Tag Archives: Cindy Vedas

Filthy Langdale Park Withlacoochee River 2025-05-22

Update 2025-05-30: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-29.

The Withlacoochee River tested too high for E. coli for Thursday at Langdale Park, but clean upstream and OK downstream.

Whatever is amiss at Langdale Park, it’s not Sugar Creek, which is downstream. It could be Cherry Creek or Stillhouse Branch coming out of the Country Club. Or it could be coming from septic tanks west of Valdosta and the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County. Or something else that washed in with the spotty rains Wednesday.

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.

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

[Filthy Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-02-22, Clean upstream and downstream]
Filthy Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-02-22, Clean upstream and downstream

Or join us this weekend at Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, Florida, on the banks of the Suwannee River.
https://wwals.net/?p=67238 Continue reading →

Sugar Creek still dirty, Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-05-01

Update 2025-05-09: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-08.

Sugar Creek was cleaner this week, but still at the one-time testing limit for E. coli at Gornto Road, and actually higher upstream at Baytree Road. Something is still not right near the old spill site, with no rain to affect it.

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.

No rain is predicted until Sunday, or maybe Saturday afternoon downstream.

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

[Sugar Creek still dirty, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-04-29, Clean Alapaha River 2025-05-01, Rain predicted for Sunday]
Sugar Creek still dirty, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-04-29, Clean Alapaha River 2025-05-01, Rain predicted for Sunday

Join us tomorrow on-land for 2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03
https://wwals.net/?p=67535

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

Sugar Creek

Valdosta Utilities got 640 cfu/100 mL E. coli for Tuesday at Baytree Road on Sugar Creek, above the the former sewage spill site, and below at Gornto Road, they got 410. Both are at or above the 410 one-time test limit. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19

Update 2025-03-29: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26.

It’s a good weekend for boating, if you are experienced and like water high and fast.

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good water quality results both upstream and downstream of Sugar Creek for Wednesday, and there has only been a sprinkle of rain since.

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The Withlacoochee River at Pinetta is too high to paddle, as is the Suwannee at Fargo and the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers near where they join.

Avoid those spots, and happy high and fast water fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating this weekend.

If you are experienced, join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Expert paddle with jon boats: Troupville to Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River.

The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle has been rescheduled to April 19th.

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

[Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend]
Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend

Continue reading →

Pictures: Azalea Festival 2025-03-08

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman, Elizabeth Brunner, Lisa Adkins-Montisano, Cindy Vedas, Sara Squires Jones, and Scotti Jay Jones for making the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival a success.

[Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08]
Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08

Volunteers gave out many flyers, especially about the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, coming up this Saturday, March 15.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

All these pictures are from delivery Friday or at the Festival Saturday. Sunday got rained out. Thanks to Scotti and Sara for delivering the booth back to its abode. Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06

Update 2025-03-14: Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12.

For the Withlacoochee River this week, WWALS got good results upstream and down, and Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. Chances are that the previous sewage spill has washed out, although more testing would be good.

WWALS got excellent results for the Alapaha River at Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia.

Saturday is supposed to be mostly rainless, before thunderstorms Sunday. River levels are good.

So happy fishing, swimming, paddling, and boating Saturday!

[Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06]
Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06

Join us tomorrow for the Troupville Withlacoochee Upstream Chainsaw Cleanup 2025-03-08
https://wwals.net/?p=67153

Or come on down to the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08.
https://wwals.net/?p=67089

And Saturday week join us for the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River and New River clean, Sugar Creek Dirty 2025-02-06

Update 2025-02-14: Five days of changes in GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report 2025-02-14.

A step backwards: Sugar Creek tested too high in E. coli at Gornto Road for Wednesday.

It’s not as high as in many weeks, but still above the alert limit. And there had been no rain to wash anything into the creek.

So, what’s going on? Is there another leak? Or a glitch in the sewage spill bypass?

[New River clean 2025-02-02, Withlacoochee Clean 2025-02-06, Sugar Creek, Dirty 2025-02-05]
New River clean 2025-02-02, Withlacoochee Clean 2025-02-06, Sugar Creek, Dirty 2025-02-05

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River both upstream and downstream of Sugar Creek.

And WWALS got OK results for the New River downstream (south) of Tifton at GA 125 in Berrien County.

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

No rain is predicted for the next five days, with warm sunny weather this weekend.

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

Or join us at Troupville Boat Ramp for a Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup on Saturday, January 8:
https://wwals.net/?p=66873

Or another one on Sunday, January 9:
https://wwals.net/?p=66892 Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha River, OK Withlacoochee River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2024-12-19

Update 2024-12-27: Sugar Creek still filthy, Alapaha River OK 2024-12-26.

With no rain since last week, Sugar Creek is better, but still has too much E. coli at the WaterGoat near the Withlacoochee River. River water dilutes it below there, and upstream also the Withlacoochee River is clean. The Little and Alapaha Rivers tested clean.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia, Ashburn had yet another small spill.

No flooding is shown on any river gauge in the Suwannee River Basin. The Santa Fe River at Fort White is actually too low to paddle.

So if you like cold, this weekend seems good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, as long as you avoid the vicinity of Sugar Creek.

[Clean Alapaha, Little Rivers, OK Withlacoochee River 2024-12-19 Avoid Filthy Sugar Creek; Good paddling this weekend]
Clean Alapaha, Little Rivers, OK Withlacoochee River 2024-12-19 Avoid Filthy Sugar Creek; Good paddling this weekend

Alapaha River

Ashburn reported quickly for once that it had a 2,000-gallon sewage spill into Hat Creek from the usual location of Rockhouse Road and Sylvia Drive. This time the cause was “Equipment failure.” Get a grip, Ashburn! Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers: Sugar Creek still nasty 2024-12-05

Update 2024-12-13: Filthy Sugar Creek, dirty Franks Creek, bad upstream Withlacoochee River, clean downstream 2024-12-12.

WWALS water quality results for Thursday show the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers clean upstream, and for Wednesday show the Withlacoochee clean downstream.

But the last results we have for Sugar Creek, from Valdosta Utilities for Tuesday, show Sugar Creek at Gornto Road still way too high in E. coli.

There has been no rain to speak of for a week, so rain is not washing contamination into the creeks.

It is very hard to see what could be causing such Sugar Creek E. coli numbers other than a sewage spill.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia since the small Valdosta spill into Two Mile Branch on Meadowbrook Drive on November 26, which cannot be causing the Sugar Creek contamination at Gornto Road.

No flooding is shown on any river gauge in the Suwannee River Basin.

So if you like cold, this weekend seems good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, as long as you avoid the vicinity of Sugar Creek.

[Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-12-05 Sugar Creek still nasty]
Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-12-05 Sugar Creek still nasty

Alapaha River

Continue reading →

Cleaner Withlacoochee River 2024-11-21

Update 2024-11-30: Bad Sugar Creek, clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26.

Madison Health on Wednesday lifted its health advisory about the Withlacoochee River, after they got two successive good water quality results, for Friday and Monday, at CR 145, aka Mozell Spells, State Line Boat Ramp, on GA 31, Madison Highway.

Valdosta’s Tuesday results at US 84 agree, but Valdosta’s GA 133 results were too high, and Valdosta’s Hightower and Sugar Creek results were way too high.

WWALS upstream testing Thursday was good.

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

The Withlacoochee River is well below Action stage. So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating.

Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.

Or join us tomorrow for the Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene, Troupville Boat Ramp 2024-11-23.

[Cleaner Withlacoochee River 2024-11-21 Questionable Hightower and Sugar Creeks]
Cleaner Withlacoochee River 2024-11-21 Questionable Hightower and Sugar Creeks

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas got Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-10-31

WWALS testers Kimberly Godden Tanner and Cindy Vedas got very low E. coli for the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers Thursday. For the Withlacoochee River Wednesday, WWALS tester Russ Tatum got very low results, and Valdosta Utilities got low results.

The weather prediction is still sunny.

The water levels are back down to normal or low everywhere in the Suwannee River Basin. Some rivers, such as the Withlacoochee near Valdosta, are too low for much paddling or motoring.

However, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene, including Langdale Park and Ichetucknee Springs North.

So if you can find an accessible stretch, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

[Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2024-10-31 No sewage spills and no rain: happy paddling!]
Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2024-10-31 No sewage spills and no rain: happy paddling!

Alapaha River

Kimberley Godden Tanner noted for Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach on the Alapaha River Thursday, Continue reading →