Clean Rivers 2023-03-09

Update 2023-03-17: Clean Rivers 2023-03-16.

Update 2023-03-17: Tifton Evergreen Drive Sewage Spill 2023-03-11.

It rained this evening, but probably not enough to wash much contamination into the rivers, which were very clean before, according to WWALS water quality tests. So I would paddle, fish, or swim this weekend.

Actually, I’ll be at the Azalea Festival in Valdosta Saturday and Sunday.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide Map

No new sewage spills were reported in the past week. However, Tifton got around to reporting today a spill from a month ago.

[Tifton Spill 2023-02-12]
Tifton Spill 2023-02-12

That was the same heavy rain weekend as Valdosta’s Cherry Creek spill and two Ashburn spills. The New River is upstream of the Withlacoochee River, which was so dirty that if any of Tifton’s sewage made it down to our test sites, it was lost in the rest.

[Clean Rivers, Charts 2023-03-09]
Clean Rivers, Charts 2023-03-09
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality results, rainfall, and sewage spills, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

Thanks to Kimberly Tanner for two Alapaha River sites last Sunday: Lakeland Boat Ramp and Naylor Beach.

Thanks to Cindy Vedas for Thursday samples at her usual four upstream Withlacoochee River sites: Franklinville, Skipper Bridge, Staten Road, and US 41.

Thanks to Jacob and Michael Bachrach for their usual three Thursday sites: Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River, and Nankin and State Line Boat Ramps on the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to WWALS Testing Committee Chair Suzy Hall for herding the testing cats.

Thanks to WWALS E.D. Gretchen Quarterman for training the testers and delivering supplies.

The most recent results Valdosta has published were for Tuesday (or did they mean Monday)? They were also clean.

So I’ve marked all the WWALS “beaches” for which we have recent data green on Swim Guide

[Map: Clean Rivers, Swim Guide 2023-03-09]
Map: Clean Rivers, Swim Guide 2023-03-09

Thanks to Joe Brownlee and Georgia Power for a generous grant for water quality testing equipment and materials.

You or your organization could also donate to the WWALS volunteer water quality testing program.

Or maybe you’d like to become a WWALS water quality tester; please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/DzWvJuXqTQi12N6v7

There are more images below.

 -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/

TBR

[Troupville Boat Ramp Sign, Little River @ GA 133 2023-03-09]
Troupville Boat Ramp Sign, Little River @ GA 133 2023-03-09

LBR

[Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2023-03-05]
Lakeland Boat Ramp, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2023-03-05

NPB

[Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2023-03-05]
Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ US 84 2023-03-05

franklinville

[Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2023-03-09]
Franklinville, Withlacoochee River @ Frankinville Road 2023-03-09

skipperbridge

[Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ Skipper Bridge Road 2023-03-09]
Skipper Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ Skipper Bridge Road 2023-03-09

staten

[Staten Road, Withlacoochee River @ Staten Road 2023-03-09]
Staten Road, Withlacoochee River @ Staten Road 2023-03-09

US41

[US 41 Landing, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2023-03-09]
US 41 Landing, Withlacoochee River @ North Valdosta Road 2023-03-09

NBR

[Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Clyattville-Nankin Road 2023-03-09]
Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Clyattville-Nankin Road 2023-03-09

SLBR

[State Line Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ GA 133 2023-03-09]
State Line Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ GA 133 2023-03-09

 -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/