Tag Archives: Mozell Spells

Zero E. coli at Nankin and State Line, Withlacoochee River 2020-03-29

Update 2020-04-06: Rain and dirty Withlacoochee River again 2020-04-02

A clean river is what we like to see, and the most recent bacterial tests show the Withlacoochee River clean. You can help us keep determining when it is clean.

Photo: Suzy Hall, Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, Downstream, Sunday, March 29, 2020.

We haven’t seen this in more than three months: zero (0) cfu/100 mL E. coli at multiple landings on the Withlacoochee River:

Zero E. coli, Nankin, State Line
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of Georgia and Florida data, see wwals.net/issues/testing/.

Madison Florida Health Department get zero at CR 150 (near Sullivan Launch) last Thursday, and only Continue reading →

Still bad Saturday: Withlacoochee and Suwannee River to Mayo and Luraville 2020-02-29

Update 2020-03-02: Suwannee River contamination running downstream to the Gulf 2020-03-01.

Still bad water quality all the way to Luraville and Mayo, according to FDOH Friday for the Withlacoochee River and SRWMD Saturday for the Suwannee River.

A catalog of WWALS, Valdosta, Lowndes County, FDEP, FDOH, and SRWMD results is at wwals.net/issues/testing/. You can help.

2020-02-29–excerpt-WWALS-composite-wq-results
Extract from WWALS composite water quality test results from Georgia and Florida.

A couple days ago I remarked that nobody knew the water quality of the Suwannee River downstream from Dowling Park, because nobody had tested that. Saturday SRWMD did test down at the Hal W. Adams Bridge on FL 51, between Mayo and Luraville, and the result was above the alert level of 1,000, while at Dowling Park it was back below the too-high level of 410. Apparently something was moving down the Suwannee River.

We still don’t know what’s going on downstream of FL 51, for example at US 27 (Branford) or CR 340 (Rock Bluff Ramp). This is more evidence that we need regular, frequent, testing at all these locations, not just after a spill or other upstream alert.

Thanks to Katelyn Potter of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) for forwarding the Florida updates late Sunday evening. Thanks to SRWMD and Madison Health for testing on a weekend, and to Florida Department of Health (FDOH) for helping. Thanks to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Julie Espy for posting results on an FDEP web page. No update on Valdosta’s results website for Friday yet.

WWALS testers Conn and Trudy Cole got Continue reading →

Avoid Withlacoochee River Knights Ferry to Suwannee River Dowling Park 2020-02-27

The good news: both Valdosta and FDEP are posting testing results on their websites. There’s a catalog of those and WWALS’ results at wwals.net/issues/testing/.

The better news: Valdosta is testing three times a week, FDOH once a week, and FDEP is testing again, after saying it wouldn’t.

The really bad news: Thursday test results say stay off the Withlacoochee River at least from Knights Ferry on down, and the Suwannee River from the Withlacoochee Confluence at least down to Dowling Park.

The WWALS results from my Monday samples may help explain this contamination, and it looks like you can see it flow from Crooked Creek through Okapilco Creek to the Withlacoochee and the Suwannee. You can help.

Rain driving contamination down 2020-02-27.
Extract from WWALS composite water quality test results from Georgia and Florida.

But Valdosta’s Wednesday results also show contamination at US 41, upstream of Valdosta. And FDEP shows a spike at Dowling Park again. So there are multiple sources, not only in Brooks County, Georgia, but also elsewhere. The good news for Valdosta is it doesn’t seem to be coming from Valdosta.

WWALS continues to work on locating sources of contamination. For example, two of us visited the Quitman Land Application Site Wednesday. More on that in another blog post. WWALS testers will be sampling this weekend.

I took samples on Crooked Creek again Continue reading →

Madison Co., FL Withlacoochee River Bacterial Advisory 2020-02-11

Update 2020-02-15: EPA passes the buck to GA-EPD for Valdosta raw sewage spill 2020-01-31.

This unusually-worded Florida bacterial advisory for the Withlacoochee River probably has nothing to do with yesterday’s Valdosta 200 gallon sewage spill into two-mile branch:

02.11.20-Withlacoochee-River-Advisory-Hamilton-Madison-003-0001
PDF

The unusual wording is that the advisory gives no hint of the source of the contamination:

Jasper, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Hamilton and Madison counties today issued a joint health advisory to residents and visitors near the Withlacoochee River in North Florida.

Until further information is known regarding possible bacterial contamination of the river, people in the area are urged to take precautions when in contact with the Withlacoochee River. The Florida Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection are conducting water sampling.

We got the advisory at 4:42 PM today. At 5:10 PM Nathan Dean, reporter for WCTV, called to ask why the advisory. The best I could do was to say that tiny amount of Valdosta sewage could not possibly have made its way to Florida by today, and probably never would, because it was so small it would get diluted long before that.

At 7:48 PM I got forwarded through two intermediaries an explanation from SRWMD’s Darlene Velez that she orginally sent at 5:20 PM. She said Madison County Health Department had decided to do weekly sampling. I quote in part: Continue reading →

Lifted: Florida Withlacoochee and Suwannee Wastewater Warning; WWALS signs stay up for now 2020-01-24

Received 4:19 PM yesterday, Florida has lifted its river warning advisory. But everyone should keep testing rivers, creeks, and wells, not just after this December 2019 record-largest Valdosta raw sewage spill, but ongoing, at least weekly, to eventually lift the stigma so we can all promote eco-tourism. You can help.

01-24-2020 Wastewater Spill Valdosta Hamilton Madison LIFTED 0001
PDF

But WWALS will leave our warning signs up at Knights Ferry, Nankin, and State Line (GA 31, Madison Highway, Mozell Spells, CR 145) Boat Ramps in Georgia for now.

This is because that 397 cfu/100 mL E. coli at Continue reading →

Winners: WWALS Boomerang 2019-10-26

Update 2019-11-13: Pictures of the Final Finishers.

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

Hahira, Georgia, October 30, 2019 — Twice the paddlers this year participated in the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang Paddle Race into Florida and back to Georgia. That’s two dozen paddlers and about fifty people last Saturday at State Line Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

Winner: Russell McBride

“Paddlers from 3 to 69 years old included five parent-child tandems, and three solo children. All were led by overall winner and first male paddler Russell McBride, of Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, in a solo kayak, and first female paddler Jennifer James of Waldo, Alachua County, Florida, on a stand up paddle board,” reported Boomerang mastermind Bobby McKenzie.

Winning in categories were Continue reading →

Pictures: WWALS Boomerang 2019-10-26

Update 219-10-30: The winners.

We’ll announce the winners soon. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang.

Around the bend, 30.6353300, -83.3099100

Special thanks to Hamilton County, Florida, Commissioner Beth Burnam for welcoming all the paddlers to Florida. Continue reading →

Video: WWALS Boomerang on 94.3 FM Fox Radio Valdosta 8AM 2019-10-25

WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman took video of herself and Spencer van Horn on 94.3 FM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta, this morning, talking about the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again, coming up 11AM tomorrow (Saturday morning) at State Line Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

How to get tickets, and everything else about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again, 11AM, tomorrow, Saturday, Octobber 26, 2019, at State Line Ramp on Madison Highway south of Valdosta:
wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-26–boomerang/
WWALS Boomerang facebook event, WWALS Boomerang meetup

Please come early so we can get on the water as soon after 11AM as possible, due to possible showers as the day wears on. Continue reading →

WWALS Boomerang on 94.3 FM Fox Radio Valdosta 8AM 2019-10-25

“Actually, I’ll be on 94.3 FM Fox Sports Radio Valdosta, with host Spencer van Horn, at 8AM this morning, Friday, October 25, 2019,” said WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, “about the Second Annual WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia to Florida and back again.” Boomerang on radio show facebook event

Apparently you can listen online via http://foxsportsvaldosta.com/.

Continue reading →

All the WWALS Boomerang sponsors on a banner

All these sponsors like the WWALS Boomerang, and we hope you will, too:

All the sponsors on a banner

Come on down, 11AM, this Saturday, November 26, 2019, to the Withlacoochee River
at State Line Ramp (Mozell Spells, GA 31 Ramp), 6461 Madison Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31601.

Some people will be racing hard, others will just paddle.

Free boat rental from two outfitters, a free Georgia Beer coupon for boat registered, and winners get a nice big tumbler with the race logo.

All about the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, including how you can still get tickets online (or at the event):
wwals.net/pictures/2019-10-26–boomerang

And Gretchen will be talking about it on 92.1 FM Talk Radio, Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.