Join us for an on-land cleanup along One Mile Branch downstream from Valdosta State University, and Azalea City Trail, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9 AM, end 11 AM, Saturday, March 28, 2026
Put In: Wainwright Drive between Baytree Drive and Brookhaven Drive, and maybe also downstream, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
GPS: 30.84287, -83.30113
![[One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA, Cleanup 2026-03-28]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-28--cleanup-one-mile-branch-azalea-trail/fbmany.jpg)
One Mile Branch, Azalea City Trail, Valdosta, GA, Cleanup 2026-03-28
Come help WWALS celebrate spring with 30,000 of our south Georgia and north Florida friends.
That’s in Drexel Park, Valdosta, Georgia, this Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, 2026.
The festival starts at 9 AM each day, and runs until 6 PM Saturday and 5 PM Sunday.
We’ll be at our usual location at the entrance on Slater and Brookwood.
GPS: 30.848576, -83.285556.
Drexel Park is on One Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek, into the Withlacoochee River, on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
![[WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival, Valdosta, GA, March 14-15, 2026]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-14--azalea-festival/fbmany.jpg)
WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival, Valdosta, GA, March 14-15, 2026
If you are a WWALS member, you can come help give out flyers and answer questions about outings and events, advocacy and education.
We’re on our own this year, because Continue reading
We received this notice from a concerned citizen.
It’s much like the one we posted back in 2015.
![[Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-15--vld-haa5-violation/many.jpg)
Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
HAAS VIOLATION AT City of Valdosta Water SystemWater System Name: City of Valdosta (GA 1850002) Continue reading
Back at the original date, because we got enough rain. And the old original route: Troupville Boat Ramp to Spook Bridge.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the idyllic Withlacoochee River.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
![[Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-07--mayor-chairmans-paddle-troupville/fbmany.jpg)
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 7, 2026
Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp,
19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602.
From I-75 exit 18, go west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall; at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp.
GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536
Continue reading
Update 2026-02-27: Rescheduled back to the original date: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge 2026-03-07.
Rescheduled due to low water, to Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle on the idyllic Withlacoochee River with the Mayor of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Commission Chairman.
Mayor Scott James Matheson and Chairman Bill Slaughter always seem to enjoy this outing, and you will, too.
Under towering oaks, cypress, and longleaf pines, we will pass the most populous city and county in the Suwannee River Basin and the site of the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp, on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for once again leading this paddle.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Paul Batts and Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for agreeing to bring shuttle vans.
The city and county will probably also post their own announcements.
![[Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, April 18, 2026]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-07--mayor-chairmans-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, April 18, 2026
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, April 18, 2026
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp or Troupville Boat Ramp
Which put in will depend on water levels and any remaining obstructions in the river.
WWALS will announce that decision in advance.
Continue reading
Update 2026-02-23: Rescheduled due to low water, Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper 2026-04-18.
Suwannee Riverkeeper invites you to paddle on the idyllic Withlacoochee River with the Mayor of Valdosta and the Lowndes County Commission Chairman.
Mayor Scott James Matheson and Chairman Bill Slaughter always seem to enjoy this outing, and you will, too.
Under towering oaks, cypress, and longleaf pines, we will pass the most populous city and county in the Suwannee River Basin and the site of the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp, on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for once again leading this paddle.
Thanks to Joe Brownlee for a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
The city and county will probably also post their own announcements.
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 9 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 7, 2026
Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp or Troupville Boat Ramp
Which put in will depend on water levels and any remaining obstructions in the river.
WWALS will announce that decision in advance.
Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, March 7, 2026
Valdosta has been talking about building a second drinking water plant for a long time, and this week they broke ground for it, just south of Valdosta Airport.
That’s a good thing, since it helps direct development close in to Valdosta, instead of sprawling into agricultural and forestry land.
Everyone please note: drinking water plant. Not wastewater plant.
Here’s hoping Valdosta’s contractors tested sufficiently to be sure the new wells will not draw in river water, like what happened at the old drinking water plant on Guest Road, where they had to sink the wells twice as deep.
Also, we shall see what effect withdrawing 2.5 million gallons a day of groundwater will have. This plant appears to be under the same permit number, GA1850002, as the old one.
Valdosta posted a YouTube video, with voiceover by Mayor Scott James Matheson:
https://youtu.be/8x-mtomtSX8?si=uGSwUsWMCJCj_Q5G
The Mayor said the plant may help direct growth to the south side of Valdosta. That is something that has been lacking for a long time.
The Mayor posted some pictures on facebook, including this one. Continue reading
Update 2026-01-01: Hightower Creek still dirty; Alapaha River clean 2025-12-31.
The Withlacoochee River tested clean upstream and down this week, and Sugar Creek and One Mile Branch in Valdosta tested pretty clean.
But Hightower Creek remained dirty in Valdosta Utilities’ result.
It still appears there is some other source of sewage upstream of St. Augustine Road into Hightower Creek.
Downstream on the Withlacoochee River near the Suwannee, WWALS tester Russ Tatum got a near-perfect 33 cfu/100 mL E. coli. All these results are for Wednesday.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida. FDEP’s Pollution Notice reporting is still half broken: see below.
After a little drizzle yesterday, no rain is predicted for the next ten days.
So if you can find a river with enough water, and you don’t mind cold and rain, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Clean Withlacoochee River and most creeks; Dirty Hightower Creek, 2025-12-17]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-17--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Withlacoochee River and most creeks; Dirty Hightower Creek, 2025-12-17
Valdosta Utilities sampled its creeks again this week after its August 23, 2025 20,000 gallon sewage spill into One Mile Branch at Wainwright Drive.
Valdosta has since replaced both manholes at Wainwright Drive
with taller ones, so maybe that is finally starting to have an effect of reduced sewage in the creeks.
https://www.valdostacity.com/utilities/river-stream-water-quality-data/august-2025-sanitary-sewer-spills
Thanks again for those tests, and thanks for posting results earlier this week.
Also, Valdosta could take back up testing the Withlacoochee River down to the state line, plus Okapilco Creek, as they stopped doing after the four years required in the 2020 GA-EPD Consent Order. This would be to the advantage of the City of Valdosta, because such results help find sewage spills, and they also demonstrate when the creeks and rivers are clean, and when there are problems that are not Valdosta’s fault.
Follow this link for the WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results
rainfall
and sewage spills in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia and Florida:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing/#results
The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading
Sara Squires Jones reported, “It went well; we had a pretty good turnout. Thunderstorms ran most of the folks off, but we had a few hang around to see a rainbow. Unfortunately I forgot the banner so we didn’t get a group photo.”
![[Rainbow over WWALS Social 2025-11-09, at Georgia Beer Co., Valdosta, GA]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-09--meet-greet-ga-beer-co-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Rainbow over WWALS Social 2025-11-09, at Georgia Beer Co., Valdosta, GA
That was the WWALS Social at Georgia Beer Company, Sunday, November 9, 2025. Thanks to Sara Jay for organizing. Thanks to Janet Martin for scheduling it, even though she couldn’t be there. Continue reading
Update 2025-12-19: Clean Withlacoochee River and most creeks; Dirty Hightower Creek 2025-12-17.
The Withlacoochee River tested pretty clean this week, as did the Santa Fe River, and the Ichetucknee River for Friday last week.
Even Valdosta’s problem Sugar Creek and One Mile Branch tested OK.
But Hightower Creek was bad in Valdosta Utilities’ result, although the WWALS result the same day at the same site was OK.
It appears there is still some other source of sewage upstream of St. Augustine Road into Hightower Creek.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week for the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida, although FDEP’s Pollution Notice reporting is half broken: see below.
No rain is predicted for the next ten days.
So if you can find a river with enough water, and you don’t mind cold and rain, happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
For Thursday at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek, Valdosta Utilities got Continue reading
![[Valdosta groundbreaking on additional drinking water plant, on Race Track Road SE, South of Valdosta Airport]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-18--valdosta-drinking-water-plant/many.jpg)
![[Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers, Mostly Good 2025-12-11, OK One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek, But not Hightower Creek]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-11--wq/many.jpg)