Tag Archives: US 84

Bad water quality upstream Withlacoochee River 2023-08-07

Update 2023-08-18: Rivers clean again 2023-08-17.

Valdosta reported bad water quality at US 41 for Friday, and for there, GA 133, and US 84 for Monday.

I’d avoid that stretch of the Withlacoochee River until better results are reported by Valdosta or by WWALS. WWALS will sample again Thursday, as usual.

[Bad upstream Withlacoochee River water quality 2023-08-07]
Bad upstream Withlacoochee River water quality 2023-08-07

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

There was spotty rain last weekend and before, but what is washing into the Withlacoochee River? More testing is needed to determine that. WWALS is looking into that.

This data about bad Fecal coliform and E. coli appears on Valdosta’s website and we add it to our WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality, rainfall, and sewage spills, as well as to the smartphone app Swim Guide

[Bad Water Quality, Upstream Withlacoochee River, Swim Guide 2023-08-07]
Bad Water Quality, Upstream Withlacoochee River, 2023-08-07, Swim Guide
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

For comparison, here is a map of public landings in the same testing area. Continue reading →

Very bad water quality at US 41 and GA 133 Monday 2023-07-31

Update 2023-08-09: Bad water quality upstream Withlacoochee River 2023-08-07.

Update 2023-08-07: 2023-08-07: Valdosta City Council approved match for a GA-EPD seed grant that WWALS told them about 2023-07-27.

Update 2023-08-02: Reschedule Retry Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-08-19.

Valdosta’s Withlacoochee River water quality results for Monday, July 31, 2023 were very bad at US 41 (North Valdosta Road) and GA 133. Bad was 12,000 cfu/100 mL of E. coli at US 41, which is twelve times the alert limit of 1,000.

There was intermittent rain over the weekend upstream from Valdosta, which probably washed contamination into the river.

Judging by the previous WWALS creek tests, most likely that contamination came down Cat Creek. More testing is needed to find out what it is.

[Problem spots and context 2023-07-31]
Problem spots and context 2023-07-31

Those locations are north and west of Valdosta. Continue reading →

Videos: US 84 to Mayday, Alapaha River 2016-05-07

Here are some previously-unpublished videos of a string of rapids on the Alapaha River between US 84 and Mayday.

[River Bend Rapids, Overhanging branch dunk, Cow Shoals, Cow Creek, Fallers Award at Mayday, Alapaha River, 7 May 2016]
River Bend Rapids, Overhanging branch dunk, Cow Shoals, Cow Creek, Fallers Award at Mayday, Alapaha River, 7 May 2016

They include Continue reading →

New week river water quality update 2023-02-06

Update 2023-02-10: Clean rivers before rain 2023-02-09.

Here’s an update between our weekly WWALS water quality reports.

Three more downstream WWALS Withlacoochee River test sites matched the upstream ones for Thursday, February 2nd, as predicted.

However, not as predicted, Valdosta got too-high upstream results for Friday, February 3rd, at GA 133 and US 84 (but not at US 41). So apparently the drizzle of rain that Thursday did wash something into the river. However, Valdosta’s results for Monday at the same sites are all good, so whatever it was, it was short-lived.

And Rochelle, Georgia, got around to reporting another small far-upstream sewage spill in the Alapaha River basin.

[Chart, Withlacoochee River, Swim Guide, 2023-02-02]
Chart, Withlacoochee River, Swim Guide, 2023-02-02

The additional downstream sites I sampled last Thursday were the Continue reading →

Two new VLPRA trash cans for Naylor Beach on the Alapaha River 2022-12-29

Kimberly Tanner wrote three days ago, “Looks like there are two new cans; one close to parking and one on the beach. Great news!”

[Trash cans at entrance to and on Naylor Beach --Kimberly Tanner 2022-12-29]
Trash cans at entrance to and on Naylor Beach –Kimberly Tanner 2022-12-29

This is speedy action by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA). And of course these two new cans at Naylor Beach are in addition to the one at the nearby Naylor Boat Ramp. Continue reading →

Trash can missing at Naylor Beach, Alapaha River 2022-12-24

Update 2023-01-01 Two new VLPRA trash cans for Naylor Beach on the Alapaha River 2022-12-29.

Suzy Hall checked on the trash can at Naylor Beach on the Alapaha River at US 84 yesterday. It’s not there.

[2018, 2020, and 2022: Naylor Beach]
2018, 2020, and 2022: Naylor Beach

It was put there by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) in 2018, after WWALS asked for it.

The last record we have of that Naylor Beach trash can was in January 2020.

We’re asking VLPRA again: could we have a trash can at Naylor Beach? Continue reading →

Bad GA 133 and US 84, Withlacoochee River 2022-09-12

Update 2022-09-16: Clean Rivers 2022-09-15.

Bad news in Valdosta’s upstream Withlacoochee River water quality results.

Too high E. coli at both GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) and US 84.

Best to avoid the Withlacoochee River for now in those stretches.

[Chart, Swim Guide]
Chart, Swim Guide

We also see high Fecal coliform for Monday at US 41 (North Valdosta Road), but OK E. coli. That is usual for after a big upstream rain, and you can see 0.61 inches on the Skipper Bridge gauge for the previous day.

But at GA 133 and US 84, Continue reading →

Bad US 84 Wednesday, good Withlacoochee River Thursday 2022-01-13

Update 2022-01-21: Bad Withlacoochee River water quality 2022-01-20.

Rains last weekend got contamination into the Withlacoochee River upstream at US 84, still showing up Wednesday in Valdosta results. But all the WWALS results for Thursday and downstream Wednesday showed acceptable low levels of E. coli.

So I’d paddle and fish in the Withlacoochee River today. Not so sure about swimming: it’s cold.

[Chart, River, Swim Guide]
Chart, River, Swim Guide

As you can see, Valdosta got bad results at US 84 for both Monday and Wednesday. Continue reading →

Bad upstream, watch out below, Withlacoochee River 2021-12-23

Update 2021-12-31: Mostly good, Withlacoochee River 2021-12-30.

Not looking good. The recent rains washed E. coli into the Withlacoochee River, starting way upstream at Hagan Bridge on GA 122 on Thursday, down through US 41, GA 133, and US 84 on Wednesday. We did not see it at Cleary Bluff for Wednesday, downstream from Allen Ramp. Maybe it’s gotten diluted before it got that far. Or maybe it just hadn’t gotten that far by Wednesday.

I’d stay off the Withlacoochee River this weekend.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

We almost never see high numbers at Hagan Bridge, but that’s what Elizabeth Brunner got for Thursday.

Valdosta results were bad for US 41 for last Friday, even before the rain, much worse there and for GA 133 for Monday after the rain, and bad for all three of US 41, GA 133, and US 84 for Wednesday. Apparently the contamination is traveling downstream.

There have been no sewage spills reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. Most likely the E. coli came from cows or horses near the river or its creeks: there are quite a few of those even upstream of Hagan Bridge. Plus possibly wild hogs. Continue reading →

Bad Upstream, Withlacoochee River 2021-07-02

Update 2021-07-06: Tropical Storm Elsa headed up Suwannee River Basin 2021-07-06

Valdosta has published its upstream results for Friday, which showed very bad water quality at US 41, GA 133, and US 84 on the Withlacoochee River.

[Chart, Map]
Chart, Map

There’s been even more rain since then, and more is coming straight at the Suwannee River Basin with Tropical Storm Elsa. Continue reading →