Category Archives: Weather

Darsey Mill Branch Deadfall, Alapaha River 2026-07-15

There’s a deadfall in the Alapaha River immediately below Darsey Mill Branch, which is about 2/3 of a mile downstream from Burnt Church Landing.

We’re calling it the Darsey Mill Branch Deadfall.

[Darsey Mill Branch Deadfall, Alapaha River 2026-07-15, 2/3 mile below Burnt Church Landing]
Darsey Mill Branch Deadfall, Alapaha River 2026-07-15, 2/3 mile below Burnt Church Landing

Charles Sparks wrote that it is at about 31.018782, -83.040657, “At least there was when the water was low back in mid April-early May.”

You can see it in the above detail from the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). According to google-earth-pro, those underlying googlemaps satellite images were taken April 29, 2026.

Here’s a context map. Continue reading →

Clean Sugar Creek 2026-07-08, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-06, Santa Fe River 2026-07-09

Update 2026-07-17: Withlacoochee River 2026-07-13 and Sugar Creek and Santa Fe River 2026-07-15.

The Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, and the Santa Fe River tested clean in the results we have for this week.

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.

Maybe you’d like to join us for Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11.

https://wwals.net/?p=70660

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

[Clean Sugar Creek 2026-07-08, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-06, Santa Fe River 2026-07-09, Happy paddling, swimming, etc.]
Clean Sugar Creek 2026-07-08, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-06, Santa Fe River 2026-07-09, Happy paddling, swimming, etc.

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 →

Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11

Update 2026-07-13: Pictures: Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2026-07-11.

Come help us clear passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats on the Withlacoochee River.

You do not have to saw. You can pick up trash, photograph, pull aside sawed branches, or just paddle along. Bring a rope for the front of your boat, because with the water this low there will probably be dragging.

We hope to at least get as far as the logjam at the south end of the park, which is about 1.32 river miles, and then we paddle back up.

If we’re really lucky, we’ll get as far as Sugar Creek, which is twice as far. If so, we might take out there, or we might paddle back up.

If we get crazy with the heat, we might even go all the way down and up the Little River to Troupville Boat Ramp, which is 6.7 miles. This is unlikely.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, July 11, 2026

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, At the end of Hyta Mederer Drive, off of 3781 N. Valdosta Road, Valdosta, GA 31602, downstream from the North Valdosta Road (US 41) Bridge, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, July 11, 2026]
Langdale Park Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, July 11, 2026

Continue reading →

Berrien Beach to Lakeland, Alapaha River 2026-07-06

Update 2026-07-15: Lanier EMA marker 21, Alapaha River –Shirley Kokidko 2026-07-06.

Thanks to Shawn O’Connor and Shirley Kokidko for scouting these five deadfalls Monday on the Alapaha River.

[Five more deadfalls between Berrien Beach and Lakeland, GA, Alapaha River 2026-07-06]
Five more deadfalls between Berrien Beach and Lakeland, GA, Alapaha River 2026-07-06

As you can see, they are clustered together sort of in the middle between Berrien Beach Boat Ramp and Lakeland Boat Ramp, near the well-known Marshall Deadfall, which was apparently underwater.

The water level on the Alapaha Gauge was falling, from 6.37 feet (213.97 feet NAVD88) at Double Deadfall at 10:08 AM to 6.33 (213.93 NAVD88) at TD Deadfall at 11:49 AM.

That’s in the middle between the WWALS recommendation for Berrien Beach Boat Ramp of don’t paddle above 218.2 or below 209.6.

You can actually see these deadfalls on the satellite images below. According to google-earth-pro, those images were taken April 29, 2026, in the middle of the drought. The Alapaha Gauge on that date was at about 1 foot (207.6 NAVD88).

We will come back to chainsaw passage through them when the level is a bit lower than it was Monday, so they’re above water. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-29 and Alapaha River 2026-07-01

The Withlacoochee River and the Alapaha River tested clean in the results we have for this week.

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, and it’s even supposed to be sunny Saturday and Sunday morning.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee 2026-06-29, and Alapaha River 2026-07-01, Sunny Saturday and Sunday morning, Happy paddling, swimming, and fishing]
Clean Withlacoochee 2026-06-29, and Alapaha River 2026-07-01, Sunny Saturday and Sunday morning, Happy paddling, swimming, and fishing

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 →

Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River –SRWMD 2026-07-01

The spring I’ve used to illustrate this story is somewhat upstream of Suwannee Springs. It is called Ham1019971, and is a fourth magnitude sulphur spring seen on a WWALS paddle, May 20, 2017. It is not the newly-discovered Ule Spring mentioned in the press release.

Also, Byron Herder, who owns the first-magnitude spring Alapaha River Rise, remarked on facebook, “I found a first magnitude spring on Suwannee during the drought. Bringing state total to 34.”

Speaking of drought, this Tuesday SRWMD will approve a Further modified Phase II Water Shortage Ordinance @ SRWMD 2026-07-14. Nevermind St. Johns River WMD and Southwest Florida WMD went to Phase III months ago.

[Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River --SRWMD 2026-07-01]
Drought reveals two new springs on the Suwannee River –SRWMD 2026-07-01

PR, SRWMD, July 1, 2026, Drought conditions reveal new springs along the Suwannee River; see also WCTV,

LIVE OAK, FLA., JULY 1, 2026 — While ongoing drought conditions have reduced river flows across the region, unusually low water levels have also provided a unique opportunity for Suwannee River Water Management District (District) staff to locate and document several previously unknown springs.

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-25

Update 2026-07-03: Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-29 and Alapaha River 2026-07-01.

The Withlacoochee River and the Santa Fe River tested clean in the results we have for this week. Even Sugar Creek tested pretty clean.

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, and it’s even supposed to be sunny this weekend.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Gibson County Park to SRSP Paddle, Suwannee River 2026-06-27.

https://wwals.net/?p=70541

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

[Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, plus Sugar Creek, 2026-06-25]
Clean Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers, plus Sugar Creek, 2026-06-25

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 →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-18

Update 2026-06-24: Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-06-19.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean in the results we have for this week.

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, if you can find some time between the rains.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20.

https://wwals.net/?p=70133

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

[Clean Withlacoochee River, 2026-06-18, Water levels up, Much rain predicted]
Clean Withlacoochee River, 2026-06-18, Water levels up, Much rain predicted

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 →

Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers 2026-06-10

Update 2026-06-19: Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-06-18.

Even better news! The Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers tested even better this week.

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

According to the results we have, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating.

Maybe you’d like to join WWALS for Statenville to Sasser Landing, Alapaha River 2026-06-13.

https://wwals.net/?p=70464

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

[Clean Alapaha 2026-06-07, Withlacoochee 2026-06-08, Santa Fe 2026-06-10, Happy paddling & swimming]
Clean Alapaha 2026-06-07, Withlacoochee 2026-06-08, Santa Fe 2026-06-10, Happy paddling & swimming

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 →

Local Industrial Development Authority @ Irwin County BOCC 2026-06-01

The Local Industrial Development Authority took two Irwin County Commission meetings to approve.

The ordinance says the Authority is limited to the unincorporated parts of Irwin County and that it is to have nine Directors.

For the June 3 meeting where they finally approved that ordinance, we got nothing but a Public Notice: no agenda, no board packet.

But in response to an open records request, we got an extensive board packet for the June 1, 2026, meeting. It also includes a household trash burn ordinance, a solar ordinance, an ordinance limiting appraisals for low-income properties, an employee performance evaluation form, and a job posting for a County Administrator. That last item is not on the agenda, but it is in the packet.

[Local Industrial Development Authority @ Irwin Co. BOCC 2026-06-01, 2026-06-03, Burn Ordinance, Solar Ordinance, County Administrator job posting]
Local Industrial Development Authority @ Irwin Co. BOCC 2026-06-01, 2026-06-03, Burn Ordinance, Solar Ordinance, County Administrator job posting

These items are on the WWALS website. Images of each page are below, except I have omitted the 22 blank pages. Continue reading →