Category Archives: VWW

Two unusual places tested bad for Thursday, after big rains upstream from them: Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River, and Franklinville Landing on the Withlacoochee River. And there was more rain Friday upstream of Troupville.

Oddly, downstream tests on the Withlacoochee were clean.

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

So I’d avoid the Little River this weekend, and go downstream on the Withlacoochee River.

Or join us tomorrow on the Suwannee River to portage Big Shoals.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-05-18

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday week before last downstream. The Valdosta Monday upstream results were good, after bad Friday results for US 41 and GA 133, as we expected due to the rain back then. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River, but raining now 2023-05-11

Update 2023-05-19: Bad Franklinville, Withlacoochee River, and Troupville, Little River 2023-05-18.

WWALS tests were clean for Thursday on the Withlacoochee River.

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

However, it is raining now, and rain is predicted through Monday.

So probably the rivers are OK right now, but rain is likely to wash contamination into them.

Chart, River, Swim Guide 2023-05-11

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday a week ago downstream. They all showed clean at those times, corroborating last week’s WWALS results. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-05-04

Update 2023-05-12: Clean Withlacoochee River, but raining now 2023-05-11.

WWALS tests were clean for Thursday on the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers.

No rain is predicted.

The only sewage spill reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida was a small one in High Springs, Florida, that probably did not affect the Santa Fe River.

Happy boating, fishing, and swimming this weekend.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-05-04

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for last Friday upstream and down. They show bad at GA 133 and US 84, and we have no new results for those sites. Continue reading →

Nankin filthy, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-27

Update 2023-05-04: High Springs small sewage spill, Santa Fe River 2023-05-04.

Nankin Boat Ramp came back really filthy. Everything else was clean, in the WWALS tests for Thursday on the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.

It rained a lot on Thursday, so more contamination has probably washed into the rivers, while that Nankin contamination washed downstream into Florida.

For paddling this weekend, I’d go far upstream or try the Suwannee or Ichetucknee Rivers; also for swimming or fishing.

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

Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-04-27

By bad at Nankin we mean really bad. As in Too Numerous to Count (TNTC), which is usually more than 25,000 cfu/100 mL of E. coli, where 1,000 is the alert limit. You really don’t want that on you.

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are Continue reading →

Clean WIthlacoochee River 2023-04-20

Update 2023-04-29: Nankin filthy, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-27.

WWALS tests were clean for Thursday on the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.

Rain is predicted, but not much.

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

Happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend!

Chart, River, Swim Guide Map

The most recent results we have from Valdosta are for Monday upstream and Wednesday week before last downstream. They generally Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-04-06

Update 2023-04-15: Clean Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers 2023-04-13.

According to all the recent test results we have, the Withlacoochee River is pretty clean from E. coli. However, it’s raining upstream now, and predictions are for more rain tomorrow.

I’m still planning to paddle on Yet Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2023-04-08. If we’re quick, we may be finished before more than a drizzle falls.

If you want to paddle, swim, or fish this weekend, I’d recommend do it Saturday morning before the rain has much time to wash contamination out of creeks.

Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-04-06

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida since the tiny inland High Springs spill Thursday a week ago.

There is the matter of Valdosta’s followup testing after their February sewage spills, but the only bad results from that were Wednesday and Thursday a week ago, and that was in the Alapaha River basin. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-03-30

Update 2023-04-07: Clean Withlacoochee River 2023-04-06.

Best to paddle, swim, and fish tomorrow morning. Rains are predicted tomorrow.

But until then, all the water quality tests we have are good, for the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers.

Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide map 2023-03-30

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

But High Springs had a 150-gallon spill. That small an amount and apparently inland should have no effect on the Santa Fe River or its springs.

Thanks to WWALS tester Continue reading →

Videos: Trash, Okefenokee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting, WWALS Gala on Scott James radio 92.1.FM 2023-03-24

Update 2023-03-27: Correction: Pickleball courts to be on other side of Two Mile Branch from 2007-proposed detention pond 2023-03-07.

On the radio this morning, Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman talked trash, and many other subjects. See it for yourself in these WWALS videos.

Come to the Two Mile Branch Cleanup tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8 AM.

Radio and Two Mile Branch 2023-03-24

Cleanups are necessary, but not enough. We discussed Valdosta’s history of publishing plans to deal with trash and then not doing anything. Valdosta Engineer Ben O’Dowd seems to have started some action, and more is needed.

Below are links to each WWALS video of each topic, some with a brief summary, followed by a WWALS video playlist. Continue reading →

Suwannee Riverkeeper will talk trash with Valdosta Mayor Scott James, Radio 92.1 FM 2023-03-24

Update 2023-03-24: Videos: Trash, Okefenokee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting, WWALS Gala on Scott James radio 92.1.FM 2023-03-24.

Friday morning at 8:30 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will talk trash with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson on his radio show, Talk 92.1 FM.
https://talk921.com/

WWALS and the City of Valdosta are doing a cleanup Saturday at Two Mile Branch; meet at 507 Mack Drive and park on Howell Brook Drive. The city is finally moving a bit on trash traps, but there is much more to do, including having the City Marshalls inform businesses of the city trash ordinances, including potential fines and other penalties.

Radio, Two Mile Branch

We’ll also talk about Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.