Tag Archives: Christiaan Ard

Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard 2026-09-22

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Hear two experts talk about half an hour of above and underwater pictures and video footage that Ken Sulak and Chris Getlinger captured this past spring.

What better way to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox?

It’s online by zoom, noon to 1 PM, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

Register to join the zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o02HNIbuSaOXTx7hP4Sriw

Encourage others to join by marking going on this facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1758099698528493

[Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22]
Sturgeon and the Suwannee River, WWALS Webinar by Zoom, Ken Sulak and Christiaan Ard, Noon-1 PM, Tuesday, 2026-09-22

Ken Sulak says fall is an appropriate time to talk about sturgeon, because, “Sturgeon spawning this spring was likely a total failure due to the drought and then rapid warming of the river. But 20% of the population, a genetically distinct portion, is adapted to spawn in October-November as the river cools below 25 C. Good time to talk again about sturgeon migration and spawning—and the potential impact of naturally-occurring low river levels, exacerbated by excessive withdrawals.”

Ken Sulak described his video footage:

Over the course of approximately eight weeks, we were fortunate enough to be able to capture the ancient and enigmatic, Gulf sturgeon during their annual spawning migration up the Suwannee River. A journey that takes them up river 120 miles Continue reading →

Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23 and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27

Update 2026-05-09: Clean Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-05-06.

Valdosta Utilities got a pretty good E. coli number for Monday at GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) on the Withlacoochee River, and a good result at US 84 that same day. That’s much improved from previous weeks.

WWALS results for Sugar Creek last Thursday were also OK.

And a WWALS result for Batterbee Branch, in Ray City, Georgia, upstream from Cat Creek, was OK.

Still no significant rain, and still no new sewage spills have been reported this week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia.

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can find any water.

Rain is predicted for this weekend, but it was predicted for yesterday, too, and didn’t happen.

If there is rain, maybe it will at least dampen some wildfires. Remember not to light anything outdoors.

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

[Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23, and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27, No rain, no sewage spills]
Pretty clean Sugar Creek 2026-04-23, and Batterbee Branch and Withlacoochee River 2026-04-27, No rain, no sewage spills

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 and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07

Update 2026-04-12: Clean Alapaha River 2026-04-09 and Sugar Creek 2026-04-10.

With no rain to wash contamination in, the Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers still look clean in the test results we have.

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

As always, we can only advise with the results we have. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee 2026-04-06, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07, So far as we know, Happy paddling]
Clean Withlacoochee 2026-04-06, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-04-07, So far as we know, Happy paddling

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 →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-03-12

Sugar Creek is filthy again, according to a WWALS sample of Thursday.

All the Withlacoochee River results we have are clean, but the most recent are from Monday, so we don’t know what conditions are like now.

The Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean for Thursday samples.

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

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, but I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River downstream from Sugar Creek.

Come join us today, Saturday, at the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival 2026-03-14, in Drexel Park, on One Mile Branch, in Valdosta, Georgia.

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

[Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown]
Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown

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, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12

Update 2026-02-18: Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17.

WWALS got good river results on the Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers this week, as did Valdosta Utilities on the Withlacoochee.

But new WWALS tester Isis Swartz got too-high E. coli results on the New River at 18th Street in Tifton, Georgia.

We have no new creek test results.

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

The weather prediction for Saturday is mostly sunny with rain on Sunday. So if you can find a river with enough water, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream, 2026-02-09-12]
Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream, 2026-02-09-12

Or come with WWALS tomorrow (Saturday), on the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14.

https://wwals.net/?p=69369

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 Ichetucknee, Santa Fe, Withlacoochee Rivers 2026-01-14

Update 2026-01-20: OK One Mile Branch 2026-01-13, Filthy Langdale Park Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2026-01-18.

WWALS testers found the Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Ichetucknee Rivers clean for this Wednesday.

We have no new creek results and no results this week from Valdosta Utilities.

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

The weather is supposed to be sunny Saturday, but colder and rainy Sunday. If you can find a river with enough water and you don’t mind cole, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

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

[Clean Ichetucknee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee Rivers; No Valdosta Utilities results, 2026-01-14]
Clean Ichetucknee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee Rivers; No Valdosta Utilities results, 2026-01-14

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 Rivers and Creeks, except Hightower Creek 2025-12-11

Update 2025-12-19: Clean Withlacoochee River and most creeks; Dirty Hightower Creek 2025-12-17.

The Withlacoochee River tested pretty clean this week, as did the Santa Fe River, and the Ichetucknee River for Friday last week.

Even Valdosta’s problem Sugar Creek and One Mile Branch tested OK.

But Hightower Creek was bad in Valdosta Utilities’ result, although the WWALS result the same day at the same site was OK.

It appears there is still some other source of sewage upstream of St. Augustine Road into Hightower Creek.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida, although FDEP’s Pollution Notice reporting is half broken: see below.

No rain is predicted for the next ten days.

So if you can find a river with enough water, and you don’t mind cold and rain, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers, Mostly Good 2025-12-11, OK One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek, But not Hightower Creek]
Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers, Mostly Good 2025-12-11, OK One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek, But not Hightower Creek

Sugar Creek and its feeder creeks

For Thursday at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek, Valdosta Utilities got Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek 2025-11-06

Update 2025-11-15: Clean Santa Fe River and Withlacoochee downstream; Dirty Hightower and Sugar Creek 2025-11-12.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean downstream for Wednesday and Thursday. We also have a completely clean Suwannee River result for last Wednesday.

But Valdosta Utilities again got too-high results upstream on Sugar Creek at Gornto Road and Baytree Road.

However, Valdosta got OK results for the Withlacoochee River Upstream at US 41, and OK downstream at GA 133, plus clean farther downstream at US 84, matching an even cleaner WWALS result on the Withlacoochee almost down at the Suwannee.

So these continuing high Sugar Creek results are still mysterious, especially given no rain to wash residue downstream

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

It might rain Saturday morning. Other than that, no rain is expected for the next ten days.

So I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it. Other than that, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

Or join us tomorrow (Saturday, November 8) at one of two festivals in two states:

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

[Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Might rain Saturday, 2025-11-06]
Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Might rain Saturday, 2025-11-06

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 →