Tag Archives: Heather Brasell

OK Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

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Sugar Creek is dirty again, but not as filthy as last week, according to a WWALS Tuesday sample. So was Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road, also for Tuesday.

For the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta Utilities for Monday got very filthy with E. coli at GA 133, but clean at US 84.

WWALS got clean downstream at Holly Point for Tuesday, and clean upstream at Hagan Bridge for Thursday, also on the Withlacoochee River. And clean for Thursday on the Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp, just above the Withlacoochee.

The Santa Fe River tested clean for Thursday, and the Alapaha River tested OK for Saturday.

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

So chances are the contamination from the big rain of Monday has been diluted. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

Come join us tomorrow, Saturday, for a Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Upstream from Troupville 2026-03-21. You do not have to use a saw. You can pull trimmed branches aside, pick up trash, photograph, or just paddle along.

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

[OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19]
OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

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, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-02-04

Update 2026-02-13: Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12.

WWALS got good river results on the Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers for Wednesday.

Valdosta Utilities also got good E. coli results for the Withlacoochee for Monday.

We have no new creek test results.

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

But there were two in Florida. The Florida Pollution Notices map is broken again, but WWALS is signed up for alerts so we got them by email. High Springs spilled Monday near the Santa Fe River, and Live Oak spilled Tuesday near the Suwannee River. Both were small spills and not very near any major waterway.

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

Or come with WWALS tomorrow (Saturday), to find the site of the old Drew Mansion, on Ellaville Hike, Withlacoochee River 2026-02-07.

https://wwals.net/?p=69082

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

[Clean Alapaha and Santa Fe, Rivers 2026-02-04, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-02-02]
Clean Alapaha and Santa Fe, Rivers 2026-02-04, Clean Withlacoochee River 2026-02-02

Alapaha River

WWALS tester Heather Brasell got a pretty good 333 cfu/100 mL for the Town of Alapaha wastewater plant outflow creek, and 166 for the Alapaha River just upstream from Sheboggy Boat Ramp on US 82, both for Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

Santa Fe River

WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler for Wednesday at Mills Dock, a bit upstream from Poe Springs Ramp, bot a quite clean 66 cfu/100 mL, with 12.8 C air temperature and 16.3 C water temperature.

Withlacoochee River

Valdosta Utilities for Monday (we don’t know why not for Wednesday) got pretty good 320 at GA 133 and pretty clean 100 at US 84, both below the 410 one-time test limit.

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 →

Hightower Creek still dirty; Alapaha River clean 2025-12-30

Update 2026-01-03: Hightower Creek dirty upstream at Norman Drive 2026-01-01.

Update 2026-01-02: And clean Santa Fe River. At Mills Dock for Wednesday, Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler got 0 E. coli at 7 C air temp. and 17.9 C water temp.

Yet again, Hightower Creek tested dirty with E. coli at St. Augustine Road for Tuesday in Valdosta.

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

Sugar Creek at the WaterGoat tested much cleaner, but the next rain will wash down whatever that is upstream.

The most recent results we have for the Withlacoochee River are for last week, but they were clean.

The Alapaha River tested clean upstream for Wednesday.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. The Florida Pollution Notices Map is broken again: “Unable to create map: Cannot read properties of null (reading ‘insertBefore’)”.

Rain is predicted for Saturday.

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.

Maybe you’d like to join us, weather permitting for Full Wolf Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Gather 5 PM, launch 5:30 PM, moonrise 6:07 PM, sunset 5:55 PM, end 7 PM, Saturday, January 3, 2026.

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

[Hightower Creek still dirty 2025-12-30, Alapaha River clean 2025-12-31, Withlacoochee River Clean last week]
Hightower Creek still dirty 2025-12-30, Alapaha River clean 2025-12-31, Withlacoochee River Clean last week

Valdosta Creeks

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WWALS teaching ABAC students about water quality @ GFEC 2025-11-21

Heather Brasell got WWALS water quality testing trainer Gretchen Quarterman invited to talk about water quality with students from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). They did this in the classroom at the Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC) and onsite at streams coming from the Town of Alapaha Wastewater Treatment Plant.

[WWALS teaching ABAC students about water quality @ GFEC, Watersheds and microbes, plants and animals 2025-11-21]
WWALS teaching ABAC students about water quality @ GFEC, Watersheds and microbes, plants and animals 2025-11-21

They did the classroom part at Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC), 3359 Moore Sawmill Rd, Alapaha, GA 31622, in Berrien County. Gretchen talked about what watersheds are, about the watersheds of the Suwannee River Basin, about WWALS, and generally about Georgia Adopt-A-Stream water quality testing such as WWALS does. Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River upstream; downstream and Alapaha River OK 2025-11-20

Update 2025-11-25: Clean Withlacoochee River downstream 2025-11-22.

Update 2025-11-23: Valdosta sewage spill into Sugar Creek –WCTV 2025-11-20.

Apparently the small Valdosta sewage spill into Sugar Creek Wednesday affected that creek and the Withlacoochee River more than expected.

WWALS tester Suzy Hall for Wednesday got TNTC (Too Numerous to Count) at the WaterGoat, just before the river. Downstream on the river, Valdosta Utilities for Thursday got 2,670 at GA 133 and 1,035 at US 84, both higher than the 1,000 alert limit for E. coli.

Yet WWALS tester Russ Tatum got zero (0) for Wednesday at Holly Point, on the Withlacoochee River in Florida a few miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

Also for Wednesday, WWALS tester Heather Brasell got OK results for the Alapaha River at Sheboggy Boat Ramp at US 82. WWALS testers Bob Mills and Kurt Hurzeler got good tentative results at their Santa Fe River site upstream from Poe Springs.

Of course, the high results could be due to the so far unknown source upstream of St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek.

No other sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in the past week in Georgia or Florida, so far as we can tell, although FDEP’s Pollution Reports web page and map are both not working corectly. At least we didn’t get any emailed reports for Florida this week.

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. If you can find enough water to do those things. Maybe far downstream on the Withlacoochee or Suwannee Rivers.

Or join us tomorrow for Knights Ferry to Nankin Clean Up, Withlacoochee River 2025-11-22.

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

[Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River upstream, downstream and Alapaha River OK, 2025-11-20]
Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River upstream, downstream and Alapaha River OK, 2025-11-20

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 →

Pictures: WWALS Booth at Alapaha Station Celebration 2025-11-08

Thanks, Heather Brasell for helping Gretchen Quarterman at the WWALS Booth at the Alapaha Station Celebration in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

Notice the new tablecloth with the Suwannee Riverkeeper logo. Much easier than tying a banner to the front of the table.

[Alapaha Station Celebration, Alapaha, Georgia, Thanks, Gretchen and Heather, Heavy Rain 2025-11-08]
Alapaha Station Celebration, Alapaha, Georgia, Thanks, Gretchen and Heather, Heavy Rain 2025-11-08

Gretchen wrote:

Sun is out at the WWALS Booth at Alapaha Station Celebration. Continue reading →

Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers; Sugar Creek mixed 2025-10-30

Update 2025-11-07: Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek 2025-11-06.

WWALS got a very clean result for the Santa Fe River for Wednesday, and pretty clean for the Alapaha River for Thursday.

Even for Sugar Creek, WWALS got an OK result for Wednesday at the WaterGoat. 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.

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.

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 1) to Hike with a Geologist to a Spring, the Dead River Sink, and the Dry Alapaha River.

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

[Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers, Sugar Creek mixed, 2025-10-30]
Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee Rivers, Sugar Creek mixed, 2025-10-30

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, Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers 2025-10-02

Update 2025-10-10: Clean Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers; mostly clean Withlacoochee River 2025-10-09.

WWALS testers found the Alapaha, Suwannee, and Santa Fe Rivers clean within the past seven days, and the Withlacoochee River clean upstream and downstream.

But according to Valdosta Utilities Sugar Creek was again filthy, and the Withlacoochee had too much E. coli downstream of Sugar Creek at GA 133. And One Mile Branch was above the 410 one-time-test limit at Wainwright Drive, but not downstream at West Gordon Street. There hasn’t been much rain. Are there still one or more undiscovered sewage leaks in the City of Valdosta?

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

Storms are predicted this weekend, but mostly in the afternoon.

I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, But if you can beat the rain, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

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

[Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, Clean Withlacoochee up and down, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-02]
Clean Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, Clean Withlacoochee up and down, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-02

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 and Withlacoochee Rivers, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek 2025-08-28

Update 2025-08-31: Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River 2025-08-29.

The Withlacoochee River remains clean upstream and down in test results for yesterday by Valdosta and FDOH. One Mile Branch showed less E. coli. Sugar Creek remained bad. Hightower Creek jumped up above the 1,000 alert limit.

The Alapaha River tested clean, but the Town of Alapaha’s wastewater outflow could be better, according to results by WWALS tester Heather Brasell.

[Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek]
Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek

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

Rain is very likely Saturday, decreasing into next week.

So happy paddling, fishing, swimming, and boating, although I’d steer clear of Sugar Creek.

The Florida agencies are ceasing testing, the WWALS results are posted for this week, and you now know where to look for Valdosta’s results. So this concludes this week’s WWALS Water Quality Test Reports.

Here is the WWALS composite spreadsheet with all these results, plus rainfall: Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Dirty Creeks 2025-08-06, Withlacoochee River Clean downstream 2025-08-07

Update 2025-08-15: Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-13.

Valdosta Utilities got very bad E. coli results Monday, after its sewage spill into One Mile Branch. But not just bad on Sugar Creek. Also bad upstream of Sugar Creek at US 41 on the Withlacoochee River, and downstream at both GA 133 and US 84.

Very bad, as in more than 9,000 cfu/100 mL, for each of the five locations they tested. That’s 9 times the 1,000 alert limit.

With Wednesday samples, WWALS got higher than the 410 one-time test limit for Cat Creek and Beatty Branch at Cat Creek Road, and for Franklinville Road on the Withlacoochee River, which is upstream of those creeks.

Surprisingly, the WWALS Wednesday test result for Langdale Park Boat Ramp was OK at 166. Surprising because that’s downstream from the other WWALS results of the same day, and just downstream from Valdosta Utilities’s sky-high Monday result at US 41.

Farther downstream for Thursday, WWALS got zero near the Suwannee River.

Meanwhile, for Sunday on the Alapaha River near Alapaha, GA, WWALS got very good results. There was one tiny sewage spill on Tuesday way upstream at Rochelle, GA, but that spill “Did not enter state waters.” No other sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Storms and thunderstorms are predicted for the next ten days.

If you can avoid the weather, and avoid the Withlacoochee River upstream and near Sugar Creek, happy paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming this weekend.

[Filthy Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee 2025-08-04, Dirty Cat Creek and Beatty Branch 2025-08-06, Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Clean Withlacoochee downstream 2025-08-07]
Filthy Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee 2025-08-04, Dirty Cat Creek and Beatty Branch 2025-08-06, Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Clean Withlacoochee downstream 2025-08-07

Or come to the WWALS Social tomorrow (Saturday) evening at 6PM at Banks Lake west of Lakeland, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/?p=67844

Later that same evening, you can also join the Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle on Banks Lake.
https://wwals.net/?p=67607

Cat Creek

Continue reading →