Tag Archives: Heather Brasell

Water Quality Testing Training 2026-07-10

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

Here’s Heather Brasell’s account of this training:

Gretchen Quarterman trains everyone who tests water quality for the WWALS Watershed Coalition. She just retrained me — an annual requirement to ensure data quality. I test water quality at two sites — the outflow from the Alapaha Wastewater Treatment and at Sheboggy bridge where Highway 82 crosses the Alapaha River. I test for pH dissolved oxygen, conductivity and E.coli (biological). WWALS make the biological data available to the public so they know that their rivers are fishable and swimmable. I’ve been testing for several years and have never had water quality problems.

[Water Quality Testing Training, AAS Chemical and Biological Monitoring, Trainer: Gretchen Quarterman, Trainee: Heather Brasell 2026-07-10]
Water Quality Testing Training, AAS Chemical and Biological Monitoring, Trainer: Gretchen Quarterman, Trainee: Heather Brasell 2026-07-10

Photo 2: To test for E.coli (bacterial health concern), we add 1 ml of water onto a petrifilm and incubate it for 24 hours. The blue fuzzy colonies indicate E.coli bacteria (marked on the edge). The red colonies indicate other kinds of coliform bacteria, including ones that are not a health concern. To maintain data quality, we share photos like this with the group so someone else can confirm our counts.

Heather’s most report was July 1, 2026.

For much more about the WWALS volunteer water quality testing program, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/testing/

WWALS uses Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) methods, but we have testers in north Florida, as well. Maybe you’d like to be one! Continue reading →

Pictures: Children and Working Forests at Gaskins Forest Education Center 2025-06-06

We showed maps, pictures, and the EnviroScape to students brought by the Colquitt / Moultrie Boys and Girls Clubs, at the Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC) near Alapaha, Georgia.

We also discussed water trails, water quality testing, trash, and how to stop it being produced.

[Children and Working Forests at Gaskins Forest Education Center, Georgia Forestry Foundation, Colquitt/Moultrie B&G Club 2025-06-06]
Children and Working Forests at Gaskins Forest Education Center, Georgia Forestry Foundation, Colquitt/Moultrie B&G Club 2025-06-06

Gretchen Quarterman and her granddaughters Elleanor and Hazel Williams did most of the teaching. They especially like using the EnviroScape to show how watr flowing downhill carries all sorts of things with it.

Thanks to Amanda Rollins of Georgia Forestry Foundation for inviting us again this year.

Thanks to Heather Brasell, as always, for providing the venue. GFEC is near the Alapaha River on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). Moultrie is on Okapilco River, as they call Okapilco Creek in Colquitt County. All above the Floridan Aquifer, from which we all drink with straws.

Heather is also a former WWALS Board member and a current WWALS water quality tester.

Here is video of a WWALS Webinar she did: The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14. 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 →

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 →

Clean Alapaha River 2026-05-08

Update 2026-05-15: Dirty Withlacoochee River upstream, clean downstream 2026-05-14.

WWALS tester Heather Brasell got good results for Friday on the Alapaha River at Sheboggy Boat Ramp at US 82, and at the outflow creek from the Town of Alapaha wastewater treatment plant.

That’s more good news to add to yesterday’s Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek good results.

More rain came, and more is predicted, but so far it doesn’t seem to be washing any contamination into the waterways. If there is rain, maybe it will at least dampen some wildfires. Remember not to light anything outdoors.

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, if you can find any water.

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

[Clean Alapaha River, Town of Alapaha Outflow, Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Friday, May 8, 2026]
Clean Alapaha River, Town of Alapaha Outflow, Sheboggy Boat Ramp, Friday, May 8, 2026

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 →

A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River, Gaskins Forest Education Center 2026-04-11

Come see us in the woods near Alapaha, Georgia, at A Day in the Woods, an annual event by Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC), near the Alapaha River.

WWALS members can help with the WWALS booth.

[A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River 2026-04-11, Gaskins Forest Education Center, A friendly festival]
A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River 2026-04-11, Gaskins Forest Education Center, A friendly festival

Thanks to Heather Brasell of GFEC for holding this festival.

When: Gather 12 PM, launch 1 PM, end 5 PM, Saturday, April 11, 2026

Put In: Gaskins Forest Education Center, 3359 Moore Sawmill Rd., Alapaha, Georgia 31622

GPS: 31.345454, -83.178356 Continue reading →

Pictures: A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River, Gaskins Forest Education Center, 2025-04-12

A Day in the Woods is always fun, at Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC) near Alapaha, Georgia.

Coming up again April 11, 2026.

Here are some pictures from 2025.

[Pictures: A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River 2025-04-12, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Thanks, WWALS volunteers]
Pictures: A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River 2025-04-12, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Thanks, WWALS volunteers

Thanks to WWALS volunteers Gretchen Quarterman, Shirley Kokidko, and Cindy Vedas for helping at the WWALS Booth.

Thanks to Heather Brasell for holding this event at GFEC.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. Continue reading →

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

Update 2026-03-27: Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-03-26.

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

Continue reading →