I did get answers from the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD)
about nitrate testing for springs,
but no response about the Chemours application to mine on SRWMD land
in Bradford County in the Santa Fe River Basin,
using mineral rights retained by Rayonier.
Best to stay away from Sugar Creek, and the Withlacoochee River near it,
although downstream near the Suwannee River the Withlacoochee tested clean.
The Alapaha River tested clean.
As
noted yesterday,
the Valdosta Sugar Creek sewage spill finally showed up yesterday
in the
GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.
That was the only sewage spill reported in the Suwannee River Basin in
Georgia,
and no new sewage spills were reported in the past week in
Florida.
No rain is predicted for this weekend,
so avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River upstream,
and happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing.
WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner tested her usual two Alapaha River sites
at Lakeland Boat Ramp on GA 122 and Naylor Park Beach at US 84,
and got zero (0) E. coli for both.
Back in 2020, this Task Force of the dozen downstream Florida counties
was instrumental in getting a
Consent Order on Valdosta by the
Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD).
The Task Force was dormant for a while, but recent Valdosta sewage spills
have caused it to be reactivated.
Some of its members already met privately with several Valdosta City officials
a month or more ago.
Now a long-awaited public meeting has been announced.
Also, we finally have a list of the members of the Task Force.
Test results continue to show high Fecal coliform and E. coli
in Sugar Creek after the weekend’s sewage spill,
even though the bypass pump has been running normally since Sunday.
It can take many days for sewage to wash downstream,
especially without much rain.
The spill was too small to have much effect on the Withlacoochee River downstream,
and probably none on the Suwannee River.
Also, “It was perfect weather, we bobbled around in our PFD’s in the river just to make sure they are still buoyant enough to keep us afloat, talked about self rescue, assisted rescue and other fun things. Two kayak campers passed us going upstream for a couple of nights. Otherwise we were the only ones out until we got to the ramp at Cone Bridge. Lots of big bass boats with BIG motors, in and out of the water, nobody was there to fish, just river fun. Maybe it was a club, everybody very friendly.
I love this Turner to Cone section. Easy shuttle and beautiful paddle. We should do it again sometime.”
We have good E. coli results on the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers and Franks Creek for this week.
We don’t know about Sugar Creek; nobody tested that this week.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in
Florida.
or
Georgia.
Rain or thunderstorms are likely for the next ten days.
Since these recent tests were after previous rains,
apparently we’re past first flush.
That means whatever was in the woods has washed out now,
so more rain may not cause much contamination.
So as near as we can tell,
happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend,
if you can beat the rain!
Dennis Price, P.G., of Hamilton County, Florida, asked, “Are we just a water tower for Jacksonville?”
He showed us “the history of surface and ground water in the flatwoods in south Georgia and north Florida in the Suwannee River Basin.
Historic water levels and how we have changed these levels. Changes beginning with forestry then farming, and population growth.
Ideas for correcting the problems.”
This applies to the Floridan Aquifer proper and the other aquifers above it,
all below the Suwannee, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee Rivers, the Okefenokee Swamp, and their tributaries.
![[Nitrate monitoring of springs and Mining on SRWMD land, --Suwannee Riverkeeper to SRWMD Board 2025-07-08]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-08--srwmd-board-public-comment/many.jpg)
![[Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2025-07-17, Withlacoochee River dirty upstream, but clean downstream]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-17--wq/many.jpg)
![[Florida River Task Force and Valdosta City Council, Valdosta City Hall Annex, Wednesday, July 30, 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-30--task-force/fbmany.jpg)
![[Update: Valdosta Sugar Creek Sewage Spill Testing 2025-07-16, Still high, even upstream at Baytree Road]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-17--valdosta-sugar-creek-update/fbmany.jpg)
![[Clean Withlacoochee River, 2025-07-09, Happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-09--wq/many.jpg)
![[Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge, Suwannee River 2025-07-05, Thanks to Shirley Kokidko]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-05--turner-to-cone-bridge-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Wildflowers of the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, a WWALS Webinar by Emily Bell, Thursday, June 26, 2025]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-06-26--webinar-emily-bell-wildflowers-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
![[Clean Alapaha River 2025-06-29, Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-07-02]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-02--wq/many.jpg)
![[Turner Bridge, Suwannee River --Ken Sulak 2025-07-01, History and what bridge artifacts reveal or conceal]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-01--turner-bridge-ken-sulak/fbmany.jpg)
![[How Humans Affect the Aquifer, WWALS Webinar by Dennis Price, Are we just a water tower for Jacksonville? 2025-06-19]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-06-19--aquifer-dennis-price-webinar-pictures/fbmany.jpg)