Join us for an on-land cleanup along One Mile Branch downstream from Valdosta State University, and Azalea City Trail, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9 AM, end 11 AM, Saturday, March 28, 2026
Put In: Wainwright Drive between Baytree Drive and Brookhaven Drive, and maybe also downstream, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
GPS: 30.84287, -83.30113
![[One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA, Cleanup 2026-03-28]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-28--cleanup-one-mile-branch-azalea-trail/fbmany.jpg)
One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA, Cleanup 2026-03-28
Back at the original date, because we got enough rain. And the old original route: Troupville Boat Ramp to Spook Bridge.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the idyllic Withlacoochee River.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
![[Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-07--mayor-chairmans-paddle-troupville/fbmany.jpg)
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 7, 2026
Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp,
19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602.
From I-75 exit 18, go west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall; at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp.
GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536
Continue reading
Update 2026-02-27: Rescheduled back to the original date: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge 2026-03-07.
Rescheduled due to low water, to Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle on the idyllic Withlacoochee River with the Mayor of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Commission Chairman.
Mayor Scott James Matheson and Chairman Bill Slaughter always seem to enjoy this outing, and you will, too.
Under towering oaks, cypress, and longleaf pines, we will pass the most populous city and county in the Suwannee River Basin and the site of the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp, on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for once again leading this paddle.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Paul Batts and Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for agreeing to bring shuttle vans.
The city and county will probably also post their own announcements.
![[Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, April 18, 2026]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-07--mayor-chairmans-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, April 18, 2026
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, April 18, 2026
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp or Troupville Boat Ramp
Which put in will depend on water levels and any remaining obstructions in the river.
WWALS will announce that decision in advance.
Continue reading
Update 2026-02-23: Rescheduled due to low water, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper 2026-04-18.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle on the idyllic Withlacoochee River with the Mayor of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Commission Chairman.
Mayor Scott James Matheson and Chairman Bill Slaughter always seem to enjoy this outing, and you will, too.
Under towering oaks, cypress, and longleaf pines, we will pass the most populous city and county in the Suwannee River Basin and the site of the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp, on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for once again leading this paddle.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
The city and county will probably also post their own announcements.
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 7, 2026
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp or Troupville Boat Ramp
Which put in will depend on water levels and any remaining obstructions in the river.
WWALS will announce that decision in advance.
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026
It’s not obvious that Valdosta’s Force Main from its Remer Pump Station on Sugar Creek runs alongside Hightower Creek up across St. Augustine Road, Norman Drive, and I-75, then along various county roads, to the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), whose treated wastewater outfall is to the nearby Withlacoochee River.
Here are some pictures in the other direction, west to east, across the land just west of I-75 (thanks to the landowners), across I-75, to Norman Drive.
![[Valdosta Force Main alongside Hightower Creek, Across I-75 and Norman Drive 2026-01-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-09--vld-force-main/many.jpg)
Valdosta Force Main alongside Hightower Creek, Across I-75 and Norman Drive 2026-01-09
See also Filthy Hightower Creek 2026-01-08 but clean upstream ILM Pond 2026-01-09.
You can find this force main on the VALORGIS map. You have to turn on the layer ValdostaEasements. Then it appears in black.
Also turn on Streams to make the creeks show up, although VALORGIS only shows Hightower Creek as far as St. Augustine Road.
And turn off Zoning to reduce distractions. Continue reading
I went to see the Withlacoochee Trickle at Hagan Bridge Landing on GA 122 east of Hahira.
You could jump across it.
We need rain.
![[Withlacoochee Trickle, Hagan Bridge Landing, 2025-11-17, GA 122 east of Hahira, Lowndes County, GA]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-17--withlacoochee-trickle-hagan-bridge/fbmany.jpg)
Withlacoochee Trickle, Hagan Bridge Landing, 2025-11-17, GA 122 east of Hahira, Lowndes County, GA
On the Skipper Bridge Gauge, the level was 122.52 feet NAVD88 (2.22 feet from bottom). Our recommended levels are Lowest boatable: 122.6′, Highest safe: 131′.
You could paddle through the trickle, but I doubt you’d get through much of the 5 river miles to Franklinville Landing without having to climb over or under or chainsaw through deadfalls from Hurricane Helene.
Here’s a video:
https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/1175008301254844
The Withlacoochee River goes into and out of Florida twice before it makes up its mind. We saw karst, shoals, and rapids, into Florida and back to Georgia all downstream, Valdosta Railway Trestle, Madison County Four Freedoms Trail, and exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, on a fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS.
![[White water, 2017-10-14, 13:58:34, 30.63457, -83.34178 --jsq for WWALS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-10-14--shoals-into-out-of-florida/20171014_135834.jpg)
White water, 2017-10-14, 13:58:34, –jsq for WWALS 30.6345700, -83.3417800
This is Part 2, after Continue reading
Update 2025-10-13: improved image format, and separated the shoals into another post.
Tires and trash cleaned up at Nankin Boat Ramp, saw Clyatt Mill Creek, and swimming and diver tales at McIntyre Spring. This was also a Georgia Rivers Alive cleanup, all on a fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper. Thanks to all who came to paddle from as far as two hours from Gainesville, Florida and four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia.
![[A free diver, 2017-10-14, 12:47:33, 30.6416153, -83.3661699 --jsq for WWALS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-10-14--wwals-nankin-mozell-withlacoochee/20171014_124733.jpg)
A free diver, 2017-10-14, 12:47:33, –jsq for WWALS 30.6416153, -83.3661699
Here are some pictures. There are more in the following two parts. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-18: Too much E. coli at the Watergoat, Sugar Creek 2025-10-10, Problematical Withlacoochee River 2025-10-16.
Update 2025-10-11: Plus Staten Road for Thursday.
WWALS testers found the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers clean within the past seven days, and the Withlacoochee River mostly clean.
We don’t know about Sugar Creek, because Valdosta Utilities stopped testing after the state-required four weeks beyond a major spill.
GA-EPD finally added the gallons spilled in Valdosta’s big August sewage spills to its Sewage Spills Report. But no new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
It’s supposed to be mostly sunny or sunny for the next ten days.
I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, Other than that, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Clean Ichetucknee and Santa Fe, Mostly clean Withlacoochee River, Unknown Sugar Creek, 2025-10-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-09--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Ichetucknee and Santa Fe, Mostly clean Withlacoochee River, Unknown Sugar Creek, 2025-10-09
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
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.
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, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, Clean Withlacoochee up and down, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-02]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-02--wq/many.jpg)