Here is the document Della Gladieux gave to the Berrien Planning Commissioners last Thursday, at the Public Hearing about subdidiving on Bradford Road in an agricultural character area.
You can see her present it in this WWALS video:
Continue readingUpdate 2025-10-21: Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems –Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16.
The Berrien Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the proposed subdividing on Bradford Road.
However, that only applies to part of what (almost) everybody thought was being considered. It turns out the three lots at the corner of Bradford Road and Old Valdosta Highway were already divided out in October 2024.
Yet there are still many issues of urban sprawl and its costs, stormwater runoff, etc.
The Chairman not only moved to recommend denial, he also said the county should stop approving subdivisions until a Comprehensive Land Use Plan can be drawn up and enforced.
Applicant Cole Livingston and his attorney Danny Studstill said that when the applicant bought the property in an online auction, he understood that all agency permits were already in order. Also, the corner tracts were subdivided before he bought them.
Zoning Administrator Teresa Willis said those corner tracts were heard in the “9-19-24” Planning Commission meeting, and that the subdividing was approved in the October 2024 County Commission meeting. For more about that, see below after the WWALS videos of this October 2025 meeting.
It all still adds up to plopping ten houses in the middle of an agriculture character area, with runoff and recharge issues that affect the neighbors, Gin Branch Creek, the Withlacoochee River, and groundwater down to the Floridan Aquifer.
Chair Parrish Akins clarified that all the previous testimony in the preceding two Public Hearings was still valid. Then he asked for further comment for or against.
Della Gladieux supplied a tome of objections. Continue reading
A WWALS water quality sample Friday at the WaterGoat on Sugar Creek tested at the alert limit for E. coli, and higher than the previous week.
This result is consistent with the higher result Valdosta Utilities got for Thursday at GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River, which was also higher than the previous week.
And it is consistent with the results Valdosta Utilities got two weeks ago at Gornto Road on Sugar Creek and at GA 133. That day, October 2, 2025, Valdosta Utilities got even higher results at St. Augustine Road on Hightower Creek.
Yet after October 2 Valdosta Utilities ceased testing Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch, and Hightower Creek, as well as North Valdosta Road on the Withlacoochee River, after the four weeks of testing required by GA-EPD after major spills had expired.
There has been no significant rain for weeks. It is very difficult to explain these high Sugar Creek results as residue of previous sewage spills washing downstream, when there has been no rain to wash it down.
Maybe Valdosta Utilities should look for a sewage leak on Hightower Creek upstream from St. Augustine Road.
And if Valdosta won’t voluntarily continue testing when results are too high, maybe it’s time to ask the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) to require the city to do so.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Filthy Sugar Creek Friday, WWALS 2025-10-17, Consistent with GA 133, Valdosta Utilities 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-17--wq/many.jpg)
Filthy Sugar Creek Friday, WWALS 2025-10-17, Consistent with GA 133, Valdosta Utilities 2025-10-16
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
Update 2025-10-19: Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-17.
WWALS will never have the direct economic effect that many of the other projects described to the five Georgia State Senators this week. But many of our activities require very little economic input, such as water trails, outings, and even the future Troupville Nature Park and River Camp.
And some solutions for things we oppose would have outsized effects.
![[Video: Senate Study Committee on Georgia Tourism, meeting in Valdosta, 2025-10-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-15--ga-tourism-senate-study-committee-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
Video: Senate Study Committee on Georgia Tourism, meeting in Valdosta, 2025-10-15
What does an area need for tourism? A good reputation.
What’s the opposite of that? Stigma, as in:
One of only six second magnitude springs in the state of Georgia, McIntyre Spring is about half a mile upstream from where the Withlacoochee River crosses into Florida for the first time. Here it is seen with kayaks, in Google Earth Pro, for May 17, 2025, looking south and downstream.
![[McIntyre Spring with boats, Withlacoochee River --Google Earth Pro, May 27, 2017]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-05-27--mcintyre-spring-withlacoochee-river-google-earth-pro/fbmany.jpg)
McIntyre Spring with boats, Withlacoochee River –Google Earth Pro, May 27, 2017
Previously I speculated that the kayaks in this Google Earth Pro map were from the WWALS paddle of October 14, 2017. Since then, Google Earth Pro has supplied a more specific date of May 27, 2017 for this map, so the dates do not seem to match.
Brooks County claims the entire river to its left (usually east) bank, so McIntyre Spring is in that county. It is also on private land, inaccessible by road without permission.
To see McIntyre Spring in the river, the water level must be low. Preferably no higher than about 1.75 feet (85.26 NAVD) on the US 84 Quitman gage, and about 6.57 (53.08 NAVD) on the the Pinetta gage.
Those were the readings on July 9, 2016. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-19: Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-10-17.
The last water quality test for Sugar Creek that we have is by WWALS for last Friday, and that was a too-high 633 cfu/100 mL E. coli.
For this Thursday, Valdosta Utilities got 480 at GA 133 on the Withlacoochee River, downstream of Sugar Creek, higher than the one-time test limit of 410, and higher than 400 last week. Yet Valdosta Utilities got a pretty clean 120 farther downstream at US 84, lower than 180 last week.
It is likely that Sugar Creek was still too high Thursday. We don’t know, because Valdosta Utilities last week ceased testing Sugar Creek, One Mile Branch, and Hightower Creek, as well as North Valdosta Road on the Withlacoochee River. This was apparently because the four weeks of testing required by GA-EPD after major spills had expired. Never mind that Valdosta Utilities’ last result on Sugar Creek was too high.
WWALS testers got a very clean zero result on the Santa Fe River for Wednesday.
No new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
There’s a chance of storms Sunday afternoon, otherwise it’s supposed to be mostly sunny for the next ten days.
I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, Other than that, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Too much E. coli at Sugar Creek WaterGoat, Problematical Withlacoochee River, 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--wq/many.jpg)
Too much E. coli at Sugar Creek WaterGoat, Problematical Withlacoochee River, 2025-10-16
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
Update 2025-10-13: better picture format, and links to the previous parts.
A fine fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper, diving and landowners at Arnold Springs, Old Clyattville Road Bridge, exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, Horn Bridge. and Mozell Spells (State Line Ramp). Thanks to all who came to paddle from as far as two hours from Gainesville, Florida and four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia.
![[Clear spring water, 2017-10-14, 15:13:01, 30.6410851, -83.3367726 --jsq for WWALS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-10-14--arnold-springs-mozell-spells-withlacoochee-river/20171014_151301.jpg)
Clear spring water, 2017-10-14, 15:13:01, –jsq for WWALS 30.6410851, -83.3367726
Blue-green Arnold Springs water meets tea-colored Withlacoochee River water.
The Quitman Gauge (US 84) read 2.17 feet (85.67 NAVD88), which was slightly above our recommended low level, and just fine for Arnold Springs. Here are some pictures and a Google Map. A few videos will follow.
This part of the outing was all in Georgia, but we paddled downstream from Florida to get there; see Continue reading
The Withlacoochee River goes into and out of Florida twice before it makes up its mind. We saw karst, shoals, and rapids, into Florida and back to Georgia all downstream, Valdosta Railway Trestle, Madison County Four Freedoms Trail, and exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, on a fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS.
![[White water, 2017-10-14, 13:58:34, 30.63457, -83.34178 --jsq for WWALS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-10-14--shoals-into-out-of-florida/20171014_135834.jpg)
White water, 2017-10-14, 13:58:34, –jsq for WWALS 30.6345700, -83.3417800
This is Part 2, after Continue reading
Update 2025-10-13: improved image format, and separated the shoals into another post.
Tires and trash cleaned up at Nankin Boat Ramp, saw Clyatt Mill Creek, and swimming and diver tales at McIntyre Spring. This was also a Georgia Rivers Alive cleanup, all on a fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS Watershed Coalition and Suwannee Riverkeeper. Thanks to all who came to paddle from as far as two hours from Gainesville, Florida and four hours from Pine Mountain, Georgia.
![[A free diver, 2017-10-14, 12:47:33, 30.6416153, -83.3661699 --jsq for WWALS]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2017-10-14--wwals-nankin-mozell-withlacoochee/20171014_124733.jpg)
A free diver, 2017-10-14, 12:47:33, –jsq for WWALS 30.6416153, -83.3661699
Here are some pictures. There are more in the following two parts. Continue reading
Update 2025-10-18: Too much E. coli at the Watergoat, Sugar Creek 2025-10-10, Problematical Withlacoochee River 2025-10-16.
Update 2025-10-11: Plus Staten Road for Thursday.
WWALS testers found the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers clean within the past seven days, and the Withlacoochee River mostly clean.
We don’t know about Sugar Creek, because Valdosta Utilities stopped testing after the state-required four weeks beyond a major spill.
GA-EPD finally added the gallons spilled in Valdosta’s big August sewage spills to its Sewage Spills Report. But no new sewage spills have been reported in the past week in the Suwannee River Basin in Georgia or Florida.
It’s supposed to be mostly sunny or sunny for the next ten days.
I’d avoid Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River near it, Other than that, happy paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing this weekend.
This image is an overview. Scroll down for the details.
![[Clean Ichetucknee and Santa Fe, Mostly clean Withlacoochee River, Unknown Sugar Creek, 2025-10-09]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-09--wq/many.jpg)
Clean Ichetucknee and Santa Fe, Mostly clean Withlacoochee River, Unknown Sugar Creek, 2025-10-09
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
![[Subdivisions in agricultural areas cause financial problems --Della Gladieux to Berrien Planning Commission 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--della-gladieux-argument-bradford-road/fbmany.jpg)
![[Videos: Public Hearing, Berrien Planning Commission, Bradford Road subdividing, Part already subdivided in 2024, Rest recommended denial 2025-10-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-10-16--bradford-road-subdivision-berrien-planning-commission-videos/many.jpg)