Update 2025-01-31: Clean New, Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers; Sugar Creek finally OK 2025-01-29.
As Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes promised Friday, results from the Valdosta water quality samples that day are on the city’s website.
There’s good news and bad news.
![[Cleaner but still dirty, Sugar Creek 2025-01-24, Baytree Road bad, Gornto Road worse]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-24--wq/fbmany.jpg)
Cleaner but still dirty, Sugar Creek 2025-01-24, Baytree Road bad, Gornto Road worse
The good news is: E. coli counts at Gornto Road are down to 2,500 from 8,900 cfu/100 mL a week before. Continue reading
Update 2025-03-08: Another Clean up One Mile Branch at Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-16.
Thanks to the four Alpha Phi Alpha of VSU.
![[Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-25--wainwright-drive-one-mile-branch-azalea-city-trail-cleanup-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Cleanup, One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail 2025-01-25, Wainwright Drive, Alpha Phi Alpha, VSU
Thanks to Scotti Jay Jones and Sara Squires Jones for organizing this cleanup near the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on One Mile Branch, along the Azalea City Trail in Valdosta, Georgia.
Donovan Henderson of Alpha Phi Alpha found the Zacadoo’s cup. Continue reading
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
Update 2025-01-24: Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20.
Thursday WWALS water quality samples showed the Alapaha River clean at Lakeland and Naylor.
But Valdosta Thursday samples showed Sugar Creek worse again at Gornto Road.
As noted yesterday, the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers also seem clean, although I’d avoid the Withlacoochee near Sugar Creek, and Sugar Creek itself.
We hear there is a Sugar Creek bypass, but that creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.
If you like rain (Saturday) or cold (Sunday), this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.
![[Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-16--wq/many.jpg)
Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16, Rain coming Saturday, Cold all next week
WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner for Thursday got zero (0) E. coli at Lakeland Boat Ramp. Can’t get cleaner than that. Continue reading
Upate 2025-01-18: Alapaha River clean, Sugar Creek worse 2025-01-16.
For Wednesday water quality samples, The Little River at US 82 west of Tifton, Georgia, tested OK, as did the Withlacoochee River at GA 133, US 84, and Holly Point four miles from the Suwannee.
The New River on 18th Street in Tifton tested too high in E. coli.
We hear there is a Sugar Creek bypass, but that creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia one new Valdosta spill showed up, although it apparently did not get into waterways.
This weekend, I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near downstream from it. If you like rain (Saturday) or cold (Sunday), this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.
![[OK Little, Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek, 2025-01-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-15--wq/many.jpg)
OK Little, Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek, 2025-01-15
Update 2025-01-17: OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15.
GA-EPD has updated the Valdosta Sugar Creek spill to 15,000 gallons. That’s more than 10,000 gallons, which is a major spill. Valdosta’s state-required reporting after it shows Sugar Creek still filthy for Saturday.
![[Sugar Creek still filthy in Valdosta testing 2025-01-11, follow-up after Major Sewage Spill]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-11--wq/fbmany.jpg)
Sugar Creek still filthy in Valdosta testing 2025-01-11, follow-up after Major Sewage Spill
Valdosta’s new web page on 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing shows 5,300 Fecal coliform and 5,500 cfu/100 mL E. coli at Gornto Road for Saturday. That’s 5.5 times the 1,000 alert limit. Continue reading
Update 2025-01-17: OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15.
Update 2025-01-13: Sugar Creek still filthy Saturday in Valdosta test results 2025-01-11.
WWALS has a new intern, who will also do water quality testing in Tifton, Georgia, on the New and Little Rivers.
![[New WWALS Intern, Samantha Carr, Southern Regional Technical College, Tifton, Georgia]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-10--samantha-carr-intern/fbmany.jpg)
New WWALS Intern, Samantha Carr, Southern Regional Technical College, Tifton, Georgia
New WWALS Intern Samantha Carr passed the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) Chemical and Bacterial training. Continue reading
Update 2025-01-17: OK Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Dirty New River, Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-15.
Update 2025-01-13: Sugar Creek still filthy Saturday in Valdosta test results 2025-01-11.
Update: 2025-01-11: Samantha Carr, WWALS Intern and water quality tester 2025-01-10.
Sugar Creek is still filthy from the sewer line break upstream of Gornto Road on down to the Withlacoochee River.
The Little River tested clean at Troupville Boat Ramp Sunday, and the Withlacoochee River tested clean Thursday at Langdale Park upstream of Valdosta and OK Wednesday at Holly Point, a few miles from the Suwannee River.
The Alapaha River tested clean Thursday at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.
Valdosta Utilities has not yet posted its Withlacoochee River results for this week.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, but in Georgia the Valdosta Sugar Creek broken sewer pipe finally showed up today.
This weekend, I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near downstream from it. If you like cold, this weekend may be good to paddle, motor, swim, or fish, elsewhere, such as the Little, Alapaha, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, or Suwannee Rivers.
![[Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River, 2025-01-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-09--wq/many.jpg)
Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River, 2025-01-09
Update 2025-01-10: Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River 2025-01-09.
Does that look like sewage is spilling out of it?
![[Open sewer line in Sugar Creek, 700 feet north of RR trestle]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-07--sewer-break-sugar-creek/fbmany.jpg)
Open sewer line in Sugar Creek, 700 feet north of RR trestle
Looks to me like darker water coming from that pipe into Sugar Creek, when I was there yesterday. Continue reading
Update 2025-01-10: Filthy Sugar Creek, OK Withlacoochee River, Clean Alapaha River 2025-01-09.
Update 2025-01-08: Sewer line break, Sugar Creek 2025-01-07.
Congratulations to the City of Valdosta and Utilities Director Jason Barnes for finding the Sugar Creek sewer leak.
He told me this afternoon that a bypass pump is already in place will be in place soon.
Finding it became easier after WWALS water quality testing narrowed the potential location within 2,000 feet.
The press release does not say exactly where the leak is, but according to descriptions (between the railroad trestle and Gornto Road and in the creek), I think it is probably the pipe pictured.
![[Valdosta has found the Sugar Creek sewer leak 2025-01-06, After WWALS narrowed it within 2000 feet]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-01-06--valdosta-utilities-finds-sugar-creek-sewage-leak/fbmany.jpg)
Valdosta has found the Sugar Creek sewer leak 2025-01-06, After WWALS narrowed it within 2000 feet
Also, I confidently predict the estimated spilled gallons will be at least 10,000, as in a major spill, after these two months it’s been spilling.
Congratulations again to Valdosta Utilities for finding the leak!
All of the images below are by WWALS; the Valdosta press release contains no images.
City of Valdosta Responds to Sewer Pipe Washout Along Sugar Creek
On Monday, January 6, 2025, at approximately 11:20 a.m., City personnel conducted inspections along Sugar Creek to identify a potential source of recent high bacterial counts in the area and a possible source of inflow into the lift stations. During this inspection, City workers discovered a recent washout where a sewer collection pipe had shifted open, allowing sanitary sewer to flow into the creek and vice versa.
Continue reading
![[Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-01-20--wq/many.jpg)