Tag Archives: Little River

What happened on the Alapahoochee River? 2018-11-14

Twenty five times the state limit for Fecal coliform could be a problem. What got into the Alapahoochee River last week?

Graph, Alapaha Basin

GA 135, Alapahoochee River, Alapaha Basin

If you want to help find out what’s getting into our rivers, you can Continue reading

Stone Bridge, Little River, by Dan Phillips 2016-08-01

Here’s a piece of south Georgia history, Stone Bridge, on the Little River, between Adel in Cook County and Barney in Brooks County, on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

On a summer day, Stone Bridge

Dan Phillips wrote about this picture he took: Continue reading

First flush 2018-10-31

Was there rain Wednesday? That might explain the sudden spikes at US 41 on the Withlacoochee River, at GA 133 on the Little River, and at State Line on the Withlacoochee River. We can guess that the rains Thursday and Friday (today) have washed away whatever that very odd spike was at the state line.

Graph, Withlacoochee Basin

Thanks to Valdosta Utilities and Valdosta City Clerk Teresa Bolden for sending this Wednesday’s Valdosta water quality testing data before the end of Friday. For more contact, see https://wwals.net/issues/vww/.

State Line, Withlacoochee River, Withlacoochee Basin

It’s a very odd spike, because Continue reading

Radioactive well water, coal ash, fertilizer, and Tifton superfund sites 2018-10-29

Best to test for arsenic, and maybe lead, radon, and uranium, in your well and hot water heater water. In March 2013, South Health District and the Georgia Department of Health recommended testing for arsenic. That was three years after Janet McMahan discovered the arsenic problem after her family members and pets got cancer. As we wrote a few months before the Health Departments finally made their recommendation, after Janet got Erin Brockovitch involved, you may also find lead and uranium. The problem has not gone away. Also, you may find radon.

Uranium and Lead, Well water

Janet wrote Monday:

This Water is from Well on private property 3 miles from Willacoochee. Sample taken from Water Heater. Lady says she uses all of the hot water when taking a shower each morning. Looking for her Radon Level now.

Radon, Well water

Janet added:

Radon sample collected at Same Well. Continue reading

Low bacterial counts at State Line Ramp 2018-10-24

Valdosta’s bacterial counts are always low at State Line Ramp (Mozell Spells), where we moved the WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia to Florida and back.

State Line, Withlacoochee River, Withlacoochee Basin

Things were generally better last week in the Withlacoochee Basin, except for the Little River at GA 133, just above Troupville Boat Ramp. Continue reading

Tryout of Water Quality Testing, Little River, Troupville Boat Ramp, 2018-10-29

This will be the first tryout of the water quality testing kits WWALS recently acquired. You can only test if you’ve been through the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream training. But you can come watch and make suggestions and see if you want to get trained. This event is all on land; no boat required.

When: 7:00 PM, Monday, October 29, 2018

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18.

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536.

Free: This event is free. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

WWALS testing training, 2018-09-16
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman, of WWALS testing training, 2018-09-16.

Continue reading

Five weeks and fecal coliform down 2018-10-17

Fecal coliform went down last week to 195 at US 41 and 200 at GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River, right at the Georgia limit of 200 cfu/100 ml, while rising slightly at US 41 and at the GA-FL line at the Madison Highway Horn Ferry Bridge, according to Valdosta’s testing.

Graph, Withlacoochee Basin

Wednesday of this week, we still don’t know, because Continue reading

WWALS at Brooks County Skillet Festival 2018-10-20

The WWALS booth will be back in Quitman, Georgia, this Saturday at the Skillet Festival, with buttons and stickers (WWALS, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Water Trails, Water Is Life) and the raffle kayak.

When: 9AM-3:30 PM, Saturday, October 20, 2017

Where: Brooks County Courthouse, 100 Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia 31643

What: Brooks County Skillet Festival, quilts, cooking, vegetable market, fashion, dogs, clogging, skillet toss, race, and parade

Event: facebook

Skillet raffle on inward side, WWALS booth
WWALS at the Skillet Festival in 2017.

More: For more WWALS outings and events Continue reading

Four weeks of fecal coliform 2018-10-09 2018-09-19 to 2018-10-09

This is why we alway say “as near as we can tell” or “according to the latest data” or words to that effect. The last data we had last week said fecal coliform at GA 133 on the Little River was below the state limit. But the actual most recent data, from last Tuesday, just received today, shows 610, which is three times the state limit of 200 cfu per 100 mililiters.

Graph, Withlacoochee Basin

Meanwhile, on the Withlacoochee River, the count went up at US 41 and down at GA 133, with both still well above the state limit. But downstream of Valdosta and its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP), at US 84 and at Horn Bridge at the GA-FL line, counts that were already within the limit Continue reading

Pictures: Troupville Cleanup 2018-10-13

We had fun cleaning up at Troupville Boat Ramp and the private land down the Little River to its Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, and then up the Withlacoochee a bit. Boy Scouts did much of the work, in Ronnie Thomas’ troup: this cleanup was his idea. Two of the landowners who let us into the land down to the Confluence were there; that property is for sale. Scotti Jay and Bobby and the McKenzie clan were also there. Brown Dog and Yellow Dog liked getting into another river.

[Red, yellow, white, blue, 10:09:03, 30.8454610, -83.3467969]
Red, yellow, white, blue, 10:09:03, 30.8454610, -83.3467969

Landowner Helen Tapp promised donuts, and delivered. Continue reading