Tag Archives: One Mile Branch

Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Dirty Creeks 2025-08-06, Withlacoochee River Clean downstream 2025-08-07

Valdosta Utilities got very bad E. coli results Monday, after its sewage spill into One Mile Branch. But not just bad on Sugar Creek. Also bad upstream of Sugar Creek at US 41 on the Withlacoochee River, and downstream at both GA 133 and US 84.

Very bad, as in more than 9,000 cfu/100 mL, for each of the five locations they tested. That’s 9 times the 1,000 alert limit.

With Wednesday samples, WWALS got higher than the 410 one-time test limit for Cat Creek and Beatty Branch at Cat Creek Road, and for Franklinville Road on the Withlacoochee River, which is upstream of those creeks.

Surprisingly, the WWALS Wednesday test result for Langdale Park Boat Ramp was OK at 166. Surprising because that’s downstream from the other WWALS results of the same day, and just downstream from Valdosta Utilities’s sky-high Monday result at US 41.

Farther downstream for Thursday, WWALS got zero near the Suwannee River.

Meanwhile, for Sunday on the Alapaha River near Alapaha, GA, WWALS got very good results. There was one tiny sewage spill on Tuesday way upstream at Rochelle, GA, but that spill “Did not enter state waters.” No other sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Storms and thunderstorms are predicted for the next ten days.

If you can avoid the weather, and avoid the Withlacoochee River upstream and near Sugar Creek, happy paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming this weekend.

[Filthy Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee 2025-08-04, Dirty Cat Creek and Beatty Branch 2025-08-06, Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Clean Withlacoochee downstream 2025-08-07]
Filthy Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee 2025-08-04, Dirty Cat Creek and Beatty Branch 2025-08-06, Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Clean Withlacoochee downstream 2025-08-07

Or come to the WWALS Social tomorrow (Saturday) evening at 6PM at Banks Lake west of Lakeland, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/?p=67844

Later that same evening, you can also join the Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle on Banks Lake.
https://wwals.net/?p=67607

Cat Creek

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WTXL on Wainwright Drive One Mile Branch sewage spill 2025-08-05

Update 2025-08-08: Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Dirty Creeks 2025-08-06, Withlacoochee River Clean downstream 2025-08-07.

I’ve added some information to Malia’s report, so you’ll know what she was looking at.

Malia Thomas, WTXL, 2025-08-05, Valdosta sewage spill renews concern after second overflow hits creek in under a month: Another sewage spill near Sugar Creek sparks urgency as Valdosta faces decades-old infrastructure strain

VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — Another sewer spill in Valdosta—this time small, but still stirring concern.

[Wainwright Drive sewage spill on WTXL TV 2025-08-05, into One Mile Branch, at site of many previous spills]
Wainwright Drive sewage spill on WTXL TV 2025-08-05, into One Mile Branch, at site of many previous spills

  • Monday’s spill released up to 1,000 gallons into Sugar Creek [actually, into One Mile Branch, which flows to Sugar Creek, then the Withlacoochee River to the Suwannee -jsq], which connects to the Suwannee River system.
  • Since April 2024, over 409,000 gallons of raw sewage have spilled from the same Wainwright Dr. location.
  • Watch the video to hear from neighbors and the city’s plan of action.
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Pictures: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26

We got quite a bit of trash off of Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, and the Azalea City Trail, including near the old trash dump across Hurricane-Helene-damaged fence.

[Clean up One Mile Branch, at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta, GA, April 26, 2025]
Clean up One Mile Branch, at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta, GA, April 26, 2025

The land beyond One Mile Branch left bank, Azalea City Trail, and the fence is owned by University System of GA Board of Regents.

There were children playing in One Mile Branch, including right below the manholes that have repeatedly leaked massive amounts of raw sewage.

One Mile Branch runs into Sugar Creek into the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to Sara Squires Jones and Scotti Jay for organizing this cleanup.

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Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26

Update 2025-04-30: Pictures: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26.

Rescheduled due to thunderstorms to April 26.

Come clean up trash along Azalea City Trail in Valdosta. Start near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on Sugar Creek, and go upstream and downstream.

When: 10 AM, Sunday, April 26, 2025

Put In: Wainwright Drive between Baytree Drive and Brookhaven Drive, and maybe also downstream, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.

GPS: 30.84287, -83.30113

[Azalea City Trail, Cleanup 2025-04-26, Start at Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch]
Azalea City Trail, Cleanup 2025-04-26, Start at Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch

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Pictures: Azalea Festival 2025-03-08

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman, Elizabeth Brunner, Lisa Adkins-Montisano, Cindy Vedas, Sara Squires Jones, and Scotti Jay Jones for making the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival a success.

[Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08]
Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08

Volunteers gave out many flyers, especially about the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, coming up this Saturday, March 15.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

All these pictures are from delivery Friday or at the Festival Saturday. Sunday got rained out. Thanks to Scotti and Sara for delivering the booth back to its abode. Continue reading

Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-16

Update 2025-04-15 Rescheduled due to impending thunderstorms. Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-04-26.

Come clean up trash along Azalea City Trail in Valdosta. Start near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on Sugar Creek, and go upstream and downstream.

When: 10 AM, Sunday, March 16, 2025

Put In: Wainwright Drive between Baytree Drive and Brookhaven Drive, and maybe also downstream, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.

GPS: 30.84287, -83.30113

[Azalea City Trail Cleanup 2025-03-16, Start at Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch]
Azalea City Trail Cleanup 2025-03-16, Start at Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch

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Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08

Update 2025-03-09: Pictures: Azalea Festival 2025-03-08.

Come help WWALS celebrate spring with 30,000 of our south Georgia and north Florida friends.

When: 9 AM-6 PM, Saturday, March 8, 2025
9 AM-5 PM, Sunday, March 9, 2025

Put In: Drexel Park, 1401 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA, 31601

GPS: 30.846771, -83.285066

[Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08-9]
Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08-9

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Pictures: Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta GA 2025-01-25

Update 2025-03-08: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-16.

Thanks to the four Alpha Phi Alpha of VSU.

[Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU]
Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU

Thanks to Scotti Jay Jones and Sara Squires Jones for organizing this cleanup near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on One Mile Branch, along the Azalea City Trail in Valdosta, Georgia.

Donovan Henderson of Alpha Phi Alpha found the Zacadoo’s cup. Continue reading

Sugar Creek sewer lines, Valdosta, GA 2024-12-29

Update 2024-01-04: Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River 2025-01-02.

Where is the contamination in Sugar Creek coming from in Valdosta, Georgia?

Apparently mostly from somewhere between Baytree Road and Gornto Road, according to recent water quality results.

One way to narrow down the source is to collect water quality samples at more places between those city roads.

And likely places to check would be just below where sewer lines cross Sugar Creek.

[Valdosta sewer mains crossing Sugar Creek between Baytree Road and Gornto Road towards the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA]
Valdosta sewer mains crossing Sugar Creek between Baytree Road and Gornto Road towards the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA

It would be very useful to know if anybody has seen or smelled sewage just west of Sugar Creek on Spring Creek Circle, Wooddale Drive, Westbrook Circle, or on South Sherwood Drive.

Or just east of Sugar Creek, on Park Lane or the west ends of W. Park Ave. or McRee Drive.

Or anybody just upstream (south) of Gornto Road at Outdoor Living or Window World or the liquor store.

Here’s how to report it to WWALS and to the City of Valdosta:
https://wwals.net/report/

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Rescheduled: Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta GA 2025-01-25

Update 2025-01-26: Pictures: Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta, GA 2025-01-25.

Rescheduled to January because of impending thunderstorms on the previous date.

Join us to clean up trash near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on Sugar Creek, along the Azalea City Trail in Valdosta, Georgia.

When: 10 AM-1 PM, Saturday, January 25, 2025

Put In: Wainwright Drive between Baytree Drive and Brookhaven Drive in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.

GPS: 30.84287, -83.30113

[Clean up One Mile Branch on the Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta GA, Rescheduled to 2025-01-25]
Clean up One Mile Branch on the Azalea City Trail, Wainwright Drive, Valdosta GA, Rescheduled to 2025-01-25

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