Tag Archives: WLRWT

Sewage spills: Ashburn, GA, Live Oak, FL 2023-12-01

Update 2023-12-08: Clean Santa Fe River 2023-12-06.

Live Oak, Florida, was much faster in reporting its Friday sewage spill than was Ashburn, Georgia, in reporting its Sunday-before-last spill.

Probably neither of these spills had any noticeable effect on the nearby Little or Suwannee Rivers, and certainly not on the far-downstream Withlacoochee River.

For more about WWALS water quality testing, see https://wwals.net/issues/testing.

[Ashburn, GA, and Live Oak, FL, sewage spills]
Ashburn, GA, and Live Oak, FL, sewage spills

Ashburn, Georgia, spilled 2,000 gallons on November 19, reported on November 28, into Ashburn Branch, which ends up in the Little River far upstream from Tifton. Continue reading →

Pictures: WWALS at Brooks County Skillet Fest 2023-10-21

It was a good time at the WWALS booth at the Brooks County Skillet Festival.

[Collage @ Brooks County Skillet Festival 2023-10-21]
Collage @ Brooks County Skillet Festival 2023-10-21

Thanks to Jan Powell, Kimberly Tanner, and her Brazilian exchange student for assisting WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman at the WWALS booth.

Quitman is on Okapilco Creek, which runs into the Withlacoochee River. The Withlacoochee, and, upstream, the Little River form the east border of Brooks County with Lowndes County.

There are more pictures below.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading →

Scotti and Sara Jay discovered One Mile Branch fish kill, leading to GA-EPD Consent Order 2023-09-23

Update 2024-02-22: Slight update on this Consent Order in Valdosta Boone Drive and Knob Hill small sewage spills 2024-02-20.

Thanks to Scotti Jay Jones for discovering and photographing a fish kill on One Mile Branch a year ago, and for taking water quality samples. Thanks to Sara Jay Jones for plating those samples. Suwannee Riverkeeper reported all that to GA-EPD.

One year later, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD), levied a Consent Order on the City of Valdosta for that fish kill and various sewage spills.

[IG: Sara and Scotti Jay Jones, the GA-EPD Consent Order, location map, and fish kill]
IG: Sara and Scotti Jay Jones, the GA-EPD Consent Order, location map, and fish kill

Maybe that Consent Order and its requirements for Standard Operating Procedures will help prevent sewage spills from getting into One Mile Branch, Hightower Creek, and Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, as well as into Knights Creek into Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. There have also been many personnel changes in the Valdosta City government, and the current Acting Utilities Director so far seems like a big improvement.

And you can join Scotti and Sara and WWALS at Iche Nippy Dip Day Swim and Paddle, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Headspring, 2024-01-06.

Below are links and snippets for previous WWALS blog posts during that year. Continue reading →

GA-EPD Consent Order on Valdosta for One Mile Branch fish kill and sewage spills 2023-09-15

Update 2023-11-13: Valdosta Standard Operating Procedures as conditions on Consent Order EPD-WP-9424 2023-11-13.

That One Mile Branch fish kill back on September 23, 2022, was not just from a fuel spill by VSU.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) found contamination and dead fish upstream of that alleged fuel spill. GA-EPD also cited numerous other Valdosta sewage spills, not only into One Mile Branch, but also into Hightower Creek (also draining through Sugar Creek into the Withlacoochee River), and spillsinto Knights Creek (which drains into Mud Swamp Creek, then the Alaphoochee River, and the Alapaha River).

Result? A new Consent Order on Valdosta, including a hefty fine as one of five conditions, the rest of which have sixty (60) day deadlines.

[$56,139.30 fine on Valdosta for One Mile Branch Fish Kill and other spills --GA-EPD 2023-09-15]
$56,139.30 fine on Valdosta for One Mile Branch Fish Kill and other spills –GA-EPD 2023-09-15

$56,139.30 may not sound like much as a fine, but it is huge compared to typical GA-EPD fines of maybe $10,000, and it is almost half of the $122,000 of the 2020 Consent Order after the huge December 2019 Valdosta sewage spill.

Please note that the Valdosta Utilities Department is under new management since all this happened.

Acting Utilities Manager Jason Barnes now has the task of cleaning up the physical and regulatory mess, even though he had nothing to do with causing it.

The City’s explanation for the One Mile Branch fish kill at the time did not pass muster with GA-EPD: Continue reading →

Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2024-02-24

Update 2024-02-23: Outing CANCELLED due to high and cold water.

Paddle with us 6.58 miles downstream on dark water with one set of shoals. People have reported seeing blue woodpeckers in the area as well as kingfisher and several others.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10:30 AM, end 5 PM, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Put In: Knights Ferry Boat Ramp, 6499 Knights Ferry Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03]
Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17 and 2022-12-03

Continue reading →

Pictures: Langdale Park Withlacoochee River Cleanup 2023-10-20

WWALS cleaned up near Langdale Park Boat Ramp during the United Way Day of Caring. We ended up with trash bagged, plus 4 shower doors, a big screen tv, a kids toy float tug boat and lots of plastic and styrofoam, glass and aluminum.

Outings leader Russell Allen McBride previously scouted the Withlacoochee River upstream and down from Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and found too many deadfalls for boating, so we cleaned up on land. Thanks to Bobby McKenzie, Suzy Hall, and Gretchen Quarterman for cleaning up.

[Trash, t-shirts, slough, and signs at Langdale Park Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-10-20]
Trash, t-shirts, slough, and signs at Langdale Park Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-10-20

Thanks to Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson for cleaning up with us, and for bringing still more donuts. Also the United Way t-shirts, to add to our Rivers Alive t-shirts.

There are more pictures below.

See also the facebook photosets by:

Continue reading →

Mostly on land: Langdale Park Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-10-20

Update 2023-10-26: Pictures: Langdale Park Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2023-10-20.

Join us for a WWALS river cleanup during Valdosta United Way Day of Caring.

No boat required, since we will mostly be on land.

Outings leader Russell Allen McBride scouted the Withlacoochee River upstream and down from Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and found too many deadfalls for a river cleanup.

[Deadfalls, bridge, and trash, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park]
Deadfalls, bridge, and trash, Withlacoochee River, Langdale Park

Russell wrote, “I went down to Langdale Park yesterday. There are 3 deadfalls downstream before 3 mile branch and one deadfall upstream before the N Valdosta Bridge. I found a good size pocket of trash in a slough that is dried up downstream a short walk from boat ramp. Not much trash in river upstream. A small amount of trash in the deadfalls downstream but until they are cut out it would be hard to get. I suggest we pick up what I found on land.”

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 1 PM, Friday, October 20, 2023

Put In: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, in Lowndes County.

GPS: 30.88747, -83.32395, -83.32395 Continue reading →

WWALS at Brooks County Skillet Fest 2023-10-21

Food and fun in a park. Maybe you’d like to help at the WWALS booth, at the Brooks County Skillet Festival.

[Fog on the Little River at Miller Bridge, WWALS Booth, Skillet Festival 2022-10-15]
Fog on the Little River at Miller Bridge, WWALS Booth, Skillet Festival 2022-10-15

When: 9 AM, Saturday, October 21, 2023

Put In: Brooks County Courthouse, 100 Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia 31643

GPS: 30.785667, -83.559660 Continue reading →

Pictures: Brooks County Skillet Fest 2022-10-15

It was a fun time last year at the Brooks County Skillet Festival at the courthouse in Quitman, Georgia.

[Skillet Fest, WWALS Booth, fog on the Little River at Miller Bridga 2022-10-15]
Skillet Fest, WWALS Booth, fog on the Little River at Miller Bridga 2022-10-15

Thanks to Amy and Doug Jackson and Sara Jay Jones and everyone else who helped Gretchen Quarterman at the WWALS booth.

Skillet Fest is back this weekend, Saturday, October 21, 2023. Y’all come! Continue reading →

Sewage inside Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Valdosta 2023-10-16

Numerous reports say Ollie’s has been closed since Monday morning, and apparently T.J. Maxx, apparently due to sewage backing up into the building, at 1200 N St Augustine Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602. This is concerning, since that building is at the top of the creek that runs into Lake Sheri, and then into the Withlacoochee River.

[Sheri Run, Lake Sheri, Withlacoochee River in WLRWT]
Sheri Run, Lake Sheri, Withlacoochee River in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)

However, Valdosta City Marshall Josh Hunt says the issue has been fixed and the stores reopened this morning.

I also checked with Valdosta Acting Utilities Director Jason Barnes, and he says the problem was entirely on private property, and did not escape the building. He also confirmed that Valdosta did not have any sewage spills during last week’s rains. Continue reading →