Tag Archives: Weather

We continued chainsawing downstream on the Withlacoochee River, starting at the train trestle.

Phil Hubbard and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman cut passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats through hurricane deadfalls. We got through a bunch of deadfalls, past the other train trestle beside the river, before paddling back up.

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson came to see us off, wearing a tie, on his way to a day of funerals.

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek downstream, 2026-02-21

Here is some video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1458995909184651/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZGwxMiPky/

https://youtu.be/j1xd3FdCw-M

We are preparing for the Mayor andd Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, Saturday, March 7, 2026.

We used several of our own chainsaws, and the Husqvarna 460 Rancher 24-inch chainsaw bought with a generous grant to WWALS from Wild Green Future.

We will continue chainsaw cleanups later.

There are many pictures below.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. Continue reading →

Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers, cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers 2026-02-19

2 Replies

Update 2026-02-27: Valdosta dry land sewage spill 2026-02-25.

Update 2026-02-25: Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22.

Avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River from there to the Little River Confluence.

We’ve postponed the chainsaw cleanup on that stretch for a week, to February 28.

https://wwals.net/?p=69438

The Alapaha, Little, and Santa Fe Rivers tested good. The New River tested OK at US 82, but as usual bad upstream.

This is all from WWALS results for Thursday (and Wednesday for the Santa Fe). We have no new results from Valdosta Utilities since our last report, when they got horrible numbers for the Withlacoochee at GA 133 and US 84.

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

So happy paddling, swimming, fishing, and boating this sunny Saturday, before the cold snap sets in.

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

Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers; Cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers; Avoid Withlacoochee River below Sugar Creek 2026-02-19

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 →

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-28

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Update 2026-03-02: Videos: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek downstream 2026-02-28.

Update 2026-02-20: Rescheduled to Saturday, February 28, 2026, due to continued bad water quality.

Last time was fun and productive, so we’re continuing chainsawing downstream on the Withlacoochee River.

Meet at the Salty Snapper parking lot. Unless it’s raining; then we’ll try for Sunday.

We will cut passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats through hurricane deadfalls. You do not have to use a saw: you can pull sawed limbs aside, collect trash, photograph, or just paddle along.

The river is very low. This is convenient for sawing through dead trees while standing on the river bottom. But beware there will be much dragging of boats.

We are preparing for the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, February 28, 2026
We may continue the following day, Sunday.

Put In: Gather in Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602-2232

GPS: 30.861251, -83.3189

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek, Downstream 2026-02-21

Continue reading →

Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17

1 Reply

Update 2026-02-21: Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers, cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers 2026-02-19.

WWALS got filthy river results on the Withlacoochee River at US 41 and Langdale Park Boat Ramp for Monday, but Valdosta Utilities got even worse at GA 133 and US 84 for Tuesday.

In between, WWALS got pretty bad on Hightower Creek, but the worst on Sugar Creek, both for Tuesday.

Yet downstream in Florida, WWALS got clean on the Withlacoochee River for Tuesday.

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

So this filthiness is probably first flush after the Sunday rains. That’s a utilities term: after a long drought, a big rain washes the woods, which animals have been using as a latrine.

If so, the waterways will clean up in a few days as the water runs. But I’d avoid all these for a few days.

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

Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17, After big rains, But clean far downstream

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Nasty water, Alapaha River, GA 135 2026-02-16

3 Replies

Update 2026-02-25: Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22.

Update 2026-02-21: Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers, cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers 2026-02-19.

Mike Paulk sent this video of what he saw yesterday at GA 135 on the Alapaha River, south of Willacoochee, Georgia.

Nasty water, Alapaha River @ GA 135, After big rain, Rose 1 foot in 3.5 hours

He said the river rose a foot in 3 and a half hours, and he’s never seen it look like that.

Here’s the video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1433056248290635

https://youtube.com/shorts/ppVqQc3FRkY

Anybody who has any information, please send it to us.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to RR Bridge 2026-02-14

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Update 2026-03-02: Two weeks later, Videos: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek downstream 2026-02-28.

We went only 0.28 Sugar Creek and Withlacoochee River miles, but we sawed plenty of passage through deadfalls, moved much debris, and picked up a bunch of trash.

Here are some video clips:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2360050534421356/

https://youtu.be/XsmSiemHLug

We were chainsawing passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats through hurricane deadfalls, especially from Hurricane Helene.

Phil Hubbard, leader of this expedition, remarked: “I felt we had a very productive day. With the low water we were able to clear obstructions that had existed but inaccessible for a very long time.”

Chainsaw Cleanup, Sugar Creek to Withlacoochee River, Short distance but much accomplished

We are preparing for the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, if the river level rises enough to avoid rescheduling.

We took a WWALS canoe with the 24-inch Husqvarna Rancher chainsaw and the 86 lb thrust trolling motor paid for by a grant from Wild Green Future, plus other saws, electric and gas. Phil Hubbard and I used the canoe. David Savage and Tish Hall each brought their own kayak. We spent more time walking than paddling.

Phil Hubbard recently Continue reading →

Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12

1 Reply

Update 2026-02-18: Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17.

WWALS got good river results on the Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers this week, as did Valdosta Utilities on the Withlacoochee.

But new WWALS tester Isis Swartz got too-high E. coli results on the New River at 18th Street in Tifton, Georgia.

We have no new creek test results.

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

The weather prediction for Saturday is mostly sunny with rain on Sunday. So if you can find a river with enough water, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.

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

Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream, 2026-02-09-12

Or come with WWALS tomorrow (Saturday), on the Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14.

https://wwals.net/?p=69369

The image below is a current excerpt from that spreadsheet. Continue reading →

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14

Update 2026-02-16: Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14.

Join us as we chainsaw passage for kayaks, canoes, and jon boats through hurricane deadfalls.

You do not have to use a saw: you can pull sawed limbs aside, collect trash, photograph, or just paddle along.

The river is very low. This is convenient for sawing through dead trees while standing on the river bottom. But beware there will be much dragging of boats.

We are preparing for the Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, if the river level rises enough to avoid rescheduling.

When: Gather 11 AM, launch 12 PM, end 5 PM, Saturday, February 14, 2026

Put In: Gather at the bottom of the Salty Snapper parking lot, 1405 Gornto Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602-2232.
We’ll put in on Sugar Creek if there’s enough water,
otherwise on the Withlacoochee River under the railroad trestle.

GPS: 30.861251, -83.318900

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville, 9 AM, Saturday, February 14, 2026

Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

Tag Archives: Weather

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

Radio: Mayor and Chairmans Paddle by Suwannee Riverkeeper on talk921.com 2026-03-05

Videos: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek 2026-02-28

Clean Santa Fe, Alapaha Rivers, cleaner Withlacoochee, New Rivers 2026-02-19

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-28

Filthy Withlacoochee River and Sugar Creek 2026-02-17

Nasty water, Alapaha River, GA 135 2026-02-16

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to RR Bridge 2026-02-14

Clean Withlacoochee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers; Dirty New River upstream 2026-02-12

Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Sugar Creek to Troupville 2026-02-14