Tag Archives: Valdosta State University

Valdosta sewage spill into Lake Sheri, Withlacoochee River 2022-09-23

Update 2023-11-09: GA-EPD Consent Order on Valdosta for One Mile Branch fish kill and sewage spills 2023-09-15.

Valdosta had yet another small sewage spill, this time on Friday, September 23, 2022, into Lake Sheri, which drains into the Withlacoochee River just upstream from I-75.

[Report and map: Valdosta Lake Sheri sewage spill 2022-09-23]
Report and map: Valdosta Lake Sheri sewage spill 2022-09-23

Most likely that spill was too small to affect the river, but those poor people who live on Lake Sheri, which already had three sewage spills upstream this summer.

The GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report for Monday, September 26, 2022 shows that 1,250 raw sewage spill as Continue reading →

High E. coli near One Mile Branch fish kill, and maybe fuel spill 2022-09-23

Update 2023-11-09: GA-EPD Consent Order on Valdosta for One Mile Branch fish kill and sewage spills 2023-09-15.

Update 2022-10-01: Good Water Quality, Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha Rivers 2022-09-29.

Update 2022-10-01: Equipment next to One Mile Branch at VSU was put there by Valdosta to route around a sinkhole.

The City of Valdosta says “a fuel spill may be a contributing cause” of the One Mile Branch fish kill.

Meanwhile, WWALS finds E. coli counts too high even upstream of the fish kill, but more than doubling in the fish kill.

WWALS rescheduled our Chainsaw cleanup, which was supposed to be this morning, on the Withlacoochee River downstream from Sugar Creek, which is downstream of One Mile Branch.

I recommend everyone else also avoid One Mile Branch, Sugar Creek, and the Withlacoochee River from Sugar Creek at least down to the Little River Confluence, until there is some resolution of this fish kill, the high E. coli counts, and the alleged fuel spill.

[One Mile Branch sites]
One Mile Branch sites

Scotti Jay collected water samples Friday and Sara Jay plated them. The results are:

Drexel Park Bridge: 966 cfu/100 mL
One Mile Branch Waterfall: 1,100 cfu/100 mL
West Gordon Street: 2,566 cfu/100 mL

The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (GA-AAS) one-time sample limit for E. coli is 410. The GA-AAS alert limit is 1,000. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River water quality test results then One Mile Branch fish kill 2022-09-22

Update 2022-10-01: Good Water Quality, Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha Rivers 2022-09-29.

Update 2022-09-25: High E. coli near One Mile Branch fish kill, and maybe fuel spill 2022-09-23.

Thursday WWALS test results are very good. The most recent Valdosta test results from Valdosta are for Monday, and they are also good.

But Friday WWALS found a fish kill in One Mile Branch starting at Valdosta State University. That is upstream from Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River. Later today we should have some E. coli test results from One Mile Branch.

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

Ashburn had yet another sewage spill a week ago into Hat Creek upstream on the Alapaha River, and High Springs had a spill Thursday a week ago near the Santa Fe River. Both were so small they probably had no detectable effect on river water quality.

So I would swim, boat, and fish in the Withlacoochee River downstream from the Little River Confluence. But I would avoid the Withlacoochee River from there up to Sugar Creek. Continue reading →

One Mile Branch Fish Kill 2022-09-23

Update 2022-09-25: High E. coli near One Mile Branch fish kill, and maybe fuel spill 2022-09-23.

Update 2022-09-24: Clean Withlacoochee River water quality test results then One Mile Branch fish kill 2022-09-22.

Scotti Jay says, “I’m glad my dog doesn’t like to get in the water.”

[Fish kill and equipment]
Fish kill and equipment

The One Mile Branch water full of dead fish from Oak Street at VSU down to West Gordon Street and Sugar Creek in Remerton. Sugar Creek goes on down to the Withlacoochee River.

A sewage bypass pipe starts just downstream (west) of Patterson Street and ends near the VSU practice football field west of Oak Street, near where the dead fish start. Such equipment could only have been put there by Valdosta Utilities or its contractors.

I saw such equipment at Patterson Street after Continue reading →

Rescheduled: WWALS at VSU Happening 2022-08-30

Update 2022-08-24: VSU Student Life says:

Due to the forecasted inclement weather, we have decided to reschedule the Happening to Tuesday, August 30. All other details regarding the Happening 2022 has remained the same.

Come see us at the annual Valdosta State University student orientation: The Happening.

Or WWALS members, you can volunteer at the WWALS booth to help tell students about the fun and work we do.

[Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 30, 2022]
Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 30, 2022

When: 1PM to 4PM, Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Where: VSU front lawn, 1500 N Patterson St, Valdosta, GA 31698.

Event: facebook

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

WWALS at VSU Happening 2022-08-25

Update 2022-08-24: Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 30, 2022.

Come see us at the annual Valdosta State University student orientation: The Happening.

Or WWALS members, you can volunteer at the WWALS booth to help tell students about the fun and work we do.

[Sara Jay]
2019-08-19

When: 1PM to 4PM, Thursday, August 25, 2022

Where: VSU front lawn, 1500 N Patterson St, Valdosta, GA 31698. Continue reading →

Map: Two Mile and Three Mile Branch, Valdosta 2022-02-14

Here is a map of the locations of the bridges on Two Mile Branch where I found the shopping carts, mattress, and other trash, plus Three Mile Branch. I submitted Click ‘n’ Fixes. Looking forward to the City of Valdosta cleaning up these messes, which otherwise end up in the Withlacoochee River.

For more about the Valdosta trash situation, see https://wwals.net/issues/trash/.

[Map: Two Mile Branch and Three Mile Branch in WLRWT]
Map: Two Mile Branch and Three Mile Branch in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

Click ‘n’ Fix tickets:

There are more pictures on the WWALS website: https://wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-14–valdosta-creeks

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Valdosta Creeks 2022-02-14

Update 2022-03-28: Map: Two Mile and Three Mile Branch, Valdosta 2022-02-14

I toured bridges on Two Mile Branch and found three in a row with shopping carts and trash. Three Mile Branch wasn’t as bad. Click ‘n’ Fixes incoming. Looking forward to the City of Valdosta cleaning up these messes, which otherwise end up in the Withlacoochee River.

For more about the Valdosta trash situation, see https://wwals.net/issues/trash/.

[Creeks, trash, shopping buggies]
Creeks, trash, shopping buggies

Two Mile Branch

The Berkley Drive bridge wasn’t too bad that day. The City of Valdosta owns Two Mile Branch all the way from the Joree Millpond dam up past Berkley Drive, so this would be an excellent place for a trash trap. Continue reading →

WWALS at Azalea Festival, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2022-03-12-13

Update March 10, 2022; 5:00p.m.
Attention Azalea Festival Vendors and Patrons,
Severe Weather Statement:
There is a cold front expected to come through between the hours of 6am and 10am on Saturday, and wind gusts of 60-70 mph are expected to push that front through during those hours. The worst of the rain and wind is expected to move out of Lowndes County by 10am. With that being said, after consulting with local officials, arts & crafts vendor setup will be moved to 10am-12:30pm on Saturday. The Festival will open to patrons at noon on Saturday. Because of the late start, the Festival hours will be extended to 7:30pm Saturday evening.

Come to Drexel Park in Valdosta to help WWALS celebrate spring with 30,000 of our south Georgia and north Florida friends, at the Azalea Festival.

[WWALS Booth, One Mile Branch, Azalea Festival]
WWALS Booth, One Mile Branch, Azalea Festival

Come talk to us about our outings and advocacy (yes, including Valdosta trash and wastewater), our Water Trails, the pictures for sale Gretchen took of our rivers, notecards, stickers, hats, t-shirts, plus a kayak raffle.

Help everyone out by reporting any trash or litter problem you see with Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app.

Like last year, “The Azalea Festival is a 100% all outdoor event. Patrons are encouraged to socially distance and wear masks.”

When: 10AM-6PM 12PM-7:30PM Saturday 12 March 2022
10AM-3:30PM 10AM-5PM Sunday 13 March 2022

Volunteer: If you are a WWALS member and you have had both vaccinations against COVID-19, we could use some help at the WWALS booth.

Where: Drexel Park, 1401 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA, 31601
30.846771, -83.285066
That’s east across Patterson from VSU and north of Brookwood Drive.
It is on One Mile Branch, which flows into Sugar Creek, then the Withlacoochee River, the Suwannee River, to the Gulf of Mexico.
Fortunately, Valdosta has not had any significant sewage spills for several years. WWALS is discussing with the City the trash that washes down these creeks. You can help with cleanups or water quality testing, and by using Click ‘n’ Fix.

Event: facebook, meetup

Schedule: Continue reading →

Pictures: Azalea Festival 2021-03-13-14

It was a fine sunny weekend last year at Azalea Festival, in Valdosta, in Drexel Park, across Patterson Street from Valdosta State University. WWALS will be back there this rainy weekend.

[Booth, One Mile Branch, Azalea Festival 2021]
Booth, One Mile Branch, Azalea Festival 2021

We’ve got a great location, at the entrance from E. Brookwood Drive. Continue reading →