Bobby McKenzie videoed in the rain: One Mile Branch backflowing upstream from Lakeland Avenue, with runoff under and beside the street carrying trash on past Fire Station No. 2 and under E Park Ave.
![[One Mile Branch and Fire Station No. 2]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-09--one-mile-branch-backflow/many.jpg)
One Mile Branch and Fire Station No. 2
All that rain no doubt scoured trash from all the yards and parking lots around into the creek. One Mile Branch continues down to Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.
Here’s the video. Continue reading
Update 2022-09-01: Videos: Intentional swimming, Suwannee River, Echols County, GA, 2022-03-05.
Swimming, tree climbing, lunching, and paddling on the first day of a Suwannee River camping trip.
Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for organizing, and to the landowners for permission to camp. Continue reading
Update 2022-12-14: Pictures: Barack Obama Blvd. @ Ricardo St. 2022-12-01.
“In Conjunction With Valdosta Block Club” has been pasted onto the Pepsi Adopt-A-Spot sign. Thanks to whoever did that.
In our previous episode, Continue reading
Update 2022-09-24: Rescheduled: Chainsaw Cleanup Withlacoochee River, 2022-10-16.
We need volunteers with boats to pick up trash while a few people chainsaw some deadfalls.
We aim to collect the trashjams we didn’t have room for last time, and to chainsaw the remaining Withlacoochee River deadfalls between Sugar Creek and the Little River Confluence. Then we’ll paddle up the Little River to take out at Troupville Boat Ramp.
Unlike last time, we’re scheduling seven hours for the shuttle, for chainsawing and trash collecting, and for the four-mile paddle. With luck, nobody will get stuck this time.
All dependent on the weather, of course. Could be hurricane season finally by then, or could be plenty low to make this easy.
When: 9 AM, Sunday, September 25, 2022
Put In: Meet at the back of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.
![[Trashjam, deadfall, chainsaws]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-09-25--chainsaw-withlacoochee/many.jpg)
Trashjam, deadfall, chainsaws,
2022-07-30; Photos: John S. Quarterman.
Update 2022-09-02: Good river water quality 2022-09-01.
WWALS got good water quality results downstream on the Withlacoochee River for Thursday, and good upstream results for the Withlacoochee, Little, and Alapaha Rivers. Valdosta’s Wednesday and Monday results concur. So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.
![[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-08-25]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-25--wq/many.jpg)
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide 2022-08-25
No new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. We did get an update on the Quitman spill of week before last; see below.
Of course, there was some heavy rainfall upstream in spots, and that could wash something into the river. But by the test results we have now, have a good time on the water. Continue reading
Hahira, GA, August 25, 2022 — WWALS and Georgia Power gathered at the Little River to discuss “a great partnership that works for everybody here” with Georgia Power again providing a grant for WWALS water quality testing.
“We want to say a giant thank-you to Georgia Power for funding our program,” said WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman. ”Our water quality program helps us to have clean water, so that when people come to use the river they know when it’s safe to swim or fish or go in their boats.”
“I want to thank y’all for what you do to keep our rivers clean, and make people aware of our wonderful natural resources,” said Joe Brownlee, Southwest Director, Georgia Power. “And help take care of those natural resources. It’s a great partnership that works for everybody here. We’re proud to be a part of it.”
“It’s really just Continue reading
Update 2023-09-26: ANNUAL REPORT, Lowndes County Impaired Streams Monitoring 2022-04-07.
After two years, Lowndes County has still not found sources of the fecal contamination in its streams. Maybe the testing methodology needs to be revised.
Fortunately, WWALS is covering part of what the county does not: WWALS is testing for E. coli after big rains on Cat Creek and Beatty Branch and multiple Withlacoochee, Little, and Alapaha River locations, and we are doing some DNA spot tests.
Fecal Coliform
Lowndes County has not identified any point sources within the drainage areas that can be attributed to the widespread exceedances. Based on the limited data collected to date, it is the opinion of Lowndes County that the cause of the exceedances is from natural conditions.
There are no DNA marker or chemical tracer results in the report. A few DNA tests would have given some indication of what species were producing the fecal contamination.
Also, the report includes no Continue reading
Update 2022-08-26: Good river water quality 2022-08-25.
All clear for fishing, swimming, and boating on the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers this weekend, according to the latest water quality results we have.
There hasn’t been enough rain to wash any significant contamination into the creeks and rivers, no, not even Okapilco Creek.
The only sewage spill in the past week we know of is the Valdosta one last Sunday near Sugar Creek on Meadowbrook Drive at Gornto Road. That one, like the other four Valdosta spills this summer, was probably too small and fixed too quickly to have any detectable effect on the Withlacoochee River. We still don’t know Continue reading
Update 2022-08-20: Videos: Suwannee Riverkeeper about Songwriting Contest on Scott James Radio 2022-08-18.
Thursday (tomorrow) at 8:30 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio, about the
Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, coming up this Saturday evening, 7-11 PM at the Turner Center Art Park in Valdosta, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-20–songwriting/
No doubt we’ll also talk about the trash situation and how you can help stop a strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp.
We may also talk about water quality testing, and who knows what else.
![[Movie: Sen. Ossoff got U.S. Army Corps to resume oversight of mine site next to Okefenokee Swamp]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-07-19--scott-james-radio-videos/MVI_0319-15-14-sen-ossoff-got-u-s-army-corps-to-resume-oversight-of-mine-site-next-to-okefenokee-swamp.jpg)
When: 8:30 AM, Thursday, August 18, 2022
Where:
Talk 92.1 FM radio, Scott James drivetime show
http://talk921.com/
Listen: Over the air, or through the radio show’s own website, or through any of several online listening services.
Event: facebook
For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading
Update 2022-08-28: Valdosta Block Club added to Pepsi sign at Barack Obama and Ricardo 2022-08-28.
Valdosta has replaced the Adopt-A-Spot sign at the corner of Barack Obama Blvd. and Ricardo Street. The sign looks much better now.
But it no longer mentions Valdosta Block Club. That’s the organization former City Council James Wright started to help with Adopt-A-Spot, which he also spearheaded. Valdosta Block Club was featured in his obituary. I guess that’s not important anymore. Continue reading
![[Paddling, Swimming, Camping]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-03-05--fargo-downstream-suwannee-river/many.jpg)
![[Old, new, improved]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-28--pepsi-sign-obama-blvd/many.jpg)
![[WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Georgia Power SW Director Joe Brownlee, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Georgia Power SREAM Don Hutchinson]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-12--gapower-wq-grant/still.jpg)
![[Map and graphs]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-04-07--loco-water-quality-report/many.jpg)
![[Chart, Rivers, Plates]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-18--wq/many.jpg)
![[Old and new sign]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-08-17--pepsi-adopt-a-spot-obama/many.jpg)