All clean: Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha Rivers 2021-10-21

2021-10-29: Big rains and big contamination 2021-10-28.

WWALS Thursday water quality samples all tested clean, just in time for the WWALS Boomerang paddle race tomorrow, at State Line Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

Happy boating, swimming, and fishing on the Withlacoochee, and on the Alapaha and Little Rivers, too, according to the data we have.

[Chart, Little River, Alapaha River; Withlacoochee River; Map: Swim Guide 2021-10-21]
Chart, Little River, Alapaha River; Withlacoochee River; Map: Swim Guide 2021-10-21

Valdosta data through Monday upstream and Friday downstream concurs. Plus there’s been no rain all week, so there’s been nothing to wash cow or hog manure into Okapilco Creek or anything else anywhere else. And no sewage spills have been reported.

[Chart: all good 2021-10-21]
Chart: all good 2021-10-21
For context and the entire WWALS composite spreadsheet of water quality data, rainfall, and sewage spills, see
https://wwals.net/issues/testing

Maybe you’d like to get trained to join our testing crew?

Thanks to the WWALS testers:

  • Elizabeth Brunner for the GA 122 sites:
    • Folsom Bridge Landing on the Little River
    • Hagan Bridge Landing on the Withlacoochee River
    • Lakeland Boat Ramp on the Alapaha River
  • Michael and Jacob Bachrach for the downstream Withlacoochee River sites:
    • Knights Ferry Boat Ramp
    • Nankin Boat Ramp
    • State Line Boat Ramp @ GA 31
  • Gus Cleary for Cleary Bluff downstream from Allen Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

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.

We have no new data from FDOH or FDEP since September 9.

I have set green on all the WWALS Swim Guide “beaches” for which we have recent data. Some of the others look historical yellow, but there’s no evidence that they are not also clean.

[Map: All clean, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Little Rivers, Swim Guide 2021-10-21]
Map: All clean, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Little Rivers, Swim Guide 2021-10-21

There are more images on the WWALS website.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!