A sinkhole opened in U.S. 90 in the middle of Live Oak, Florida, yesterday. FDOT says it’s fixed since yesterday evening.
But chronic overpumping of groundwater produces such cavities, and increasintly big rains wash them open.
![[Live Oak Sinkhole, U.S. 90, 2025-08-25, Between Dowling Ave. and Union Ave.]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-25--live-oak-sinkhole/fbmany.jpg)
Live Oak Sinkhole, U.S. 90, 2025-08-25, Between Dowling Ave. and Union Ave.
Live Oak Police Department yesterday reported with a video of the sinkhole opening: Continue reading
Update 2025-08-23: Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-23.
The Withlacoochee River tested clean this week.
Nobody tested Sugar Creek, but I’d avoid it until somebody gets clean results.
Nobody tested Cat Creek or Beatty Branch, either, but I can attest that Cat Creek smelled like sewage last Saturday.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
There’s a strong chance of storms through Sunday, but mostly in the afternoon.
Rains lately have been spotty here and there, and any rain could wash contamination into waterways. We can only report test results we know.
So if you can get in and out before the rains, happy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating this weekend.
![[Clean Withlacoochee River, Storms through Sunday, Happy paddling, 2025-08-21]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-21--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Withlacoochee River, Storms through Sunday, Happy paddling, 2025-08-21
Or join us at 8:30 AM tomorrow (Saturday) for
Black Moon Morning Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23.
https://wwals.net/?p=68213
Update 2025-08-22: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-21.
Update 2025-08-18: Videos: Florida River Task Force and City of Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop 2025-08-14.
Sugar Creek still tested bad for E. coli Wednesday, but not as bad as last week. The Withlacoochee River was bad at US 84, but OK at US 41 and upstream, and downstream near the Suwannee River.
The Alapaha River tested clean for Thursday.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
There’s a chance of storms through Monday, but mostly in the afternoon.
So if you can get in and out before the rains, avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, and happy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating this weekend.
Or join us tomorrow (Saturday) upstream from Valdosta in Lowndes County, Georgia, for Franklinville Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-16.
Update 2025-08-15: Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-13.
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.
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
Update 2025-08-08: Clean Alapaha River 2025-08-03, Dirty Creeks 2025-08-06, Withlacoochee River Clean downstream 2025-08-07.
Update 2025-08-04: Yet another Wainwright Drive sewage spill 2025-08-04.
WWALS got pretty clean water quality results for the Withlacoochee River upstream and down for Wednesday, and even Sugar Creek seems cleaner.
This is surprising after Valdosta’s much worse results for Monday.
Also surprising is the dirty winner of Wednesday: Beatty Branch, which runs into Cat Creek before that gets to the Withlacoochee River.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia since the report of the Valdosta Sugar Creek spill for July 13.
If you can avoid the thunderstorms predicted this weekend, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing. At least the temperature is predicted to be somewhat lower.
![[OK Withlacoochee River, Cleaner Sugar Creek, Dirty Beatty Branch, 2025-07-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-30--wq/many.jpg)
OK Withlacoochee River, Cleaner Sugar Creek, Dirty Beatty Branch, 2025-07-30
Maybe join us tomorrow for Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-03.
WWALS tester John S. Quarterman (jsq) got 300 cfu/100 mL E. coli for Cat Creek at Cat Creek Road. That’s well below the 410 one-time test limit. He did hear from a neighbor that there aren’t nearly as many fish in Cat Creek as there used to be.
WWALS is working on a grant strategy to do systematic testing of Cat Creek, Beatty Branch, and Beaverdam Creek to get at the bottom of that. It will be expensive, because it will require DNA testing in addition to many frequent E. coli tests. Continue reading
Update 2025-08-01: Rescheduled: Florida River Task Force and City of Valdosta City Council Joint Workshop 2025-08-14.
It’s not a good week for Sugar Creek or the Withlacoochee River.
Not all of the river contamination can be coming from Sugar Creek, since E. coli readings are also sky-high at North Valdosta Road, which is upstream of Sugar Creek.
Most likely some of it is coming down Cat Creek, as we discovered in previous exploratory testing. WWALS is working on a grant strategy to do systematic testing of Cat Creek, Beatty Branch, and Beaverdam Creek to get at the bottom of that. It will be expensive, because it will require DNA testing in addition to many frequent E. coli tests.
![[Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River, after big rain, 2025-07-23]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-23--wq/many.jpg)
Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River, after big rain, 2025-07-23
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida or Georgia since the report of the Valdosta Sugar Creek spill for July 13.
No rain is predicted for this weekend, but avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River. Remember rain could be washing other contamination into other rivers. But other than that, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing. Continue reading
Update 2025-07-25: Filthy Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River after rain 2025-07-23.
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.
Depending on water levels and river contamination, join us Tuesday for
Chainsaw again upstream from Troupville towards Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-22.
https://wwals.net/?p=67969
Those interested in Sugar Creek or sewage spills, come to
Florida River Task Force meeting with Valdosta City Council 2025-07-30.
https://wwals.net/?p=67990
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.
“Both sites looked great,” she said.
Update 2025-07-14: Location of Sugar Creek Major Spill 2025-07-14.
Sewage is back in Sugar Creek, with children playing in it.
WWALS tester Suzy Hall reported this morning, “Yesterday I visited the goat. As I approached, I heard kids splashing, jumping and having a ball. There was, to me, a slight smell…and the water color was off. I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn’t. It’s nasty. It’s too early to pull the plates, but it’s going to be TNTC at the goat.” Continue reading
Thanks to Gee Edwards for leading this one at the last minute, after Janet had some sort of dancing injury.
Janet did not paddle. Nor did I, although I brought Honeybun, Blondie, and Sky to help out. River stayed home.
Janet and Gee are WWALS Board members.
Janet and Kim Tanner (not present) are the co-chairs of the WWALS Outings Committee.
Maybe you’d like to join that committee to help schedule outings.
https://wwals.net/about/committees/#wwals-outings
The next Full Moon paddle is Continue reading
These pictures of Quitman’s large sewage settling pond appear to show evidence of recent sewage runoff from these ponds, as well as holes in the fence and a rather rotted pier. They were taken Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Water quality testing downstream the day before indicates something contaminated Okapilco Creek and the Withlacoochee River downstream after rains a day before that.
For months I have been asking for a tour of Quitman’s sewage facilities to see if conditions have improved.
![[Quitman sewage settling ponds: Spills? 2025-07-26, None reported, WQ monitoring says maybe]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-07-26--quitman-large-settling-pond/many.jpg)
Quitman sewage settling ponds: Spills? 2025-07-26, None reported, WQ monitoring says maybe
On the preceding Sunday, July 24, 2022, there had been more than an inch of rain on Quitman. I find no Quitman reports for July 2022 in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.
Yet Valdosta’s water quality monitoring for that Monday got 1,000 cfu/100 mL E. coli for Okapilco Creek at US 84 (US 221), which is downstream of those Quitman settling ponds and upstream of the nearest dairy. Valdosta got worse on the Withlacoochee River downstream of Okapilco Creek at Knights Ferry Boat Ramp: 2,700. Continue reading
![[Dirty Sugar Creek & Withlacoochee River @ US 84, 2025-08-13, Clean Alapaha River & Withlacoochee River, Upstream & Downstream 2025-08-14]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-13--wq/many.jpg)
![[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]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-08-07--wq/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)
![[New sewage spill in Sugar Creek, E. coli Too Numerous to Count 2025-07-12, Spill site at railroad bridge, Valdosta Utilities is on it]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-07-12--wq/many.jpg)
![[Full Strawberry Moon, Banks Lake NWR 2025-06-12, A small but hardy crowd, not scared of rain predictions]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-06-11--full-strawberry-moon-banks-lake-pictures/many.jpg)