This map shows the big parking lots in the city of Valdosta, Georgia, along with some other impervious surface.
![[Impervious surface, Valdosta, GA 2024-04-04, Parking Lots & Streams, SGRC, VALORGIS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-04-04--impervious-surface-valdosta/fbmany.jpg)
Impervious surface, Valdosta, GA 2024-04-04, Parking Lots & Streams, SGRC, VALORGIS
For example, you can see the parking lot on St. Augustine Road next to Hightower Creek that has featured in many previous WWALS posts about trash. Continue reading
Update 2024-08-31: Clean Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-08-29.
The Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers tested clean for Wednesday.
No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, or Georgia.
There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction shows chance of storms for the next few days, but those usually happen in the afternoon.
The Santa Fe and much of the Suwannee River are still in flood or Action Stage.
The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage, although still a bit high.
So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.
Maybe you’d like to join us Sunday for Jon boat Withlacoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup, Langdale Park Boat Ramp 2024-08-25.
![[Clean Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers, 2024-08-21 Happy fishing, swimming, and boating]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-21--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Withlacoochee, Alapaha Rivers, 2024-08-21 Happy fishing, swimming, and boating
For the Withlacoochee River, the City of Valdosta got very good results for Wednesday at both GA 133 and US 84.
Also for Wednesday, for the Alapaha River Kimberly Godden Tanner got zero (0) E. coli at Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Park Beach.
She noted, “Both locations are looking great.” Continue reading
Somebody asked what fish are in the Withlacoochee River where we did the Troupville upstream Withlacoochee River chainsaw cleanup pictures 2024-08-17.
I answered, redbreast, spotted, redear, and bluegill sunfish, largemouth and warmouth bass, brown and yellow bullhead, pirate perch, brooks silverside, spotted sucker, swamp darter, and others.
Many species are called bream, including all the sunfish.
This is where I got those species, from the April 13, 2020, Consent Order on Valdosta by GA-EPD, after the notorious December 9, 2019 7.59 million-gallon raw sewage spill into Sugar Creek, which was after the 21,814,000 gallons of rainwater and raw sewage spilled from December 2, 2018 to December 17, 2018, much of that also into Sugar Creek.
![[Fish Species, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek to Little River Confluence]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-21--fish-species-withlacoochee-river/fbmany.jpg)
Fish Species, Withlacoochee River, Downstream from Sugar Creek to Little River Confluence
I congratulate the City of Valdosta, and especially the new-since-2019 Utilities Director, City Engineer, City Manager, and Mayor, as well as the City Council, for the steps forward they have made since then on fixing the city’s sewer system infrastructure, for the reduced number of spills and amount of sewage spilled, and for notifiying the public more quickly and more precisely.
This history is still relevant, however, to anyone who boats on that stretch of river, for recreation, cleanups, or clearing deadfalls. Not to mention anyone who fishes in there.
And of course effects not as obvious as a fish kill continued far downstream into Florida. Continue reading
Update 2024-08-23: Withlacoochee and Alapaha River clean 2024-08-21.
The Withlacoochee River tested clean.
No new sewage spills were reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, or Georgia.
There’s been little rain for a week, so no contamination is expected. The weather prediction is no rain until Sunday afternoon.
The Santa Fe and much of the Suwannee River are still in flood or Action Stage. We hear Gibson Park at the Alapaha River Confluence is closed. The Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are now below Action Stage, although still high.
So happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.
Maybe you’d like to join us tomorrow for Upstream Withlacoochee River from Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-08-17.
![[Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-14--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14 Little rain lately. None until Sunday evening.
The City of Valdosta results for Wednesday are 20 cfu/100 mL E. coli, which is very good, at both GA 133 and US 84.
Also for Wednesday, Russ Tatum got 33 cfu/100 mL at Allen Ramp and Holly Point. “Clean results! The water is still high but dropping slowly. It never came out of the banks here. It is tanic, slightly silty but mostly clear.” Continue reading
Last call, songwriters: August 14, 2024 is the last day to send in your excellent song about the Suwannee River Basin.
We mean it this time. Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897
The Finals for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest will be at the WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the Turner Center for the Arts, in Valdosta, Georgia.
Songwriters will perform for the audience and the three judges will decide, after the speakers from Florida and Georgia.
Dr. Jason Evans will speak about his many-year study of water lettuce, which establishes definitively that it is native to Florida. This may mean that the state should not spray to try to get rid of it.
He is Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida. Jason Evans is an interdisciplinary systems and landscape ecologist who works in the fields of climate adaptation, land cover change, and water quality improvement within the built environment.
Heather Brasell will speak on the impacts of forest management on water quality.
She is the founder of the Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia, where she has won state and national forestry awards. She holds frequent events for adults and children, such as the annual A Day in the Woods, where WWALS always has a booth. She has won state and national forestry awards. She owns several miles of the Alapaha River and has paddled many times with WWALS. She is a former WWALS board member. She is a WWALS water quality tester.
![[Heather Brasell, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-10--speakers-songs-last-call/heather.jpg)
Heather Brasell, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia
“Musicians, we have some songs, but we also want yours,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, Continue reading
Update 2024-08-16: Clean Withlacoochee River 2024-08-14.
The Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean. Evidently any contamination Hurricane Debby washed in has been diluted by the massive amount of water.
One new sewage spill was reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida, inland in High Springs; see below.
In Georgia, the four Valdosta Monday spills showed up in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report yesterday; see below.
There is still no update on the two Monday Quitman spills: where were they, and how much?
See separate post.
https://wwals.net/?p=65559
The weather prediction for the next ten days is chance of storms, but most likely in the afternoon.
Most of the rivers are still in flood or Action Stage, but a few are back down, such as the Little River from Hahira (GA 122) upstream and the ALapaha River at Sheboggy (US 82).
If you can find a river stretch that is low enough, happy fishing, swimming, and boating this weekend.
![[Clean Rivers: Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, Santa Fe 2024-08-08]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-08--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Rivers: Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Ichetucknee, Santa Fe 2024-08-08
Surely you have a song about Debby. Or the Swamp. Or your favorite river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, pond, aquifer, or bay in the Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, except not in the Santa Fe River Basin.
Send it in by midnight tonight!
![[Entry Deadline: August 7, 2024, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-07-26--song-submission-extended/2024-06-26--suwrk-songwriting-contest-Deadline-extended.jpg)
Entry Deadline: August 7, 2024, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest
Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897
“Musicians, this is the end of the two more weeks to tinker and finish up that song, so it’s time to send it in,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.
Public Service Announcement (PSA):
https://youtu.be/wC1edqJybuU?si=3OL_9Nm_jntQbZWX
The audience will listen and three judges will decide who wins in several categories at the finals, Saturday, September 7, 2024, during the WWALS River Revue, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, “Your ticket or sponsorship helps support everything WWALS does, from water quality tests, paddle outings, to chainsaw cleanups, and beyond to advocacy to stop trash at its sources, strip mines, and pipelines. We work for water trails, solar power, and Right to Clean Water, with growing engagement for youth and marginalized communities.”
Organizing Committee member Arinda Kennedy said, “Maybe you’d like to join the organizing committee!”
For everything else, go to wwals.net and scroll down to WWALS River Revue.
Continue readingUpdate 2024-11-07: More Knob Hill Road sewage spills, Three Mile Branch, Valdosta 2024-11-07.
Update 2024-08-09: Clean Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Ichetucknee Rivers 2024-08-08.
This Valdosta press release came in at 12:58 PM, while my power was down.
Running off a generator, I got the previous posts out about the Quitman spills https://wwals.net/?p=65559 and the Valdosta Knob Hill spill. https://wwals.net/?p=65562
This Valdosta PR lists that 300 Knob Hill Drive [aka Road] spill as 8,000 gallons.
The 1020 Wainwright Williamsburg Drive spill with 7,000 gallons is just across the drainage ditch from Knob Hill Road,
very near Three Mile Branch, which runs into the Withlacoochee River at the bottom of Langdale Park.
All four sites are at sites of previous spills.
All are also less than 10,000 gallons, so not major spills, which means GA-EPD does not require any followup water quality testing.
The 817 Gornto Rd spill with 6,000 gallons is uphill from Two Mile Branch, which runs into Sugar Creek.
The 1212 Wainwright Dr spill with 9,000 gallons is next to One Mile Branch, which also runs into Sugar Creek, which runs into the Withlacoochee River.
I don’t why the Valdosta press release does not mention any of those creeks nor the Withlacoochee River.
I commend Valdosta for including specific street addresses, and for getting this press release out in a timely manner. Maybe tomorrow these spills will show up in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report, like the Quitman spills already did.
I agree with the City of Valdosta about this, at least for the above-named creeks and nearby stretches of the Withlacoochee River: “Citizens are urged to avoid contact with rivers, creeks, streams, or tributaries.”
![[Valdosta PR: 4 minor sewage spills 2024-08-06: Infiltration & Inflow, Hurricane Debby]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-06--valdosta-debbyspills/many.jpg)
Valdosta PR: 4 minor sewage spills 2024-08-06: Infiltration & Inflow, Hurricane Debby
The spill sites are among the yellow diamonds on this WWALS
map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
The Wainwright Drive manhole spill site is highlighted towards the bottom.
The 817 Gornto Rd spill site is near the center.
300 Knob Hill Drive is towards the top.
Update 2024-08-06: Valdosta announces four minor sewage spills due to Hurricane Debby 2024-08-06.
Yesterday, Richard A. Stalvey reported to Valdosta Utilities, “Obviously, low priority right now, but the manholes at 300 Knob Hill and 215 Knob Hill are flowing profusely. A large tree has also blown down across the manhole at 300 Knob Hill.”
At my request, he sent these pictures, and added, “Typical sewage smell. Couldn’t get close enough to the one on 215 Knob. Too much water in the creek.”
This location has seen many sewage spills before.
I left a telephone message for Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes. No doubt he is pretty busy right now, so we’ll see what he has to say later.
Meanwhile, Quitman, GA, already reported two sewage spills. Without locations or amounts, but at least Quitman informed the public that there have been spills.
Valdosta could do the same. As could Ashburn, Rochelle, Adel, Tifton, Homerville, etc. Continue reading
Update 2024-08-02: Three more Ashburn sewage spills reported more than a week late 2024-07-20.
Pictures of flooding in Valdosta are circulating on social media.
![[Flooding in Valdosta, Three inches of rain 2024-07-28, No sewage spills yet. Other contaminants?]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-07-28--rain-valdosta/fbmany.jpg)
Flooding in Valdosta, Three inches of rain 2024-07-28, No sewage spills yet. Other contaminants?
As usual, people are commenting that Valdosta must be spilling wastewater.
So I called Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes. He says there have been no spills from this rain.
Sometimes WWALS members spot them first.
So if you see or smell a spill, please let us know.
https://wwals.net/report/
The Valdosta Utilities Director didn’t mention, because he’s not in charge of this: there may be E. coli from other sources, such as pets, livestock, and wildlife.
And of course there will be trash washed into creeks and rivers, especially from all the parking lots that do not yet have trash cans. Much of that trash converges onto Sugar Creek, along with any sewage spills, because something like 80% of Valdosta drains into that creek.
I commend Anetra Riley and Valdosta City Marshalls for Continue reading
![[Logo: WWALS River Revue 2024]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-10--speakers-songs-last-call/big/logo-wwals-river-revue-trim.jpg){kind=logo}
![[Dr. Jason M. Evans, Stetson University, Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, DeLand, Florida, speaking to the Santa Fe Springs Working Group, December 14, 2023]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-10--speakers-songs-last-call/20231214_093454.jpg)
![[More sewage spewing, Knob Hill Road, Valdosta, GA, 2024-08-05, Three Mile Branch, Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-08-05--valdosta-knob-hill-spill/fbmany.jpg)