Water withdrawals in the SSRWPC region are almost entirely agricultural, noted Mark Masters of the Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center, Albany State University.
![[Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council 2024-11-21, at Wiregrass Tech, Valdosta, Georgia]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-21--ssrwpc-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council 2024-11-21, at Wiregrass Tech, Valdosta, Georgia
This was at the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council meeting at Valdosta Tech in Valdosta, Georgia, November 21, 2024. Continue reading
These are the slides that Debra Lorence wanted to present at the Valdosta City Council meeting, November 21, 2024.
![[Stormwater flooding on Post Pointe Circle @ VCC 2024-11-21, Jennifer Verrastro, Debra Lorence]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-04--jennifer-verrastro-ppt/fbmany.jpg)
Stormwater flooding on Post Pointe Circle @ VCC 2024-11-21, Jennifer Verrastro, Debra Lorence
You can see what she said
at 32:10 in Valdosta’s own video,
as one of many people who complained about flooding.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofValdosta/videos/446513611510950/
Her slides are on the WWALS website in PowerPoint and PDF.
On the left in slide 2 is a culvert under North Valdosta Road (US 41) next to their property. On the right is a much smaller pipe under their property. Continue reading
Update 2024-12-20: Langdale Park back open 2024-12-17.
On my way to collect some water quality samples, I looked in at Langdale Park towards the Withlacoochee River and Country Club Road at Three Mile Branch, both in Valdosta.
Nope, no driving in those places.
No doubt there are higher priorities for Lowndes County Public Works and Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA). Continue reading
“We paddled, we camped, and we cooked! Thank you to everyone for making this a fun weekend,” wrote Shirley Kokidko.
That was at Griffis Fish Camp, where they camped two nights and paddled the Suwannee River from the Okefenokee Swamp.
![[Campfire Cooking, Griffis Fish Camp 2022-12-02, Suwannee River, Okefenokee Swamp]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-12-02--camp-paddle-griffis-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Campfire Cooking, Griffis Fish Camp 2022-12-02, Suwannee River, Okefenokee Swamp
We’re doing it again, December 13-15, 2024.
Thanks to Shirley for these pictures from 2022.
See also facebook posts by: Continue reading
Update 2024-12-05:
Valdosta has published their results for Tuesday 2024-12-03.
Lower than ours at St. Augustine Road (380), but way higher at Gornto Road: 12,700, more than a dozen times the 1,000 alert limit.
There has been no rain.
Is there some other explanation than an intermittent sewage leak between St. Augustine Road and Gornto? -jsq
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/nov-2024-overflow-testing-results
Down at the WaterGoat was the worst place for E. coli on Sugar Creek on Monday: more than three times the alert limit at 3,200 cfu/100 mL.
It is not all coming from Two Mile Branch: we also got bad results upstream.
![[Still very bad 2024-12-02, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Where is the sewage spill or spills?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--wq/fbmany.jpg)
Still very bad 2024-12-02, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Where is the sewage spill or spills?
Some of the colonies are faint, but they’re blue with bubbles, which is what we count: (43+28+25) * 100 / 3 = 3,200 cfu/100mL, which is more than three times the 1,000 alert limit. . Continue reading
Update 2024-12-11: Valdosta sewage spill reports to GA-EPD from November 7 through December 3, 2024 2024-12-03.
Update 2024-12-04: Horrid Sugar Creek 2024-12-02.
This sewage spill Tuesday of last week does not explain the very high E. coli results on Sugar Creek this Saturday.
![[Valdosta sewage spill on Meadowbrook Drive 2024-11-26 into Two Mile Branch, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--valdosta-sewage-spill-meadowbrook-drive/many.jpg)
Valdosta sewage spill on Meadowbrook Drive 2024-11-26 into Two Mile Branch, Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River.
Map: WWALS
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
I commend Valdosta for saying which waterbody the spill went into (Two Mile Branch). But the location is very vague: somewhere on Meadowbrook Drive. And why did Valdosta take a week to tell the public?
On November 26, 2024, the Utilities: Central Line Division was notified of a potential sanitary sewer overflow on Meadowbrook Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined that an unknown obstruction or a collapse in the line was likely the cause of the issue. Central Line personnel began efforts to clear the obstruction from the sewer line but discovered the issue was more extensive than initially anticipated.
The team decided that additional personnel and equipment were necessary to assess the full scope of the problem. Bypass pumps, a larger crew, and additional equipment were brought in to perform a thorough evaluation of the line and determine the best course of action. It is estimated that 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of wastewater were released from a manhole into Two Mile Branch. City staff have initiated cleanup procedures and disinfection at the overflow site while continuing to address the repair.
The Utilities: Central Line Division will remain on-site until the issue is resolved. All appropriate regulatory and public health agencies have been notified.
The City of Valdosta remains committed to preventing sanitary sewer overflows. The Utilities Department is actively modernizing aging infrastructure and implementing a range of programs and strategies to minimize and prevent such incidents within the city limits.
For more information about these initiatives or to learn how you can contribute, please contact the City of Valdosta Utilities Department, Environmental Division, at 229-259-3592.
-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/
Update 2024-12-04: Horrid Sugar Creek 2024-12-02.
Update 2024-12-02: Valdosta Sewage Spill, Meadowbrook Drive, Two Mile Branch 2024-11-26.
Sugar Creek was even nastier Saturday, near the Withlacoochee River, according to a WWALS test result.
The Alapaha River was questionable at US 82, that same day.
There has been no rain to speak of for a week, so rain is not washing contamination into the creeks.
It is very hard to see what could be causing such Sugar Creek E. coli numbers other than a sewage spill.
![[Nasty Sugar Creek near Withlacoochee River Questionable Sheboggy @ US 82, Alapaha River 2024-11-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-30--wq/many.jpg)
Nasty Sugar Creek near Withlacoochee River Questionable Sheboggy @ US 82, Alapaha River 2024-11-30
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
Valdosta does have a sewage spill warning sign up at Sugar Creek below Berta’s Kitchen, and it is needed there. Continue reading
Update 2024-12-02: Nasty Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River; questionable Sheboggy, Alapaha River 2024-11-30.
I’d avoid Sugar Creek, but the Withlacoochee River otherwise is probably OK, as well as other rivers in the Suwannee River Basin.
So happy fishing, paddling, boating, and, if you like cold, swimming this weekend.
Remember, many parks and put-ins remain closed after Hurricane Helene. So check before you go.
![[Bad Sugar Creek; Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26 No new known sewage spills; No rain]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-26--wq/many.jpg)
Bad Sugar Creek; Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-11-26 No new known sewage spills; No rain
No new sewage spills have been reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. And there has been very little rain this week to wash any new contamination into waterways.
But something must have been causing the extremely high E. coli results by Valdosta Utilities Gornto Road on Sugar Creek. The result for Tuesday of 3,755 cfu/100 mL is more than three times the 1,000 alert limit.
Valdosta’s 605 upstream for Tuesday at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek was way down from previous results, although still higher than the 410 one-time test limit. So maybe Valdosta Utilities found and fixed the leak. We don’t know, because they have not returned our calls about that, and the City of Valdosta has not made any announcement.
WWALS tester Suzy Hall tested Sugar Creek downstream of Gornto Road last Saturday. Continue reading
Here are maps of the Suwannee River Basin in the EPA EnviroAtlas, with shadings and boundaries for Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs). HUC-8 (eight digits) is big river basins; in this case Little, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Upper Suwannee, and Lower Suwannee. HUC-12 is more local.
What are the odd HUC-12s that are not shaded in? At least some of them, such as around Lake Octahatchee are endorheic basins. Continue reading
Shirley Kokidko reported, “Not much full moon viewing with all the clouds tonight but a relaxing time and fun conversations make for a very pleasant evening.”
![[Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon, Cloudy but good conversation 2024-08-19]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-19--banks-lake-full-blue-moon-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon, Cloudy but good conversation 2024-08-19
Previously she noted, that Sturgeon moon was also a super moon and a seasonal blue moon, which occurs when there are four full moons in a single astronomical season, instead of the usual three, according to Space.com. Continue reading
![[Langdale Park still inacessible, Country Club Road closed 2024-12-05, Withlacoochee River, Three Mile Branch]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-12-02--hurricane-helene-damage-langdale-park-country-club-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[HUC 8 and 12 150%]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-11-29--epa-enviroatlas/2024-11-29--epa-enviroatlas-huc-12-150pc.jpg)