Tag Archives: Sugar Creek

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 →

New manhole at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch 2025-08-31

Update 2025-09-03: Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01.

Congratulations to Valdosta Utilities for taking action on a chronic sewage spill location!

Scotti Jay reported Sunday that he had noticed that morning an excavator at the Wainwright Drive manhole on One Mile Branch, where spills continue into Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

Scotti wrote, “Upon a closer look, the old manhole is gone. A new, updated and uplifted manhole now exists. I will wait to celebrate after the next storm. Strangely, the pine tree, whose roots were a problem in the old manhole, is also still there. So, let’s hope it holds water.”

[New manhole, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, 2025-08-31]
New manhole, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, 2025-08-31

Monday, Sara Jay sent a picture, attributed as a “screenshot from the Ring doorbell camera online community.” If anybody know a more precise source, please let us know. Continue reading →

Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River 2025-08-29

Update 2025-09-03: Better Withlacoochee River, Worse Sugar Creek 2025-09-01.

Update 2025-09-02: New manhole at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch 2025-08-31.

All too high: One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, and the Withlacoochee River, upstream and down.

The worst result in Valdosta Utilities’ Friday water quality results was at North Valdosta Road (US 41), upstream from most of Valdosta.

All were above the 1,000 cfu/100 mL alert limit.

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

There’s a 30% chance of rain today, then mostly sunny Monday and Tuesday.

Friday I said I wasn’t doing daily water quality reports after good Thursday results, but we’d best not ignore these

This is a prime example of why frequent water quality testing, especially by the City of Valdosta, is very useful. Nobody would have known about this contamination without these tests.

I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River for a few days at least, for paddling, fishing, swimming, or boating. Try the Alapaha or the Suwannee River upstream from the Withlacoochee, or farther downstream, or the Santa Fe or Ichetucknee.

[Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River after rain, 2025-08-29]
Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River after rain, 2025-08-29

Or join us Monday, September 1, 2025, for Little River Labor Day Paddle, Reed Bingham St Pk West Ramp 2025-09-01.

Thanks to Valdosta Utilities for posting their test results on their website, even on a holiday Saturday. So far as I know, Valdosta is the only wastewater permit holder in Georgia that puts its water quality results on its own web pages.
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills Continue reading →

Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek 2025-08-28

Update 2025-08-31: Filthy Creeks and Withlacoochee River 2025-08-29.

The Withlacoochee River remains clean upstream and down in test results for yesterday by Valdosta and FDOH. One Mile Branch showed less E. coli. Sugar Creek remained bad. Hightower Creek jumped up above the 1,000 alert limit.

The Alapaha River tested clean, but the Town of Alapaha’s wastewater outflow could be better, according to results by WWALS tester Heather Brasell.

[Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek]
Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-08-28, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek

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

Rain is very likely Saturday, decreasing into next week.

So happy paddling, fishing, swimming, and boating, although I’d steer clear of Sugar Creek.

The Florida agencies are ceasing testing, the WWALS results are posted for this week, and you now know where to look for Valdosta’s results. So this concludes this week’s WWALS Water Quality Test Reports.

Here is the WWALS composite spreadsheet with all these results, plus rainfall: Continue reading →

Better Sugar Creek water quality; Withlacoochee River still good 2025-08-27

Update 2025-08-29: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers, Bad Sugar Creek, Worse Hightower Creek 2025-08-28.

Update 2025-08-29: Now with WWALS Tester Russ Tatum’s Holly Point results.

According to test results for Wednesday from Valdosta, One Mile Branch and Hightower Creek were worse, above the 410 cfu/100 mL one-time test limit for E. coli, while Sugar Creek continued to improve, although still above that limit.

According to results from Valdosta, Madison Health, and WWALS, The Withlacoochee River upstream and down remained clean, from North Valdosta Road through GA 133, US 84, State Line, and Sullivan Launch, to Florida 6 just above Madison Blue Spring, and on to within a few miles of the Suwannee River.

[Better Sugar Creek water quality, Withlacoochee River still good, Valdosta and Madison Health, Wednesday, August 27, 2025]
Better Sugar Creek water quality, Withlacoochee River still good, Valdosta and Madison Health, Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Thanks to Valdosta Utilities for posting their test results on their website. So far as I know, Valdosta is the only wastewater permit holder in Georgia that puts its water quality results on its own web pages.
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills

Thanks to Madison Health for emailing their results as they get updates.

Not so much to the Florida Department of Enviromental Protection (FDEP), which is still working through its FOIA process two days after I sent a request; see below.

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. The GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report did have an update on the August 5, 2025 Rochelle spill: turns out it was two spills, and now they have the gallons; see below. But that was way upstream on the Alapaha River and the reports say “Did Not Enter State Waters”.

So at the moment the Withlacoochee River seems good for paddling, fishing, swimming, and boating, although I’d steer clear of Sugar Creek.

Here are Valdosta’s test results to date: Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek, OK One Mile Branch, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-26

Update 2025-08-29: Wednesday results, Better Sugar Creek water quality; Withlacoochee River still good 2025-08-27.

Update 2025-08-27: Now includes Valdosta Tuesday test results.

After the recent Valdosta sewage spills, One Mile Branch tested barely OK Monday below the Wainwright Drive manhole spill location.

But Sugar Creek tested very bad at Gornto Road. That makes me wonder whether there is some other, as yet unreported, spill into Sugar Creek.

The Withlacoochee River so far tested OK both upstream at US 41 and downstream at US 84 and into Florida at State Line Boat Ramp, Sullivan Launch, and Florida 6.

[Filthy Sugar Creek, OK One Mile Branch, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-26, After Valdosta sewage spills]
Filthy Sugar Creek, OK One Mile Branch, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-08-26, After Valdosta sewage spills

Valdosta has put up a new web page for followup results:
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills

[Table: Creeks and Withlacoochee River test results, 2025-08-26 --Valdosta Utilities]
Table: Creeks and Withlacoochee River test results, 2025-08-26 –Valdosta Utilities

So far as I know, Valdosta is the only wastewater permit holder in Georgia that puts its water quality results on its own web pages.

That 4,360 cfu/100 mL E. coli Monday result at Gornto Road on Sugar Creek is more than 4 times the 1,000 alert limit. I suppose that could just be the One Mile Branch spill washing downstream. Or is it something else?

The reduced 1,500 result for Tuesday may indicate it actually was One Mile Branch contamination washing downstream.

The Madison, Florida, Department of Health (FDOH) upon request sent their results from Monday, and the Florida Department of Environmental Proteciton (FDEP)’s results from Tuesday. Both FDOH and FDEP sampled today, for results tomorrow. Continue reading →

WWALS Booth at The Happening, VSU Front Lawn 2025-08-28

VSU students, come to our informational booth about water issues, events, and outings.

WWALS members, you can help at the booth.

When: 1 PM, Thursday, August 28, 2025

Put In: VSU Front Lawn

[WWALS Booth at The Happening at VSU, VSU Front Lawn, Thursday, August 28, 2025]
WWALS Booth at The Happening at VSU, VSU Front Lawn, Thursday, August 28, 2025

One Mile Branch runs through VSU. Downstream is the notoriously spilling Wainwright Drive manhole, on the way to Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

For more about The Happening at VSU, see:
https://www.valdosta.edu/student/student-life/special-events/the-happening/ Continue reading →

Slides: Valdosta Utilities Director to Florida River Task Force 2025-08-14

Update 2025-08-25: Overflowing Catch Basin at Valdosta Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant 2025-08-24.

You’ve seen the WWALS videos of the presentation by Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes to the Rivers Task Force.
https://wwals.net/?p=68201

These are the slides he used, obtained from the City of Valdosta with an open records request.

See also:

[Slides: Jason Barnes, Valdosta Utilities Director, to Florida River Task Force, August 24, 2025]
Slides: Jason Barnes, Valdosta Utilities Director, to Florida River Task Force, August 24, 2025

Here are the slides: Continue reading →

Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24

Scotti Jay updated around 1 PM today, “Wainwright still spewing sewage a day later. Lid popped. No warning signs. No lime. No response team. Only a press release stating the city found the leak.”

Scotti added, “A city truck pulled up. I told him it’s still spewing. Asked when they were going to put up signs. His only response was ‘Thanks for letting us know.’”

Valdosta posted midafternoon: “Update as of August 24, 2025, 3:30 p.m.: The overflow has stopped. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 gallons of stormwater diluted wastewater to the adjacent creek. All required agencies have been notified.”

[Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24]
Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24

So that’s a bit less than 27 hours after Scotti Jay reported the spill to the city at 12:50 PM yesterday. Sort of quick. Better than in many previous years.

20,000 gallons is twice a major spill. Not good.

Still no warning signs. Also not good.

This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. Continue reading →

Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-23

Update 2025-08-24: Stopped Sewage Spill, Wainwright Drive, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-08-24.

Scotti Jay reports, “Active sewage spill at Wainwright Dr neglected manhole. Aug 23, 2025 12p.m.”

[Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again]
Active sewage spill, Wainwright Drive 2025-08-23, One Mile Branch, Yet again

Scotti says he reported it to Valdosta Utilities at 12:50 PM.

I called Utilities Director Jason Barnes at 1:00 PM. He said he would send someone over there right now.

This is the same Wainwright Drive manhole that has spilled repeatedly over many years. The sewage goes directly into One Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek, then into the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →