Update 2024-03-09: Clean rivers and creek 2024-03-06.
I got there just after the speeches, and before the ribbon cutting. During the lab tour and after, Malia Thomas interviewed me for WTXL TV, and of course Jason Barnes, Valdosta Acting Utilities Director.
![[Ribbon cutting, Valdosta water quality lab tour, WTXL reporting 2024-03-05]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-03-05--wwtp-wq-lab-ribbon-cutting-pictures/igmany.jpg)
Ribbon cutting, Valdosta water quality lab tour, WTXL reporting 2024-03-05
Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson said he mentioned me favorably during his speech. Continue reading
Come help WWALS celebrate spring with 30,000 of our south Georgia and north Florida friends, at the WWALS booth at the Azalea Festival in Valdosta, Georgia, all day this Saturday and Sunday in Drexel Park.
Come talk to us about our outings and advocacy (yes, including Valdosta trash and sewage), our Water Trails, the pictures for sale Gretchen took of our rivers, notecards, stickers, hats, t-shirts, plus a kayak raffle. Continue reading
Update 2024-03-09: Clean rivers and creek 2024-03-06.
Update 2024-03-03: Now with Alapaha River at Lakeland and Naylor and Santa Fe River at U.S. 27, all also clean.
We got good results for Wednesday for the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers and Franks Creek.
Valdosta’s recent upstream Withlacoochee River results through Monday are good.
There has been very little rain for a week. Rain is predicted for today, Saturday, and Sunday, but probably not very much.
The rivers are down to good paddling levels, and it’s not cold. So bring rain gear, and happy paddling, fishing, and maybe swimming this weekend.
Join us tomorrow, Saturday morning, at Langdale Park Boat Ramp for the Fifth Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River.
![[Chart, Clean Rivers and Franks Creek, Map 2024-02-28]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-02-28--wq/many.jpg)
Chart, Clean Rivers and Franks Creek, Map 2024-02-28
No sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in the past week.
But four were reported in Georgia.
Remember Valdosta’s two small 100-gallon sewage spills on February 20, at Three Mile Branch from Knob Hill Road, and into One Mile Branch from Boone Drive @ Baytree Road, which drains into Sugar Creek, then to the Withlacoochee River?
Well, Valdosta had another spill at 215 Knob Hill Road, 1,500 gallons each from there and from two overflow sites nearby. Yes, that drains into Three Mile Branch which goes into the Withlacoochee River along the route of the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. But 4,500 gallons should be small enough to be diluted and washed away by now.
Ashburn last Wednesday had yet another spill, 1,500 gallons from its MLK Lift Station into Ashburn Branch, which runs into the Little River. Continue reading
Update 2024-02-28: Navigability in HB 1397 in GA House Natural Resources & Environment Quality Subcommittee 2024-02-26.
Sent this morning.
![[Navigable stream additions to GA HB 1397 --WWALS 2024-02-27]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-02-27--ga-hb-1397-navigable-stream-additions/many.jpg)
Navigable stream additions to GA HB 1397 –WWALS 2024-02-27
February 27, 2024
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To: Cc: |
Rep. James Burchett (176), james.burchett@house.ga.gov Rep. John Lahood (175), john.lahood@house.ga.gov, Rep. Dexter Sharper (177), dexter.sharper@house.ga.gov, Rep. John Corbett (174), john.corbett@house.ga.gov , Rep. Chas Cannon (172), chas.cannon@house.ga.gov, Rep. Penny Houston (170), penny.houston@house.ga.gov, Rep. Darlene Taylor (173), darlene.taylor@house.ga.gov, Rep. Clay Pirkle (169), clay.pirkle@house.ga.gov, Rep. Leesa Hagan (156), leesa.hagan@house.ga.gov, Rep. Bill Yearta (152), bill.yearta@house.ga.gov, Rep. Noel Williams (148), noel.williams@house.ga.gov, Rep. Patty Bentley (150), patty.bentley@house.ga.gov |
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Re: Navigable stream additions to HB 1397
Rep. Burchett,
You are invited to the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River just west of Valdosta, this Saturday, March 2, 2024. Continue reading
Update 2024-03-01: Clean rivers and creek 2024-02-28.
Update 2024-02-28: Three small Valdosta spills into Three Mile Branch, Withlacoochee River 2024-02-27.
We got good results for Wednesday for the Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, and Suwannee Rivers, and Franks Creek.
Valdosta’s recent upstream Withlacoochee River results through Monday are good. Although I recently remarked that Valdosta was better lately about posting its results in a timely manner, Valdosta’s Wednesday results are still not posted.
The rain predicted for yesterday turned out to be a drizzle. No more rain is predicted for a week.
So if you like high, fast, and cold water, this weekend is good for paddling. Maybe fishing. Swimming with a wetsuit.
However, the Little, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers are up from previous upstream rains. The Santa Fe River is coming back down. The Suwannee was never especially high. I’d recommend the Ichetucknee, Suwannee, or Santa Fe Rivers for this weekend, or Banks Lake this evening. Continue reading
Update 2024-02-24: Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers and Franks Creek 2024-02-21.
Update 2024-02-22: Valdosta Boone Drive and Knob Hill small sewage spills 2024-02-20.
We got good results for Wednesday for the Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and Franks Creek.
Valdosta’s recent upstream Withlacoochee River results through Wednesday are good.
Rain is predicted for this weekend, through Saturday. But if there is not much rain, paddling Sunday should be OK. If you like high water, since the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers are up from previous upstream rains. The Santa Fe River is coming back down. The Suwannee was never especially high.
WWALS has two outings coming up on Saturday, February 24, 2024: the morning paddle from Knights Ferry to Nankin on the Withlacoochee River, and the evening Full Snow Moon paddle on Banks Lake.
And of course don’t forget that Saturday, March 2, is the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle from Langdale Park to Troupville on the Withlacoochee River. That one is free, thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power.
![[Chart, Clean Franks Creek and Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers 2024-02-14, Map]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-02-14--wq/many.jpg)
Chart, Clean Franks Creek and Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers 2024-02-14, Map
No sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida in the past week.
But one was reported in Georgia. Ashburn had a spill of 3,000 gallons of raw sewage into Ashburn Branch, which flows into the Little River. Continue reading
Update 2024-02-16: Clean rivers and creek 2024-02-14.
We got good results for Wednesday for the Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers.
Valdosta’s Monday upstream Withlacoochee River and Three Mile Branch results were too high after the Sunday rain. Thanks to Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes for the Valdosta Wednesday results at GA 133 (OK) and US 84 (bad). He promises those and the US 41 (North Valdosta Road) Wednesday results will be on valdostacity.com website next week.
No rain is predicted for this weekend.
In the past week, no sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
So I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River from US 84 to the state line, but other than that, happy fishing, paddling, and swimming this weekend.
![[Chart, Three Clean Rivers, Map 2024-02-07]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-02-07--wq/igmany.jpg)
Chart, Three Clean Rivers, Map 2024-02-07
Or join us tomorrow (Saturday) for Ichetucknee Polar Plunge and Paddle or Sunday for Sugar Creek to Troupville Chainsaw Cleanup. Continue reading
Update 2024-01-26: Five clean rivers and a clean creek 2024-01-25.
Update 2024-01-24: More about the Valdosta Knob Hill or Williamsburg Drive sewage spill 2024-01-10.
Update 2024-01-20: Plus clean Alapaha River, for four clean rivers.
We got good results for Wednesday for three rivers: Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe. Valdosta’s Wednesday upstream Withlacoochee River results concur.
After the light drizzle today, no rain is predicted for the weekend.
So if you like cold weather and high water, happy fishing, paddling, and maybe even swimming this weekend.
Due to high water levels, we have rescheduled this Sunday’s chainsaw cleanup to be a week later. See Try again: Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, 2024-01-27.
So the next WWALS paddle is the Banks Lake Full Wolf Moon Paddle, 2024-01-25.
![[Chart, Four Clean Rivers, Map 2024-01-17]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-01-17--wq/many.jpg)
Chart, Four Clean Rivers, Map 2024-01-17
No sewage spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Florida since the last week.
Ashburn, Georgia, had yet another sewage spill into Ashburn Branch from its MLK Lift Station. It showed up in GA-EPD’s Sewage Spills Report for Thursday, January 18, 2024, as happening that same day. This spill 1,500 gallons for Spill Primary Cause “Other”. Ashburn Branch joins the Little River upstream of the Coverdale Highway Bridge, and far upstream of Reed Bingham State Park.
Valdosta’s 100,000 gallon sewage spill into Three Mile Branch to the Withlacoochee River showed up in GA-EPD’s Sewage Spills Report for Wednesday, January 16, 2024. It shows the spill location as “213 Knob Dr/1020 Williamsburg Dr.”
I talked to Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes about this spill Wednesday in Atlanta. He says the sewage came up out of a manhole at 213 Knob Hill Drive, which he considers the “backside of Williamsburg Drive.” Also, it turns out it was not a collapsed sewer line. Utilities found rocks and some sort of lid in the pipe. They don’t know how that stuff got in there. I’m beginning to wonder whether it was vandalism. Continue reading
Update 2024-01-19: Three Clean Rivers 2024-01-17.
We got bad results for Thursday for one Alapaha River site and horrible results for one Withlacoochee River site.
Russ Tatum’s Holly Point site went from zero E. coli for Wednesday to 5,000 for Thursday. We don’t know whether this is related to Valdosta’s Wednesday 100,000-gallon sewage spill into Three Mile Branch to the Withlacoochee River, but it could be. In the last week, no other pollution spills were reported in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia, and none at all in Florida.
The most recent City of Valdosta Withlacoochee River results we have are for Monday, and they are all too high after last Saturday’s rain. There was more rain Tuesday, and a bit more yesterday (Friday).
If I were you, I would avoid the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers this weekend. Maybe even the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers.
We shall see whether the Withlacoochee is clean enough and low enough Sunday week for the Langdale Park to Sugar Creek Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2024-01-21.
WWALS tester Kimberly Godden Tanner tested the Alapaha River at Lakeland Boat Ramp @ GA 122 and at Naylor Park Beach @ US 84. She wrote, “Both locations were clean [of trash]. The only additional item of note was a couple a dead fish on the ground at the boat ramp in Lakeland. I am not a fisher, so I am unaware of why this might be.” Continue reading
Update 2024-01-24: More about the Valdosta Knob Hill or Williamsburg Drive sewage spill 2024-01-10.
Update 2024-01-18: According to Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes, the spill really was from a manhole at 213 Knob Hill Drive, but it was not due to a collapsed sewer line; actually there were rocks in the pipe.
Update 2024-01-13: Dirty Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2024-01-11.
Valdosta yesterday reported a massive sewage spill from a collapsed sewer line into Three Mile Branch, through Langdale Park, into the Withlacoochee River.
I compliment the City of Valdosta on getting a bypass pump there to deal with the situation.
And I compliment the City for a specific location, 213 Knob Hill Drive. However, that is where the report came from that caused Valdosta Utilities to investigate. By the description in the press release of “a manhole overflowing from the backside of Williamsburg Drive”, it would appear the manhole was actually at 2019 Williamsburg Drive.
“The Sanitary Sewer overflow stopped at 12:30 am on January 12, 2024, releasing approximately 100,000 gallons into a drainage ditch that discharges into the Withlacoochee River.”
Two ditches actually go into Three Mile Branch which goes to the Withlacoochee River, but I compliment the City on saying which river is affected.
However, in addition to being ten times the 10,000 gallons required for a major spill, that 100,000 gallons is an awful round number. And while the City provides a stop date and time for the spill, they don’t really say when it started, just when it was reported. So that manhole could have been spewing sewage for quite a while at 2019 Williamsburg Drive before somebody at 213 Knob Hill Drive noticed and reported it.
This appears to be the location of “a manhole overflowing from the backside of Williamsburg Drive”, at 2019 Williamsburg Drive. Continue reading
![[WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival 2024-03-09-10, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, Georgia. Photos: John S. Quarterman 2024-03-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-03-09--azalea-festival/fbmany.jpg)
![[Chart, Rivers, Map 2024-01-11]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-01-11--wq/many.jpg)
![[Valdosta Sewage Spill, Williamsburg Drive to Three Mile Branch and Withlacoochee River, January 10-12, 2024]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2024-01-10--valdosta-sewage-spill-three-mile-branch/many.jpg)