Tag Archives: WaterGoat

OK Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

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Update 2026-03-27: Clean New, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers 2026-03-26.

Sugar Creek is dirty again, but not as filthy as last week, according to a WWALS Tuesday sample. So was Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road, also for Tuesday.

For the Withlacoochee River, Valdosta Utilities for Monday got very filthy with E. coli at GA 133, but clean at US 84.

WWALS got clean downstream at Holly Point for Tuesday, and clean upstream at Hagan Bridge for Thursday, also on the Withlacoochee River. And clean for Thursday on the Little River at Troupville Boat Ramp, just above the Withlacoochee.

The Santa Fe River tested clean for Thursday, and the Alapaha River tested OK for Saturday.

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

So chances are the contamination from the big rain of Monday has been diluted. Happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend.

Come join us tomorrow, Saturday, for a Chainsaw cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Upstream from Troupville 2026-03-21. You do not have to use a saw. You can pull trimmed branches aside, pick up trash, photograph, or just paddle along.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19]
OK Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19

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 →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2026-03-12

Sugar Creek is filthy again, according to a WWALS sample of Thursday.

All the Withlacoochee River results we have are clean, but the most recent are from Monday, so we don’t know what conditions are like now.

The Alapaha and Santa Fe Rivers tested clean for Thursday samples.

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

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, but I’d avoid the Withlacoochee River downstream from Sugar Creek.

Come join us today, Saturday, at the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival 2026-03-14, in Drexel Park, on One Mile Branch, in Valdosta, Georgia.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown]
Filthy Sugar Creek, Clean Alapaha River 2026-03-12, Clean Santa Fe River, Withlacoochee unknown

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 →

Clean Santa Fe, New, and Withlacoochee Rivers and Sugar Creek 2026-03-05

Update 2026-03-20: OK Santa Fe and Alapaha Rivers, Questionable Withlacoochee River, Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Little River 2026-03-19.

For once every river WWALS tested came out clean, and Valdosta Utilities concurs.

And even Sugar Creek tested clean at the WaterGoat, just above the Withlacoochee River.

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

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this sunny warm weekend.

Come join us today, Saturday, for the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge 2026-03-07.

This image is an illustration. Scroll down for the details.

[Clean Santa Fe, New, and Withlacoochee Rivers, and Sugar Creek, 2026-03-05]
Clean Santa Fe, New, and Withlacoochee Rivers, and Sugar Creek, 2026-03-05

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 →

Filthy Hightower Creek 2026-01-08 but clean upstream ILM Pond 2026-01-09

Update 2026-01-23: Valdosta Force Main alongside Hightower Creek 2026-01-09.

Update 2026-01-16: Clean Ichetucknee, Santa Fe, Withlacoochee Rivers 2026-01-14.

Thanks to the landowners, on Friday John S. Quarterman tested ILM Pond at the top of Hightower Creek, west of I-75, and found its level well below its outflow pipes. Also, it tested pretty clean, despite the geese that land there. So that can’t be the source of contamination into Hightower Creek.

On Thursday, Suzy Hall tested Hightower Creek at St. Augustine Road and found it still dirty. Downstream, she also tested Sugar Creek at the WaterGoat and found it OK, not far upstream from the Withlacoochee River.

There’s no water in Hightower Creek all the way from ILM Pond under I-75. Until just below the Sam’s Club detention pond. So that seems like a good place to test next.

This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.

[Dirty Hightower Creek 2026-01-08, Clean ILM Pond 2026-01-09, Sugar Creek OK, Where is the source?]
Dirty Hightower Creek 2026-01-08, Clean ILM Pond 2026-01-09, Sugar Creek OK, Where is the source?

This is an update to the WWALS Friday Weekly Water Quality Report in which we found the Withlacoochee River clean, and the Santa Fe River.

The inch of rain Saturday last week had little effect, and the drizzle this Saturday probably even less.

No new sewage spills have been reported since then in Georgia or Florida.

The weather is supposed to be fine but cold today, so if you can find a river with enough water, and happy paddling, motoring, swimming, and fishing.

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 →

Clean Rivers and Creeks, except Hightower Creek 2025-12-11

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.

[Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers, Mostly Good 2025-12-11, OK One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek, But not Hightower Creek]
Clean Withlacoochee, Santa Fe Rivers, Mostly Good 2025-12-11, OK One Mile Branch and Sugar Creek, But not Hightower Creek

Sugar Creek and its feeder creeks

For Thursday at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek, Valdosta Utilities got Continue reading →

Clearing logjams from Sugar Creek –Juston Stone 2025-12-02

Update 2025-12-05: Clean Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Santa Fe Rivers; dirty Sugar Creek and One Mile Branch 2025-12-04.

This week there are many less deadfalls across Sugar Creek in Valdosta, Georgia.

[Clearing logjams from Sugar Creek --Juston Stone 2025-11-02, Stones Aquatic Weed & Algae Removal, for Valdosta Utilities Department]
Clearing logjams from Sugar Creek –Juston Stone 2025-11-02, Stones Aquatic Weed & Algae Removal, for Valdosta Utilities Department

Juston Stone sent these pictures. He is the owner of Stones Aquatic Weed & Algae Removal. He said he was hired by Valdosta Utilities Department to clear from the bottom of the Salty Snapper property up to the Gornto Road Bridge. Downstream from there is not in the Valdosta City Limits. It’s not far downstream to the Withlacoochee River, which has plenty of logjams of its own. Yes, there are discussions about that.

Juston also posted this video of Sugar Creek clearing:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2037502813683473/

There are more videos on the Stones Aquatic facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/stonespondcleaning/

Valdosta Utilities Director Jason Barnes had been saying for some time that he had some creek clearing projects in mind. I guess this was one of them.

Juston said when they cleared one of the biggest logjams, Continue reading →

Valdosta Sugar Creek sewage spill update 2025-07-17

Update 2025-07-18: Florida River Task Force meeting with Valdosta City Council 2025-07-30

Test results continue to show high Fecal coliform and E. coli in Sugar Creek after the weekend’s sewage spill, even though the bypass pump has been running normally since Sunday. It can take many days for sewage to wash downstream, especially without much rain.

The spill was too small to have much effect on the Withlacoochee River downstream, and probably none on the Suwannee River.

[Update: Valdosta Sugar Creek Sewage Spill Testing 2025-07-16, Still high, even upstream at Baytree Road]
Update: Valdosta Sugar Creek Sewage Spill Testing 2025-07-16, Still high, even upstream at Baytree Road

This is the bypass pump yesterday. Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2025-06-12

Update 2025-06-20: Clean Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-19.

WWALS got some OK E. coli results on Sugar Creek this week.

And Valdosta Utilities got clean results for the Withlacoochee River.

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

Rain is predicted this weekend and every day this coming week.

Since these recent tests were after previous rains, apparently we’re past first flush. That means whatever was in the woods has washed out now, so more rain may not cause much contamination.

So as near as we can tell, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can beat the rain!

[Clean Withlacoochee River, and Sugar Creek, More Rain coming, 2025-06-12]
Clean Withlacoochee River, and Sugar Creek, More Rain coming, 2025-06-12

Maybe join us Thursday evening by zoom for How Humans Affect the Aquifer, a WWALS Webinar, by Dennis J. Price, P.G., 2025-06-19
https://wwals.net/?p=67740 Continue reading →

Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers 2025-06-04

Update 2025-06-12: Sampling Sugar Creek 2025-06-12.

Finally, a good E. coli result on Sugar Creek!

Also clean results for the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers.

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

It’s likely to rain this weekend and more likely every day this coming week.

Nobody tested after yesterday’s rain, so we don’t know what effect that had.

But as near as we can tell, happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend, if you can beat the rain!

[Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, Rain coming, 2025-06-04]
Clean Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers, Rain coming, 2025-06-04

Maybe join us Wednesday evening for Full Strawberry Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-06-11.
https://wwals.net/?p=67603 Continue reading →

Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-14, Clean Alapaha River 2025-05-15

Update 2025-05-23: Filthy Langdale Park Withlacoochee River 2025-05-22.

Sugar Creek was too high at Baytree Road and at the WaterGoat in WWALS E. coli tests. However, Valdosta Utilities and WWALS got clean results for the Withlacoochee River downstream. And WWALS got excellent results for the Alapaha River.

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

No rain is predicted until Wednesday.

So avoid Sugar Creek, and happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this weekend!

[Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-14, Clean Alapaha River 2025-05-15, Happy Paddling this weekend]
Dirty Sugar Creek, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-05-14, Clean Alapaha River 2025-05-15, Happy Paddling this weekend

Sugar Creek

WWALS tester John S. Quarterman sampled four Sugar Creek location Wednesday and got 900 at Baytree Road, 200 at the railroad, 233 at Gornto Road, and 500 at the WaterGoat. Those first and last results are above the 410 cfu/100 mL one-time test limit for E. coli.

Something is still not right in Sugar Creek.

See also Continue reading →