Category Archives: Springs

Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River 2026-08-26 Clean Santa Fe River 2026-08-27

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Something is wrong with Sugar Creek that is hard to explain by first flush, yet no sewage spills have been found.

WWALS tested Sugar Creek filthy Saturday and Wednesday at the WaterGoat. Valdosta Utilities corroborated that for Wednesday at Gornto Road. Upstream on Hightower Creek at Gornto Road, Valdosta Utilities got too high for Monday, and way-too high for Wednesday, matching WWALS the result for that site. Valdosta also got too high for Wednesday on One Mile Branch at West Gordon Street, but not nearly as high as on Hightower Branch. More on all that below.

Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities got OK results for the Withlacoochee River upstream at US 41 (North Valdosta Road) and downstream at GA 133 and US 84. WWALS got clean results at Holly Point, only four miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

And WWALS got clean Thursday results for the Santa Fe River.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

So according to the results we have, avoid Sugar Creek and its tributaries One Mile Branch and Hightower Creek. But on the rivers, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, if you can avoid the rains.

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

[Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-08-26, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-08-27]
Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-08-26, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-08-27

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 →

Six Songs of the Suwannee Basin 2026-08-27

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Hahira, Georgia, August 27, 2026 — We got six fine songs about the crystal clear Ichetucknee River spring water with its wild turkey and deer flowing into the Santa Fe, and about the dark blackwater of the Suwannee River, with its gators, herons, ghosts, and memories.

“So fine, the organizing committee decided you can hear all six next month at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, in WWALS River Revue” said Sara Squires Jones, Chair of the organizing Committee.

That’s 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club, in Lake Park, Georgia.

[Six Songs: Bear and Robert, Saylor Dollar, Tom Brown, Sweet William Ennis, KC Nayfield, Robert Thatcher]
Six Songs: Bear and Robert, Saylor Dollar, Tom Brown, Sweet William Ennis, KC Nayfield, Robert Thatcher

“Before you hear the songwriters, you get a sit-down dinner with cash bar, two speakers, and a headliner, plus a silent auction,” said WWALS Board president Gee Edwards.

Read all about it here:

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

“Your ticket or sponsorship or silent auction item helps with the advocacy and activities of WWALS,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

What happens when you cross a folkie with a bluesman? You get Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-08-19

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Update 2026-08-28: Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Santa Fe River 2026-08-27.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean this week.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia, but there was an update on the August 5 Tifton spill.

So according to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, if you can avoid the rains.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, No new sewage spills, Happy paddling 2026-08-19]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, No new sewage spills, Happy paddling 2026-08-19

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 →

Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest on Scott James radio 2026-08-13

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Last call, songwriters, tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, 2026:

https://forms.gle/fihLNVC2xbD1SXBB6

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman discussed the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest last Thursday at the Mayor’s day job, the radio show he owns and hosts on talk921.fm.

Songs can be about any waterbody in the 10,000-square mile Suwannee River Basin or Estuary in Georgia or Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, or Suwannee Rivers, or the Okefenokee Swamp, or any other river, creek, swamp, or sink. Plus underground waters such as the Floridan Aquifer.

Songwriters can be from anywhere; they come from as far as Tennessee and south Florida.

[Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest by August 19, on Scott James radio, Finalists play September 12, 2026]
Songs for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest by August 19, on Scott James radio, Finalists play September 12, 2026

Here are WWALS videos from that radio show:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2118859655696045

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcL-5a7I2nc/

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSTFinxTNQsw&si=u4CDRXlSjW5tCIl6

Once we get those last few songs from the procrastinating songwriters, the organizing committee will select Finalists.

The Finalists will play at WWALS River Revue, 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club in Lake Park, Georgia, on Long Pond.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

When you buy a ticket, you get to hear them along with the three judges, who will select the winners.

And you get a sit-down dinner with cash bar, Headliner Joe First, who is last year’s winner, and two speakers:

  • Amy Sharma of Science for Georgia, talking about hyper-scale AI datacenters.
  • Rick Davis, Chair of the dozen-county Florida Task Force, talking about Water First North Florida (WFNF), the currently-hibernating scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee Basin.

Plus a silent auction! Continue reading →

Florida Governor Candidates: Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

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Here’s what six people running for Florida Governor have to say about clean water. The other candidates did not respond.

We got a variety of answers about WFNF, desalination, potable reuse, WMDs, datacenters, and RTCW. For what these candidates wrote about those and other issues, see below.

[Florida Governor Candidates, Clean Water Questionnaire, WFNF, Datacenters, WMDs, etc. --WWALS 2026-08-17]
Florida Governor Candidates, Clean Water Questionnaire, WFNF, Datacenters, WMDs, etc. –WWALS 2026-08-17

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from statehouse District 9 and District 10, and also U.S. Congress Florida District 2.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

Primary Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18. Continue reading →

Florida U.S. House District 3: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

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Update 2026-08-17: Florida Governor Candidates: Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17.

Here’s what some of those running for U.S. Congress from Florida District 3 have to say about clean water: Troy Albers and Seth Harp.

Kat Cammack (the incumbent), Georgia Hubac, Mike Klein, and Tom Wells did not respond.

FL-03 covers Hamilton, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Alachua, Gilchrist, Suwannee, (most of ) Lafayette, Dixie, Levy, Counties, and part of Marion County. That’s almost all of the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, except not Madison County.

[Florida U.S. House District 3, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire --WWALS 2026-08-17]
Florida U.S. House District 3, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from statehouse District 9 and District 10.

In FL-03 also WFNF is not popular, WMDs in their current form are problematical, hyper-scale AI datacenters are looked upon ascance, and these candidates support RTCW. For these candidates’ answers to those and other questions, see below.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

Primary Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18.

Our source for who is running is Continue reading →

Black Creek treated waste creek water pipeline broke after less than a week 2026-08-11

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Update 2026-08-15: It’s treated creek water, not human wastewater.

It broke four days after SJRWMD bragged about it working: the Black Creek treated waste creek water pipeline into Alligator Creek.

This is the prototype for the 60+-mile Water First North Florida (WFNF) pipeline from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

We should trust SJRWMD and JEA to build a pipeline?

There’s an election going on. No candidate seems to want to support WFNF.

WWALS sent a clean water questionnaire to all Florida candidates for office. It also got answers on many other water topics. Some of those answers may help you choose who to vote for.

Here are the answers from Statehouse District 9:

https://wwals.net/?p=70813

And the answers from Statehouse District 10:

https://wwals.net/?p=70829

[Black Creek treated creek water pipeline broke 2026-08-11, after less than a week, Prototype for WFNF]
Black Creek treated creek water pipeline broke 2026-08-11, after less than a week, Prototype for WFNF

WCJB Staff, WCJB, August 11, 2026, Pipe burst, eroded underneath State Road 21 in Clay County, lanes blocked,

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. (WCJB) – The Black Creek pipeline burst and eroded underneath State Road 21 between State Road 16 and Sharron Road in Clay County Tuesday morning.

Clay County Fire Rescue officials say the pumps that supply the water are secured. State Road 21 is currently down to one lane.

Fire rescue officials are at the scene and FDOT officials are mobilizing to repair the damage. Officials say there are no injuries or accidents at this time.

Continue reading →

Florida State House District 10: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-04

Update 2026-08-17: Florida U.S. House District 3: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-17.

Update 2026-08-05: Now with a response from Marshall Rawson, added to the responses from June by Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Chase Brannan, and James Hunter Batley’s response that he dropped out of the race.

Here’s what those running for Florida State Representative District 10 have to say about clean water: Chase Brannan and Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson. Marshall Rawson did not respond, and James Hunter Batley dropped out of the race.

District 10 covers Columbia, Baker, Union, and Bradford Counties, and part of Alachua County.

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

We already reported responses from District 9 candidates yesterday.

In District 10 also WFNF is not popular, WMDs in their current form are problematical, hyper-scale AI datacenters are looked upon ascance, and RTCW needs more education. For these candidates’ answers to those and other questions, see below.

For much more about Water First North Florida (WFNF), see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

[Florida State House District 10, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS]
Florida State House District 10, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS

Early voting for the primary starts this Saturday August 8, and Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, so we will be reporting answers for more districts whether all the candidates respond or not.

Our source for who is running is the Florida Department of State Candidate Tracking System.

https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/Index.asp

As an IRS 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, WWALS cannot support or oppose any specific candidate for office. But we can ask all candidates in a race what they think, and publish the results. Continue reading →

Florida State House District 9: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-03

Update 2026-08-04: Florida State House District 10: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-04.

Here’s what candidates have to say about clean water, those running for Florida State Representative District 9: Allison Tant, Jibri Knight, and Tracy Robinson.

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is conducting a Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire: #WWALSCleanWaterQuestionnaire

So far we have responses from all the candidates for this district, so that’s what we are reporting today.

If you are a candidate for state or national office in Florida this year, in the Suwannee River Basin, we sent you a questionnaire. If you didn’t get it, please let us know.

https://wwals.net/donations/contact/

[Florida State House District 9, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS 2026-08-03]
Florida State House District 9, Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire, by WWALS 2026-08-03

Thus far, Water First North Florida (WFNF) does not seem popular among candidates.

https://wwals.net/issues/wnf

Nor does the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) in its current form.

Hyper-scale datacenters the candidates think at least need many constraints.

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

Right to Clean Water (RTCW) apparently needs more education of candidates.

https://wwals.net/issues/right-to-clean-water/

These candidates do favor having the State of Florida water quality testing all rivers.

https://wwals.net/issues/testing

Early voting for the primary starts this Saturday August 8, and Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, so we will be reporting answers for more districts whether all the candidates respond or not.

Our source for who is running is the Florida Department of State Candidate Tracking System.

https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/Index.asp

State Representative District 9

Includes Madison County and parts of Jefferson and Leon Counties.

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29

Update 2026-08-07: Clean Withlacoochee, Little, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-08-05.

Update 2026-08-06: Clay silt runoff down St. Augustine Road to Withlacoochee River 2026-08-03.

Update 2026-08-03: Florida State House District 9: Political Candidate Clean Water Questionnaire –WWALS 2026-08-03.

The Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers again tested clean for E. coli in the results we have for this week. So did Poe Springs, but with much algae.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating, before the rains starting tomorrow afternoon.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers and Poe Springs, but algae 2026-07-29

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 →