Tag Archives: Gornto Road

Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20

Update 2025-01-26: Cleaner but still dirty Sugar Creek 2025-01-24.

Due to the ice storm, nobody sampled this week since Monday: not WWALS and not Valdosta.

So here is what data we do have from Friday about Sugar Creek (filthy), Sunday about Franks Creek and the Withlacoochee River (good), and Monday about the New River in Tifton (good).

Valdosta Utilities drew samples today from Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, and their results should be up tomorrow on their 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing web page. More about Sugar Creek below.

Most of the river gauges we follow couldn’t handle the sleet, snow, or rain Wednesday, so we don’t know how much preciptation fell. From the few that did register, probably up to an inch or more.

Which means more contamination probably washed into the waterways.

Since the weather prediction is freezing at night and cold during the day this weekend, I wouldn’t be paddling. If you must go out in a power boat while the rivers are up a bit, best not to get the water on you.

Or join us tomorrow for an on-land cleanup on One Mile Branch at Wainwright Driver in Valdosta, on the Azalea City Trail.
https://wwals.net/?p=66659

[Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20]
Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20

Sugar Creek

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Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16

Update 2025-01-24: Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20.

Thursday WWALS water quality samples showed the Alapaha River clean at Lakeland and Naylor.

But Valdosta Thursday samples showed Sugar Creek worse again at Gornto Road.

As noted yesterday, the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers also seem clean, although I’d avoid the Withlacoochee near Sugar Creek, and Sugar Creek itself.

We hear there is a Sugar Creek bypass, but that creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.

If you like rain (Saturday) or cold (Sunday), this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.

[Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week]
Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner for Thursday got zero (0) E. coli at Lakeland Boat Ramp. Can’t get cleaner than that. Continue reading →

OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15

Upate 2025-01-18: Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16.

For Wednesday water quality samples, The Little River at US 82 west of Tifton, Georgia, tested OK, as did the Withlacoochee River at GA 133, US 84, and Holly Point four miles from the Suwannee.

The New River on 18th Street in Tifton tested too high in E. coli.

We hear there is a Sugar Creek bypass, but that creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia one new Valdosta spill showed up, although it apparently did not get into waterways.

This weekend, I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near downstream from it. If you like rain (Saturday) or cold (Sunday), this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.

[OK Little, Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek, 2025-01-15]
OK Little, Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek, 2025-01-15

New River

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Sugar Creek still filthy Saturday in Valdosta test results 2025-01-11

Update 2025-01-17: OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15.

GA-EPD has updated the Valdosta Sugar Creek spill to 15,000 gallons. That’s more than 10,000 gallons, which is a major spill. Valdosta’s state-required reporting after it shows Sugar Creek still filthy for Saturday.

[Sugar Creek still filthy in Valdosta testing 2025-01-11, follow-up after Major Sewage Spill]
Sugar Creek still filthy in Valdosta testing 2025-01-11, follow-up after Major Sewage Spill

Valdosta’s new web page on 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing shows 5,300 Fecal coliform and 5,500 cfu/100 mL E. coli at Gornto Road for Saturday. That’s 5.5 times the 1,000 alert limit. Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River 2025-01-09

Update 2025-01-17: OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15.

Update 2025-01-13: Sugar Creek still filthy Saturday in Valdosta test results 2025-01-11.

Update: 2025-01-11: Samantha Carr, WWALS Intern and water quality tester 2025-01-10.

Sugar Creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.

The Little River tested clean at Troupville Boat Ramp Sunday, and the Withlacoochee River tested clean Thursday at Langdale Park upstream of Valdosta and OK Wednesday at Holly Point, a few miles from the Suwannee River.

The Alapaha River tested clean Thursday at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.

Valdosta Utilities has not yet posted its Withlacoochee River results for this week.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia the Valdosta Sugar Creek broken sewer pipe finally showed up today.

This weekend, I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near downstream from it. If you like cold, this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.

[Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River, 2025-01-09]
Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River, 2025-01-09

Sugar Creek

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Sewer line break, Sugar Creek 2025-01-07

Update 2025-01-10: Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River 2025-01-09.

Does that look like sewage is spilling out of it?

[Open sewer line in Sugar Creek, 700 feet north of RR trestle]
Open sewer line in Sugar Creek, 700 feet north of RR trestle

Looks to me like darker water coming from that pipe into Sugar Creek, when I was there yesterday. Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02

Update 2025-01-06: Valdosta has found the Sugar Creek sewage leak 2024-01-06.

Sugar Creek is still filthy at Gornto Road to the Withlacoochee River, and at a sewer line upstream. It’s not as bad farther upstream, so that sewer line could be the creek contamination source. It’s time to fix it.

The Withlacoochee River is also filthy 62 river miles downstream, only 4 miles from the Suwannee River.

Yet Valdosta Utilities reported OK water quality in between at GA 133 and at US 84.

Did the downstream contamination wash that far down from Sugar Creek after last Sunday’s rains? Or did the downstream contamination come from somewhere else, such as from Quitman, GA, down Okapilco Creek into the Withlacoochee River? Valdosta used to test on Okapilco Creek at US 84 and on the Withlacoochee River at Knights Ferry just below Okapilco Creek, but they stopped that a year ago, so we don’t know.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia. But sometimes reports come late or not at all.

This weekend, I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River downstream from it all the way to the Suwannee River. If you like cold, this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, on other rivers, such as the Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee.

[Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02, No rain, no reported sewage spills. What is the contamination source?]
Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02, No rain, no reported sewage spills. What is the contamination source?

Sugar Creek

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Sugar Creek sewer lines, Valdosta, GA 2024-12-29

Update 2024-01-04: Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02.

Where is the contamination in Sugar Creek coming from in Valdosta, Georgia?

Apparently mostly from somewhere between Baytree Road and Gornto Road, according to recent water quality results.

One way to narrow down the source is to collect water quality samples at more places between those city roads.

And likely places to check would be just below where sewer lines cross Sugar Creek.

[Valdosta sewer mains crossing Sugar Creek between Baytree Road and Gornto Road towards the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA]
Valdosta sewer mains crossing Sugar Creek between Baytree Road and Gornto Road towards the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA

It would be very useful to know if anybody has seen or smelled sewage just west of Sugar Creek on Spring Creek Circle, Wooddale Drive, Westbrook Circle, or on South Sherwood Drive.

Or just east of Sugar Creek, on Park Lane or the west ends of W. Park Ave. or McRee Drive.

Or anybody just upstream (south) of Gornto Road at Outdoor Living or Window World or the liquor store.

Here’s how to report it to WWALS and to the City of Valdosta:
https://wwals.net/report/

Continue reading →

Sugar Creek still filthy, Alapaha River OK 2024-12-26

Update 2024-01-04: Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02.

Update 2024-12-29: Sugar Creek sewer lines, Valdosta, GA 2024-12-29.

Sugar Creek is still filthy from Gornto Road to the Withlacoochee River.

Rain is predicted for this weekend, which will probably make it worse.

The Alapaha River is OK at Sheboggy Boat Ramp near Alapaha, Georgia.

We have no other river results, due to the holidays.

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

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

So if you like cold and wet, this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, as long as you avoid the vicinity of Sugar Creek and get out before the big rain Sunday.

Please note that the WWALS cleanup at Wainwright Drive on Sugar Creek for this Sunday has been rescheduled because of predicted rain. The new date is Saturday, January 25, 2025.

[Sugar Creek still filthy, Alapaha River OK 2024-12-26 Thunderstorms predicted this weekend]
Sugar Creek still filthy, Alapaha River OK 2024-12-26 Thunderstorms predicted this weekend

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Heather Brasell for Thursday got OK results at the outflow creek from the Alapaha, Georgia, wastewater plant: 267 cfu/100 mL, which is below the 410 one-time-test limit.

She got 233 for the Alapaha River above Sheboggy Boat Ramp, also OK.

Sugar Creek

WWALS tester John S. Quarterman drew four Sugar Creek samples on Thursday.

At Baytree Road, the results were OK, with 200 cfu/100 mL.

At Gornto Road, we got Too Numerous to Count (TNTC). Continue reading →

Malia Thomas of WTXL TV at closed Gornto Road bridge over Sugar Creek 2024-12-20

Update 2024-12-21: Clean Alapaha River, OK Withlacoochee River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2024-12-19.

Malia Thomas tried to cram two or three stories into her WTXL TV report about Valdosta closing the Gornto Road bridge over Sugar Creek. She asked me about all of the effects of the bridge closure, contamination of Sugar Creek, sewage spills, Valdosta municipal bonds for water and sewer projects, how those are all related, and what caused them. A for effort to Malia.

[Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, Gornto Road closed @ Sugar Creek 2024-12-20, Valdosta $67 M water & sewer bonds, Report sewage sights or smells]
Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, Gornto Road closed @ Sugar Creek 2024-12-20, Valdosta $67 M water & sewer bonds, Report sewage sights or smells

Among other things I said on-camera: to help find the source of the ongoing contamination in Sugar Creek, if anyone sees or smells sewage near Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch, or Hightower Creek, please let us know:
https://wwals.net/report/

And contact Valdosta Utilities:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities

After excerpts from the WTXL story, I’ve included the Valdosta press releases about the bridge closure and businesses remaining open.

Malia Thomas, WTXL TV, December 20, 2024, Recent flood damage prompts repairs to Gornto Road bridge in Valdosta:
Valdosta works to repair Gornto Road after flood erosion compromises Earl Wetherington Bridge.

…

  • Heavy flooding from Hurricane Helene caused erosion under the Earl Wetherington Bridge on Gornto Road in Valdosta.
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