Category Archives: VWW

Clean Alapaha River 2025-04-20, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-22, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-04-23

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Sugar Creek was filthy again this week. Something is not right near the old spill site. And there was no rain to cause this extremely high result from Valdosta Utilities.

Two Tifton Creeks, the Withlacoochee River, and the Alapaha River were clean.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida, although somebody spilled 50 gallons of diesel fuel at the I-75 mile 449 Hamilton County Agricultural Inspection Station in White Springs on Wednesday.

No rain is predicted until Monday at the earliest.

The rivers are all down to boatable levels. The top of the Santa Fe River at Graham is now too low.

So avoid Sugar Creek, and happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Alapaha River 2025-04-20, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-22, Clean Withlacoochee River, Mostly Clean Tifton Creeks 2025-04-21]
Clean Alapaha River 2025-04-20, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-22, Clean Withlacoochee River, Mostly Clean Tifton Creeks 2025-04-21

Join us tomorrow on-land for Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26.
https://wwals.net/?p=67224

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

Sugar Creek

Valdosta Utilities got 375 cfu/100 mL E. coli for Tuesday at Baytree Road on Sugar Creek. That’s below the 410 one-time test limit.

But downstream of the former sewage spill, at Gornto Road, they got TNTC, which is Too Numerous to Count, as in far above the 1,000 alert limit. Continue reading →

Clean Rivers and most creeks; dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16

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Update 2025-04-25: Clean Alapaha River 2025-04-20, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-22, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-04-23.

Sugar Creek was not as clean this week.

But two Tifton Creeks and Franks Creek were clean.

As were the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers.

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

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

The rivers are all down to boatable levels, even Santa Fe River.

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-16, Clean Tifton & Franks Creeks, Dirty Sugar Creek]
Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-16, Clean Tifton & Franks Creeks, Dirty Sugar Creek

Join us tomorrow for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River, with a surprise route change.
https://wwals.net/?p=67456

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

Little River

WWALS Tester Samantha Carr tested two Tifton Creeks that run into the Little River and got clean results. Continue reading →

Reroute: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

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Same date, slight reroute: Sugar Creek to Troupville.

Please be at the bottom of the Bertas Kitchen parking lot by 8AM so we can try to be on the water by 9AM.

Join us for a leisurely paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the Withlacoochee River.

[Chairman and Mayor's Paddle, Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River, 8 AM, April 19, 2025]
Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Sugar Creek to Troupville, Withlacoochee River, 8 AM, April 19, 2025

Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for shuttle vans.
Thanks to Valdosta Boys & Girls Club for bringing youth and boats to paddle.

Thanks to Steve Miller for bringing a golf cart to help put in and take out.
Thanks to Gee Edwards for leading this expedition, Phil Royce for being sweep, and to Phil Hubbard and Phil Royce for chainsawing the route.

When: Gather 8 AM, shuttle ASAP, launch 9 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, April 19, 2025

Put In: Salty Corner Landing, at the bottom of the parking lot for Bertas Pizza Kitchen, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.8625, -83.31875 Continue reading →

Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09; Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

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Update 2025-04-18: Clean Rivers and most creeks; dirty Sugar Creek 2025-04-16.

Drum roll, please!

The long-awaited, yet unexpected: clean Sugar Creek!

Even after the rain Monday.

Also the Little River was clean upstream and down, and the Withlacoochee River was clean near Valdosta.

But downstream the Withlacoochee River was dirty. Makes me wonder what happened in Quitman?

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

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

The rivers are still down to boatable levels (except for the Santa Fe at the Ichetucknee River Confluence).

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Clean upstream but Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10]
Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Clean upstream but Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10

Continue reading →

Pictures: Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville 2025-04-09

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Update 2025-04-15: Pictures: Last Mile, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-13.

Update 2025-04-14: Videos.

Yesterday Phil Hubbard and I found and dealt with two big new deadfalls on the Withlacoochee River near the Little River Confluence.

[Two new Deadfalls, Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, April 9, 2025]
Two new Deadfalls, Withlacoochee Upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, April 9, 2025

Phil also tried to match my record for getting a saw stuck in a river. But we retrieved the WWALS 24-inch Husqvarna chainsaw, minus its bar and chain cover. That does not match me leaving my similar saw in the Suwannee River for six months, so Phil has to try harder.

Videos:

And we picked up some trash from a few trashjams, including Phil got a baby leg.

The original plan for yesterday afternoon was to go down the Withlacoochee River, plant a sign at the midpoint (Withlacoochee River Hunt Club private boat ramp, courtesy of The Langdale Company), and motor back up.

Since there is some doubt as to which route the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle will take on April 19.
https://wwals.net/?p=67242

That route will depend on water levels, any contamination in Sugar Creek or the rivers, and whether we can get the rest of the deadfalls out of the Withlacoochee River near Sugar Creek. Yesterday we decided to head up the Withlacoochee River instead. Good thing we did, what with those new deadfalls.

Sunset soon meant we did not get up to the last mile of deadfalls below Sugar Creek. That is scheduled for this Sunday, April 12 13.
https://wwals.net/?p=67422 Continue reading →

Dirty upstream, clean downstream: New and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-03

Update 2025-04-11: Clean Sugar Creek and Little River 2025-04-09, Dirty downstream Withlacoochee River 2025-04-10.

WWALS water quality tester Samantha Carr found the New River dirty at 18th Street in Tifton, GA, but clean downstream at GA 125.

Valdosta Utilities found the Withlacoochee River dirty at GA 133, downstream of Sugar Creek. See previous report about filthy Sugar Creek:
https://wwals.net/?p=67384

But Valdosta Utilities found the Withlacoochee clean downstream at US 84, as did WWALS tester Russ Tatum at Holly Point, almost to the Suwannee River. Presumably the larger flow of the Little River entering the Withlacoochee River diluted the contamination.

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

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The rivers are all back down to boatable levels.

So avoid Sugar Creek after rains, at least downstream from Baytree Road.

Other than that, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[New River and Withlacoochee River: Dirty upstream, Clean downstream 2025-04-03]
New River and Withlacoochee River: Dirty upstream, Clean downstream 2025-04-03

Join us this Saturday 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 Continue reading →

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

Update 2025-04-04: Dirty upstream, clean downstream: New and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-04-03.

Avoid Sugar Creek after rains, at least downstream from Baytree Road.

I sampled Tuesday, hoping to get low E. coli so we could all put that long-term Sugar Creek sewage spill behind us. But the results were very bad, as in Too Many to Count (TNTC) at Gornto Road and 4,933 cfu/100 mL at the WaterGoat. The alert limit is 1,000, so many times that.

Why? Most likely the banks and bed of Sugar Creek are still contaminated from the sewage spill and the rains washed some of that into the creek. Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes assures me the sewage bypass is working. Even though its pump wasn’t running when I went by there, he says it turns on as needed.

The good news: the Withlacoochee River downstream at GA 133 was pretty clean. Apparently rainwater in the river diluted the contamination from Sugar Creek. The Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp was even cleaner. So downstream on the Withlacoochee River you should have no problems this time from Sugar Creek.

[After rains, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-01, Clean Little River &, Withlacoochee Rivers]
After rains, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-04-01, Clean Little River &, Withlacoochee Rivers

The usual weekly WWALS water quality report will be published tomorrow (Friday). Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26

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

Continue reading →

Pictures: Expert paddle, Troupville to Paul DeLoach private boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Update 2025-03-30: Pictures: DeLoach private boat ramp to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22.

Last Saturday, Phil Hubbard and Phil Royce and I took two jon boats down the Withlacoochee River on the route of the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, which will be April 19, 2025.
https://wwals.net/?p=67242

The water levels were high and fast. Even on the Little River, there were some risks for novice paddlers, and more on the Withlacoochee River.

[Expert high-water paddle, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22, Troupville Boat Ramp to Paul DeLoach private boat Ramp]
Expert high-water paddle, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22, Troupville Boat Ramp to Paul DeLoach private boat Ramp

These pictures go as far as the early takeout, at Phil DeLoach’s private boat ramp.

You’ve already seen some of them, along with some historical pictures and videos, in Erosion and sign missing at Valdosta WWTP Outfall 2025-03-22.
https://wwals.net/?p=67276

Stay tuned for more pictures farther downstream.

The only time we used a chainsaw was when Phil Hubbard tuned the idle on the 24-inch Husqvarna, paid for by a generous grant from Wild Green Future, along with the 9.9 hp outboard, the 86lb-thrust trolling motor, and the two LiFeO2 batteries. Continue reading →

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

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 →