Tag Archives: US 82

Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-04

Finally, a good E. coli result on Sugar Creek!

Also clean results for the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers.

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

It’s likely to rain this weekend and more likely every day this coming week.

Nobody tested after yesterday’s rain, so we don’t know what effect that had.

But as near as we can tell, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can beat the rain!

[Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, Rain coming, 2025-06-04]
Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, Rain coming, 2025-06-04

Maybe join us Wednesday evening for Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-06-11.
https://wwals.net/?p=67603 Continue reading

Ashburn Spill 2025-02-14, Chemours Mine Spill 2025-02-16, Bad Little River 2025-02-17, Bad Withlacoochee River 2025-02-19

Update 2025-02-28: Clean Franks Creek 2025-02-26 and Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-02-27.

We do not have any updates on Sugar Creek, but the recent rains probably washed more contamination into it.

Valdosta Utilities got too high E. coli downstream on the Withlacoochee River at GA 133 for Wednesday. But OK results farther down at US 84.

Upstream on the Little River at US 82 west of Tifton, WWALS got too high for Monday.

Ashburn had yet another small sewage spill Friday a week ago, at the usual location of Rockhouse Road and Sylvia Drive, into Hat Creek, which goes to the Alapaha River.

“On Sunday, February 16, 2025 at approximately 6 PM,” Chemours spilled approximately 230,000 gallons of process water from its Trail Ridge South Mine east of Starke, Florida, upstream of the Santa Fe River. Stay tuned for a separate report.

The Withlacoochee River is in Action Stage at and above Valdosta and at Pinetta.

If you’ve got a power boat and stay below the Little River Confluence, the volume of rainwater probably makes the Withlacoochee River relatively clean. I wouldn’t recommend kayaks or canoes unless there’s more than one of you and you really know what you’re doing.

Paddling or fishing or swimming (if you like cold) would be better on other rivers this weekend. At least the weather prediction is sunny and warmer than it has been recently.

[Bad Little River 2025-02-17, Bad Withlacoochee River 2025-02-19, Ashburn Spill 2025-02-14, Chemours Mine Spill 2025-02-16]
Bad Little River 2025-02-17, Bad Withlacoochee River 2025-02-19, Ashburn Spill 2025-02-14, Chemours Mine Spill 2025-02-16

Little River

WWALS Internet and Tester Samantha Carr sampled the Little River at US 82 west of Tifton on Monday. We’re going with Suzy Hall’s interpretation of Samantha’s slides: 8+7+13 * 100 / 3 = 933 cfu/100 mL. That’s higher than the 410 one-time test limit. Continue reading

Bad Alapaha WTP Outflow 2024-08-30

Update 2024-09-06: Clean Withlacoochee River, Dirty Franks Creek 2024-09-04.

Not so good below the Town of Alapaha, Georgia, wastewater settling ponds Friday.

[Bad Alapaha WPCP Outflow, Alapaha River 2024-08-30 Yet clean downstream above US 82 & Sheboggy Boat Ramp]
Bad Alapaha WPCP Outflow, Alapaha River 2024-08-30 Yet clean downstream above US 82 & Sheboggy Boat Ramp

Heather Brasell tested on what’s in the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT) map as Alapaha Elementary School Stream and got 667 CFU/100 mL of E. coli, which is above the 410 one-time test limit. She tested on the power line right of way you can see just downstream (northeast) of the Alapaha WPCP Outfall. Continue reading

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09

2019 was the last year the Alapaha Station Celebration was held, and WWALS was there for the sixth year running.

[WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Berrien County photographer Wenda Gaile Bailey, WWALS booth]
WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman, Berrien County photographer Wenda Gaile Bailey, WWALS booth

Yes, it’s back this year, at the historic railroad station in Alapaha, Georgia, near Sheboggy Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River, the most upstream public landing on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail. We will be back there. Stay tuned. WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2022-11-12. Continue reading

Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09

Update 2022-10-19: Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2019-11-09.

Join us for fun, food, and a parade at the Alapaha Station Celebration, and at the WWALS booth Enviroscape, maps, pictures, and all about outings and advocacy, Saturday, November 9, 2019, we’ll be there the sixth year running.

When: 9AM – 5PM, Saturday, November 9, 2019

Where: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad St, Alapaha, Georgia

Event: facebook

[Taken in our watersheds]
All those pictures were taken in our watersheds. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2018

The station is only a few miles from Continue reading

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2018-11-10

Lots of people studied the Suwannee Basin map to see where everything is, last year at the 2018 Alapaha Station Celebration. We’ll be back in a few weeks, at the first local festival WWALS attended.

[with Gretchen]
with Gretchen

The Enviroscape (in front of Gretchen) was popular. Continue reading

Pictures: Hike to the Dead River Sink 2018-01-27

It was a nice day for a Hike to the Dead River Sink in the Alapaha Quest on the Alapaha River Water Trail, with Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida. Here are some pictures and a Google map from Saturday, January 27, 2018.

[Almost there, 13:16:34, 30.5837666, -83.0535975]
Almost there, 13:16:34, 30.5837666, -83.0535975

You can come along when we do it again in January 2019. Continue reading

Alapaha Station Celebration 2018-11-10

Update 2019-10-24: pictures.

Join us at the WWALS booth for fun, food, and a parade at the Alapaha Station Celebration, this Saturday, November 10, 2018, for the firth year running.

When: 9AM – 5PM, Saturday, November 10, 2017

Where: Alapaha Station, 245 NE Railroad St, Alapaha, Georgia

Event: facebook

[Dave Hetzel and people]
Dave Hetzel and people; pictures by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS at Alapaha Station Celebration 2017-11-11.

The station is only a few miles from Continue reading

Pictures: Alapaha Station Celebration 2017-11-11

Fun last year at the Alapaha Station Celebration, coming up again tomorrow.

[Shirley Kokidko]
Shirley Kokidko; pictures by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS.

There are many more pictures on the WWALS website.

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading

Sheboggy to Rowetown Church Cemetery, Alapaha Quest 2018-03-04

An expert paddle to start the Alapaha Quest, down the wild and exotic Alapaha River in the balmy south Georgia winter. This trip is not recommended for beginners

When: 9:30 AM Sunday, March 4, 2018

Put In: Sheboggy Landing at US 82, 11004 US Highway 82, Alapaha, GA 31622, east of the town of Alapaha in Berrien County.

GPS: 31.386278, -83.191611

Take Out: Rowetown Church Cemetery, 1291 Rowetown Church Road, Alapaha, GA 31622, in Berrien County. Yes, we called ahead and got permission.

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. It will still be hunting season, so also wear hunting orange if you’ve got it.

Price: This outing is free to WWALS members. It costs $10.00 to nonmembers. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook meetup

18.26 miles or 10 hours paddling, ARWT

Continue reading