Tag Archives: State Line Boat Ramp

Clean Withlacoochee River downstream 2025-11-22

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Update 2025-11-28: Clean Withlacoochee River, Mostly Clean Sugar Creek 2025-11-26.

Better news from two recent Withlacoochee River water quality samples.

Apparently the effects of the small Valdosta sewage spill into Sugar Creek Wednesday have washed out of the Withlacoochee River downstream, at least where we tested.

Suzy Hall got zero (0) E. coli for Friday at State Line Boat Ramp, aka Mozell Spells.

John S. Quarterman got 100 cfu/100 mL for Saturday nine miles upstream at Clyattville-Nankin Boat Ramp.

Those are both less than the 126 cfu/100 mL three-test average limit, so quite clean.

This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean downstream Withlacoochee River, State Line 2025-11-21, Nankin Boat Ramp 2025-11-22]
Clean downstream Withlacoochee River, State Line 2025-11-21, Nankin Boat Ramp 2025-11-22

Nankin Boat Ramp is also 15 river miles downstream from US 84 and 27 miles downstream from GA 133 where Valdosta Utilities got way-too-high E. coli for Thursday. And about 30 miles downstream from Sugar Creek, where WWALS tester Suzy Hall got even worse Too Numerous to Count (TNTC) for Wednesday.

These new WWALS results match the zero (0) that WWALS tester Russ Tatum got for Wednesday at Holly Point, on the Withlacoochee River in Florida a few miles upstream from the Suwannee River.

So if you can find enough water, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing, at least downstream on the Withlacoochee River.

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 →

Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01

Update 2025-09-05: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-09-04.

It appears that the high E. coli incident that started Friday due to rain on Valdosta has gotten diluted or washed downstream. The predicted rain for Monday and Tuesday did not happen, so chances are the results will keep getting better.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So, going by the test results we have, happy paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming, as long as you avoid the Withlacoochee River from Sugar Creek to US 84.

[Worse Sugar Creek 2025-03-31, Better Withlacoochee River 2025-09-02, In Valdosta Utilities test results, Per Valdosta Utilities and WWALS]
Worse Sugar Creek 2025-03-31, Better Withlacoochee River 2025-09-02, In Valdosta Utilities test results, Per Valdosta Utilities and WWALS

Valdosta Utilities has completed the seven days of testing after a major spill required by GA-EPD. That ended Sunday, August 31, with much worse water quality at Gornto Road on Sugar Creek, 3,800 cfu/100 mL E. coli, which is almost 4 times the 1,000 alert limit. See: Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-29

Update 2025-06-06: Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-04.

The Withlacoochee River tested clean E. coli this week, upstream and down.

Whatever was amiss at Langdale Park last week is gone now. We don’t know the state of Sugar Creek: nobody tested there.

No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

There’s some chance of rain today, then sunny for the weekend.

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-29]
Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-29

Maybe join us tomorrow for Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31.
https://wwals.net/?p=67042 Continue reading →

Walkaround Quitman large sewage settling pond 2022-07-26

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]
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 →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20

Update 2025-01-26: Cleaner but still dirty Sugar Creek 2025-01-24.

Due to the ice storm, nobody sampled this week since Monday: not WWALS and not Valdosta.

So here is what data we do have from Friday about Sugar Creek (filthy), Sunday about Franks Creek and the Withlacoochee River (good), and Monday about the New River in Tifton (good).

Valdosta Utilities drew samples today from Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, and their results should be up tomorrow on their 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing web page. More about Sugar Creek below.

Most of the river gauges we follow couldn’t handle the sleet, snow, or rain Wednesday, so we don’t know how much preciptation fell. From the few that did register, probably up to an inch or more.

Which means more contamination probably washed into the waterways.

Since the weather prediction is freezing at night and cold during the day this weekend, I wouldn’t be paddling. If you must go out in a power boat while the rivers are up a bit, best not to get the water on you.

Or join us tomorrow for an on-land cleanup on One Mile Branch at Wainwright Driver in Valdosta, on the Azalea City Trail.
https://wwals.net/?p=66659

[Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20]
Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20

Sugar Creek

Continue reading →

Withlacoochee River and Two Mile Branch better, Hightower and Sugar Creeks very bad 2024-11-14

Update 2024-11-20: Madison Health lifts Health Advisory for Withlacoochee River 2024-11-20.

It’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least, with it still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast, plus still questionable water quality results.

We have rescheduled to next week our Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup after Hurricane Helene, Troupville Boat Ramp 2024-11-23.

Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.

Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.

[Filthy Hightower and Sugar Creeks Better Withlacoochee River 2024-11-14 OK Two Mile Branch Good Franks Creek]
Filthy Hightower and Sugar Creeks Better Withlacoochee River 2024-11-14 OK Two Mile Branch Good Franks Creek

Water quality has improved for the Withlacoochee River, although Fecal coliform was still high at GA 133 and US 84 as well as One Mile Branch (Valdosta Utilities), and State Line (Madison Health).

Meanwhile, Valdosta Utilities reported E. coli and Fecal coliform still too high on Sugar Creek at Gornto Road and increased to extremely high on Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road.

While no new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida, it’s a little hard to believe there is no sewer spill on Hightower Creek with 42,500 cfu/100mL E. coli (42 times the 1,000 alert limit), Continue reading →

Bad Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch and Alapaha River 2024-11-13

Update 2024-11-16: Withlacoochee River and Two Mile Branch better, Hightower and Sugar Creeks very bad 2024-11-14.

Water quality was bad for the Withlacoochee River at Sullivan Launch for Tuesday in results from Madison Department of Health.

Bad for One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek in results from the City of Valdosta for Wednesday and from WWALS tester Scotti Jay.

And bad for the Alapaha River at Sheboggy for Sunday in results from WWALS tester Heather Brasell.

Plus the Withlacoochee River is still in Action Stage around Valdosta, and not coming down fast.

So it’s best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few more days at least. Probably the Alapaha River, as well.

Better luck with the Suwannee or Santa Fe Rivers, or the Ichetucknee if any park entrances are open there.

Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.

[Bad Withlacoochee River 2024-11-12 Bad Sugar Creek 2024-11-13 Bad One Mile Branch 2024-11-13 Bad Alapaha River 2024-11-10]
Bad Withlacoochee River 2024-11-12 Bad Sugar Creek 2024-11-13 Bad One Mile Branch 2024-11-13 Bad Alapaha River 2024-11-10

No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida.

Valdosta’s flash flood spills finally showed up today in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-18

Update 2024-10-26: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-10-24.

WWALS testers Cindy Vedas and Gretchen Quarterman also got clean results at three more Withlacoochee River sites, in Georgia and Florida.

That matches the other results for last week, for the Withlacoochee, Little, and Alapaha Rivers (with Franks Creek as the outlier).

The weather prediction is still sunny and cool.

The water levels are back down to normal, except for the upper and lower Santa Fe River, and the lower Suwannee River.

However, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene.

So if you can find an accessible stretch, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

[Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-17, 2024-10-16 Also Little and Alapaha Rivers]
Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-10-17, 2024-10-16 Also Little and Alapaha Rivers

Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-08-29

Update 2024-09-02: Bad Alapaha WTP Outflow 2024-08-30.

The Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested clean for Wednesday and Thursday.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. We did hear of a fish kill in Lakes Rowell and Sampson far upstream of the Santa Fe River, apparently on Friday, August 23. People are investigating.

There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction shows chance of storms starting Monday, but not for the weekend.

Santa Fe Lake, The lower Santa Fe, and the Suwannee River at Fargo and downstream from the Santa Fe are in Action Stage, and the Santa Fe at TREPO is still in flood.

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage. The Alapaha is actually getting too low.

So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.

Be sure to join us Saturday, September 7, 2024, for the WWALS River Revue, 5-8 PM at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta. It’s a sit-down fundraising dinner with speakers from Florida and Georgia, a silent auction, and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
https://www.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2024

[Clean Withlacoochee & Alapaha Rivers 2024-08-29 No sewage spills and No rain]
Clean Withlacoochee & Alapaha Rivers 2024-08-29 No sewage spills and No rain

Continue reading →

Videos: Testing three sites in Florida and Georgia, Withlacoochee River 2023-12-14

Update 2023-12-22: Bad water quality, Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers 2023-12-21.

On the way back from a day in High Springs, Florida, and at springs on the Ichetucknee River, I collected water quality samples from three Withlacoochee River sites.

[Three test sites, samples, and results, Withlacoochee River 2023-12-14]
Three test sites, samples, and results, Withlacoochee River 2023-12-14

The sites are: Sullivan Launch at CR 150 in Madison County, Florida, State Line Boat Ramp at GA 31 in Lowndes County, Georgia, and Clyattville-Nankin Boat Ramp on the road of the same name, also in Lowndes County.

I had intended to test Knights Ferry Boat Ramp as well, but my bucket broke at Nankin, so that was it for that night.

Here is a video:
https://youtu.be/IR4PK7dR1JE

Continue reading →