category Archives: GA-EPD

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26

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Update 2025-04-01: Clean Little & Withlacoochee Rivers, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-01.

It’s a good weekend for boating, paddling, fishing, or swimming.

Water quality results are good.

No sewage spills have been reported in the past week.

No rain is predicted until Sunday, probably in the afternoon.

Avoid the water still too high at Fargo on the Suwannee River and at the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers near their Confluence.

Other than that, happy rivers to you!

Join us next weekend for Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-04-05.
https://wwals.net/?p=66991

Or come help prevent privatization of Florida State Parks one of the many Florida State Parks Love Fests at the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers:
https://wwals.net/?p=67329

For these and other WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

[Clean Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26, No sewage spills reported, No rain until Sunday]
Clean Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26, No sewage spills reported, No rain until Sunday

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River water and groundwater interchange interacts with drinking water treatment 2025-03-26

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We all drink with straws from the groundwater here in the U.S. southeast coastal plain.

[River water and groundwater interchange interacts with drinking water treatment in Georgia and Florida]
River water and groundwater interchange interacts with drinking water treatment in Georgia and Florida

So surface water interchange with groundwater produces problems for city and county drinking water treatment, and for E. coli contamination of private water wells. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19

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Update 2025-03-29: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26.

It’s a good weekend for boating, if you are experienced and like water high and fast.

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good water quality results both upstream and downstream of Sugar Creek for Wednesday, and there has only been a sprinkle of rain since.

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The Withlacoochee River at Pinetta is too high to paddle, as is the Suwannee at Fargo and the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers near where they join.

Avoid those spots, and happy high and fast water fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating this weekend.

If you are experienced, join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Expert paddle with jon boats: Troupville to Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River.

The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle has been rescheduled to April 19th.

For these and other WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

[Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend]
Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend

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Walkaround Quitman large sewage settling pond 2022-07-26

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These pictures of Quitman’s large sewage settling pond appear to show evidence of recent sewage runoff from these ponds, as well as holes in the fence and a rather rotted pier. They were taken Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Water quality testing downstream the day before indicates something contaminated Okapilco Creek and the Withlacoochee River downstream after rains a day before that.

For months I have been asking for a tour of Quitman’s sewage facilities to see if conditions have improved.

[Quitman sewage settling ponds: Spills? 2025-07-26, None reported, WQ monitoring says maybe]
Quitman sewage settling ponds: Spills? 2025-07-26, None reported, WQ monitoring says maybe

On the preceding Sunday, July 24, 2022, there had been more than an inch of rain on Quitman. I find no Quitman reports for July 2022 in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

Yet Valdosta’s water quality monitoring for that Monday got 1,000 cfu/100 mL E. coli for Okapilco Creek at US 84 (US 221), which is downstream of those Quitman settling ponds and upstream of the nearest dairy. Valdosta got worse on the Withlacoochee River downstream of Okapilco Creek at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp: 2,700. Continue reading →

Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12

Update 2025-03-21: 2025-03-21: Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19.

Avoid the Withlacoochee River this weekend, and perhaps beyond.

Valdosta Utilities got too-high E. coli at GA 133 and US 84, and WWALS tester Russ Tatum also got too high at Holly Point, down near the Suwannee River, all for Wednesday.

[Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12, More rain coming 2025-03-15, First Flush, Avoid the rivers]
Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12, More rain coming 2025-03-15, First Flush, Avoid the rivers

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

The big rain Sunday probably did first flush, which means it washed the woods the wildlife had been using as a latrine. And I’d bet it washed some remaining sewage residue out of Sugar Creek. The bypass is operational, but lots of sewage spilled in there before the bypass.

Whatever the cause, the Withlacoochee River is dirty. And more thunderstorms are coming this Sunday.

Also the Withlacoochee is way too high to paddle above the Little River Confluence, and also downstream at Pinetta. The Santa Fe River is too high in spots, as well.

If you want to go fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating, avoid the Withlacoochee River and much of the Santa Fe River. Try the Alapaha River or the Suwannee River.

Join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22. Continue reading →

Pictures: Georgia House Committee meeting on Okefenokee Bills 2025-03-03

Numerous people spoke to support the Okefenokee Swamp against mining too near it, about two bills before a subcommittee of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee (GA HNRE), on March 3, 2025.

[Speakers on Okefenokee Bills, GA HNRE Comm. 2025-03-03, No action by Crossover Day, But already introduced for 2026]
Speakers on Okefenokee Bills, GA HNRE Comm. 2025-03-03, No action by Crossover Day, But already introduced for 2026

Unfortunately, that was just a hearing, and the Committee did not vote on those bills in any later meeting, either. Which means they did not get a chance for a vote by the full House before Crossover Day. Crossover Day was Thursday, March 6, 2025, after which any bills that passed in one house crossed over to the other house for their consideration.

The good news is that it is a two-year session, so these bills are already introduced for next year: HB 561 and HB 562. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06

Update 2025-03-14: Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12.

For the Withlacoochee River this week, WWALS got good results upstream and down, and Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. Chances are that the previous sewage spill has washed out, although more testing would be good.

WWALS got excellent results for the Alapaha River at Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia.

Saturday is supposed to be mostly rainless, before thunderstorms Sunday. River levels are good.

So happy fishing, swimming, paddling, and boating Saturday!

[Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06]
Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06

Join us tomorrow for the Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08
https://wwals.net/?p=67153

Or come on down to the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08.
https://wwals.net/?p=67089

And Saturday week join us for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

Continue reading →

Modifications, Spectrum Energy pellet mill permit application, Adel, Cook County, GA 2025-03-05

Spectrum Energy has gotten some modifications to its pellet mill Air Quality application, partly due to comments during previous comment periods.

This latest comment period expires April 7, 2025.

[Modifications, Spectrum Energy pellet mill permit application, Adel, Cook County, GA @ GA-EPD 2025-03-05]
Modifications, Spectrum Energy pellet mill permit application, Adel, Cook County, GA @ GA-EPD 2025-03-05

NOTICE OF DRAFT SYNTHETIC MINOR AND SIP OPERATING PERMITS AND PERMIT MODIFICATIONS

GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION

AIR PROTECTION BRANCH

4244 INTERNATIONAL PARKWAY, SUITE 120, ATLANTA, GA 30354

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division announces its intent to issue initial Synthetic Minor Operating Permits, Synthetic Minor Modifications, and Major Source SIP Permits for the following facilities. The deadlines for submitting comments are specified for each facility.

MAJOR SOURCE SIP PERMITS

COOK COUNTY

Facility Name: Spectrum Energy Georgia, LLC

Application No: 29318

Facility Address: 801 Cook Street, Adel, 31620

EPD Notice Type: Proposed Permit

Description of Operation: Pellet Mill

Reason for Application: To construct and operate a greenfield wood pellet manufacturing facility. This application is a consolidated, smaller-scope version of the facility’s previous E-permit application.

Comment period expires on: April 07, 2025

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Continue reading →

Ashburn spill locations and causes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26

Update 2025-03-07: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06.

After GA-EPD forgot to list sewage spill locations or causes for several days, we can finally see where and why Ashburn had its late-January and mid-February spills into Hat Creek, which runs to the Alapaha River.

Plus an amusing update on Pinehurst, which is outside the Suwannee River Basin.

[Ashburn spill locations and causes, in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-26]
Ashburn spill locations and causes

The locations are listed as different: “Rockhouse Rd. Lift Station” for the 2025-01-31 spill and “Rockhouse Rd and Sylvia Dr.” for the 2025-02-14 spill. But from time to time GA-EPD lists the latitude and longitude of spills, and these two have the same latlong: 31.691673, -83.632582.

That’s at this manhole at the corner of Rockhouse Road and Silvia Drive: Continue reading →

Georgia House Committee meeting on Okefenokee Bills Monday 1PM 2025-03-03

Monday at 1PM or after the House adjourns, the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee (HNRE) will meet to consider the two bills against mining near the Okefenokee Swamp.

This is the committee where previous bills have died. So this is a very important meeting. Please contact your Georgia Statehouse Representative.

Feel free to mention that many city councils and county commissions have passed resolutions supporting the Okefenokee Swamp against mining. And all the Riverkeepers of Georgia and Waterkeepers of Florida have written letters.
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/

Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends, relatives, and business associates to do the same. And you can contact those Representatives directly. Part of the Okefenokee Swamp is in Florida, and all of it is upstream from Florida, on the St. Marys River and the Suwannee River, of the Florida state song.

To find your legislator (and see below):
http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

[Georgia House Committee Meeting 2025-03-03 1 PM, on Okefenokee Bills, Natural Resources and the Environment]
Georgia House Committee Meeting 2025-03-03 1 PM, on Okefenokee Bills, Natural Resources and the Environment

These are the bills:

More about those bills here:
https://wwals.net/?p=67055 Continue reading →