Tag Archives: Staten Road

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-09-04

Update 2025-09-08: Clean Sugar Creek 2025-09-06.

Update 2025-09-07: Reorganized for intelligibility.

Water quality results from WWALS and Valdosta Utilities agree: the Withlacoochee River is clean again, upstream and down, as of Wednesday.

And WWALS tests say the Alapaha River is clean as of Thursday.

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

No rain is predicted until Monday.

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

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

Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-09-03, Clean Alapaha River 2025-09-04

Or join us inside tomorrow evening, 5-9 PM this Saturday, for a sit-down dinner with drinks and a silent auction in the WWALS River Revue and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.

The WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SVezEtnmNw2-byIvfA2exUsK-3je9N5Iir5se2nPY1o/

The following image is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet.

Chart: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-09-03 and Alapaha River 2025-09-04
For context, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing
Previous WWALS water quality reports are here:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results

The numbers in the chart boxes indicate E. coli levels as colony-forming units per 100 mililiters (cfu/100 mL), according to Georgia Adopt-A-Stream bacterial monitoring protocols:
Zero (0) is what we want to see, and often we do, on the Alapaha and upstream on the Suwannee Rivers.
From 1-125 is within long-term average limits according to U.S. EPA and Georgia and Florida state agencies.
From 126-409 long-term is not good, and is likely to make some people sick.
From 410-999 is likely to make some people sick; try not to get that water on you.
From 1,000 and up: high alert; best not to get close to that water without gloves; wash clothes afterward.
The letters before the numbers indicate the source of the datapoint, as in W100 means 100 cfu/100 mL found by a WWALS tester.
W: WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS), Suwannee Riverkeeper
V: Valdosta, GA
L: Lowndes County, GA
Q: Quitman, GA
SGRC: Southern Georgia Regional Commission
SRWMD: Suwannee River Water Management District
FDOH: Florida Department of Health
FDEP: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Rain: From USGS and UGA and other gauges.

Withlacoochee River

WWALS tester Cindy Vedas got Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-21

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

Or join us at 8:30 AM tomorrow (Saturday) for Black Moon Morning Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23.
https://wwals.net/?p=68213

Withlacoochee River

Continue reading →

OK Withlacoochee River, Cleaner Sugar Creek, Dirty Beatty Branch, 2025-07-30

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

Maybe join us tomorrow for Longer chainsaw from Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-08-03.

Cat Creek

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 →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-07-02

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!

Clean Alapaha River 2025-06-29, Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-07-02

Maybe join WWALS tomorrow for Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River 2025-07-05.
https://wwals.net/?p=67557

Alapaha River

Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-19

Update 2025-06-27: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-06-26.

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good E. coli results on the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers.

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 Georgia or Florida.

There’s some chance of rain for the next four 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!

Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-19, Happy swimming, paddling, boating, and fishing

Maybe join us tomorrow for spring hopping, Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2025-06-21.
https://wwals.net/?p=67572 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

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

Filthy Langdale Park Withlacoochee River 2025-05-22

Update 2025-05-30: Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-29.

The Withlacoochee River tested too high for E. coli for Thursday at Langdale Park, but clean upstream and OK downstream.

Whatever is amiss at Langdale Park, it’s not Sugar Creek, which is downstream. It could be Cherry Creek or Stillhouse Branch coming out of the Country Club. Or it could be coming from septic tanks west of Valdosta and the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County. Or something else that washed in with the spotty rains Wednesday.

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

No rain is predicted until Monday.

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

Filthy Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2025-02-22, Clean upstream and downstream

Or join us this weekend at Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, Florida, on the banks of the Suwannee River.
https://wwals.net/?p=67238 Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19

Update 2025-03-29: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-03-26.

It’s a good weekend for boating, if you are experienced and like water high and fast.

WWALS and Valdosta Utilities got good water quality results both upstream and downstream of Sugar Creek for Wednesday, and there has only been a sprinkle of rain since.

No new sewage spills were reported in Georgia or Florida.

No rain is predicted until Monday.

The Withlacoochee River at Pinetta is too high to paddle, as is the Suwannee at Fargo and the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers near where they join.

Avoid those spots, and happy high and fast water fishing, swimming, paddling, or boating this weekend.

If you are experienced, join us on Saturday, March 22, 2025, for the Expert paddle with jon boats: Troupville to Knights Ferry, Withlacoochee River.

The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle has been rescheduled to April 19th.

For these and other WWALS outings and events, see: https://wwals.net/outings/

Clean Withlacoochee River and Ty Ty Creek 2025-03-19, No new sewage spills, No rain this weekend

Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-03-06

Update 2025-03-14: Dirty Withlacoochee River 2025-03-12.

For the Withlacoochee River this week, WWALS got good results upstream and down, and Valdosta Utilities got good results for the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 and US 84.

We have no new water quality test results for Sugar Creek. Chances are that the previous sewage spill has washed out, although more testing would be good.

WWALS got excellent results for the Alapaha River at Naylor Park Beach.

No new sewage spills were reported in Florida or Georgia.

Saturday is supposed to be mostly rainless, before thunderstorms Sunday. River levels are good.

So happy fishing, swimming, paddling, and boating Saturday!

Clean Alapaha and, Withlacoochee Rivers, 2025-03-05, 2025-03-06