Tag Archives: Sugar Creek

Clean Rivers 2023-11-23

Update 2023-12-02: Mostly clean rivers 2023-11-30.

Most of our testers were away for the holiday, but those who tested got clean results for the Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers. Plus the usual bad results for Sugar Creek last Sunday.

There was some rain in the past few days, but not much. Some rain is predicted for Sunday, but it it’s like the last predicted rain, it won’t amount to much, either.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend!

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-23]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-23

Kim Tanner tested the Alapaha River Monday at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach and got very clean results.

Joanne Tremblay tested the Santa Fe River Wednesday. For the US 27 bridge she wrote, “Looking good. The river was swirling gently with leaves. There is a midriver spring right above the ramp. There is also a riparian neighborhood that hugs the high banks along this stretch and a couple of shoals that aerate and solarize the waters.”

For US 41 she wrote, “This location is a few miles down from River Rise. Here the river is mostly surrounded by protected State Park with very few residences tucked in.”

WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall tested Sugar Creek last Sunday and got too-high results, “Still yucky.”

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman delivered testing supplies to several testers.

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Wednesday and Friday upstream, which were good. As usual, Valdosta’s last week upstream results corroborated what WWALS saw Thursday last week.

As previously noted, Valdosta’s last downstream tests were September 1, 2023. Continue reading →

Mostly clean Withlacoochee River 2023-11-16

Update 2023-11-25 Clean Rivers 2023-11-23.

There was some rain in the past few days, but apparently not enough to wash contamination into the Withlacoochee River. Even famously filthy Crawford Branch was clean. However, Langdale Park Boat Ramp tested dirty, but that is probably because the water is so low it is stagnant there.

No rain is predicted for this weekend.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend!

[Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-16]
Chart, River, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-16

Most of the usual WWALS testers are off for the holiday.

Russ Tatum got clean results for Wednesday for the Withlacoochee River at Holly Point, between Allen Ramp and the Suwannee River.

Cindy Vedas very got good results for Thursday for the Withlacoochee River at Franklinville, Crawford Branch, and Staten Road, but too -high at Langdale Park.

WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall provided sage advice.

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman delivered testing supplies to several testers.

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Monday upstream, which were good. As usual, Valdosta’s last week upstream results corroborated what WWALS saw Thursday last week.

As previously noted, Valdosta’s last downstream tests were September 1, 2023. Continue reading →

Scotti and Sara Jay discovered One Mile Branch fish kill, leading to GA-EPD Consent Order 2023-09-23

Update 2024-02-22: Slight update on this Consent Order in Valdosta Boone Drive and Knob Hill small sewage spills 2024-02-20.

Thanks to Scotti Jay Jones for discovering and photographing a fish kill on One Mile Branch a year ago, and for taking water quality samples. Thanks to Sara Jay Jones for plating those samples. Suwannee Riverkeeper reported all that to GA-EPD.

One year later, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD), levied a Consent Order on the City of Valdosta for that fish kill and various sewage spills.

[IG: Sara and Scotti Jay Jones, the GA-EPD Consent Order, location map, and fish kill]
IG: Sara and Scotti Jay Jones, the GA-EPD Consent Order, location map, and fish kill

Maybe that Consent Order and its requirements for Standard Operating Procedures will help prevent sewage spills from getting into One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, and Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, as well as into Knights Creek into Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. There have also been many personnel changes in the Valdosta City government, and the current Acting Utilities Director so far seems like a big improvement.

And you can join Scotti and Sara and WWALS at Iche Nippy Dip Day Swim and Paddle, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Headspring, 2024-01-06.

Below are links and snippets for previous WWALS blog posts during that year. Continue reading →

Clean Rivers 2023-11-09

Update 2023-11-17: Mostly clean Withlacoochee River 2023-11-16.

The rivers were still clean, in yet another week with no rain: the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers. Even famously filthy Crawford Branch was clean. However, notoriously dirty Sugar Creek was dirty, but it did not seem to affect the Withlacoochee River much.

No rain is predicted for this weekend.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend!

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-09]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-09

Heather Brasell got good results for Continue reading →

Clean rivers, dirty Sugar Creek 2023-11-02

In yet another week with no rain, the rivers were clean: the Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers. Not so clean was Sugar Creek that runs into the Withlacoochee River, but even that was below the 410 cfu/100 mL one-time test E. coli limit. That’s 14 WWALS test sites on three rivers and one creek in two states. Good baselines for later when there is contamination.

No rain is predicted for this weekend.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

So happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend!

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-02]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-11-02

Joanne Tremblay got clean results for the Santa Fe River at High Springs Ramp @ US 41 and at US 27.

Reina Lingle got clean results for the Suwannee River at Ivey Metropolitan Park in Branford and at Royal Springs.

Kimberly Tanner says about the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach, “Great results at both locations this week. And both areas were as clean as a whistle, too.”

Cindy Vedas got good results for the Withlacoochee River at Franklinville, Crawford Branch (yes, really), Staten Road, and US 41 (North Valdosta Road), with trash at US 41.

WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall tested Sugar Creek, and got too-high results, but clean at Knights Ferry and Nankin Boat Ramps on the Withlacoochee River. She also double-checked everybody else’s results. And the other testers cross-checked each others’ results.

Russ Tatum got clean results for the Withlacoochee River at Holly Point, between Allen Ramp and the Suwannee River.

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman delivered testing supplies to several testers. She is also our testing trainer.

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Wednesday upstream, which were good. As usual, Valdosta’s last week upstream results corroborated what WWALS saw Thursday last week.

And, as previosly noted, Valdosta’s last downstream tests were September 1, 2023. Continue reading →

Retry: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-12-16

Update 2023-12-15: Rescheduled: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2024-01-21

Come help us remove some deadfalls that are impeding canoe and kayak paddling. There are probably also new ones after Hurricane Idalia. And maybe we won’t get rained out this time.

Bring a chainsaw if you really know how to use it. Or a handsaw, or sawzall.

But you do not have to use any kind of saw to join us.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, December 16, 2023

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[A deadfall 2021-05-15]
A deadfall 2021-05-15

Continue reading →

Clean Rivers, filthy Sugar Creek 2023-10-05

The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers all tested good for Thursday, October 5, 2023.

But Sugar Creek was way too high in E. coli. Is Valdosta still leaking sewage from that River Street spill?

Yet downstream at GA 133 the Withlacoochee River was good.

There has been no rain this week.

So happy boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

Except Langdale Park, which is still walk-in only.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-10-05]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map 2023-10-05

If you want to get trained to be a WWALS water quality tester, please fill out the form:
https://wwals.net/?p=47084

The most recent Valdosta results we have are for Monday upstream (good) and the Friday five weeks ago, September 1st, downstream (not bad).

Valdosta’s last week upstream results corroborated what WWALS saw after last week’s rain.

In the last week, no new sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner for testing the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach: both showed very little E. coli.

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman for testing State Line and Nankin Boat Ramps and Folsom Bridge Landing @ GA 122 on the Little River.

Thanks to Heather Brasell for testing upstream on the Alapaha River last Saturday. Continue reading →

Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-10-14

Update 2023-10-12: Due to ongoing rain and rising river water levels, Retry: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-12-16.

Come help us remove some deadfalls that are impeding canoe and kayak paddling. There are probably also new ones after Hurricane Idalia.

Bring a chainsaw if you really know how to use it. Or a handsaw, or sawzall.

But you do not have to use any kind of saw to join us.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Saturday, October 14, 2023

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395

[A deadfall 2021-05-15]
A deadfall 2021-05-15

Continue reading →

Cancelled: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-09-09

Update 2023-09-12: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-10-14.

Cancelled on account of the Withlacoochee River is still too high after Hurricane Idalia, and our chainsaws don’t work underwater, the Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2023-09-09.

[FB: Cancelled due to river flood levels after Hurricane Idalia]
FB: Cancelled due to river flood levels after Hurricane Idalia

We will reschedule; new date to be announced.

The US 41 Withlacoochee River Gauge currently reads 122.36 feet. Our WWALS paddle recommendations are: Highest safe 12.7 feet, 123′ NAVD. Lowest boatable 5.7 feet, 116′ NAVD. And at the current level, the target deadfalls are about six feet underwater.

Valdosta US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River Gauge
Valdosta US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Withlacoochee River Gauge

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Valdosta Utilities equipment at Hightower Creek, River Street 2023-08-29

WWALS board member Scotti Jay yesterday noted, “They still have a bypass pump running on River St. Next to Academy Sports.”

[Manhole, pipes, pump, generator, Hightower Creek, River Street, Valdosta, GA]
Manhole, pipes, pump, generator, Hightower Creek, River Street, Valdosta, GA

They is Valdosta Utilities, after the July 17, 2023, River Street sewage spill into Hightower Creek.

Let’s hope they’ve got that generator and others fueled up as Hurricane Idalia arrives in Valdosta this morning.

FYI, Hightower Creek runs into Sugar Creek into the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →