WWALS Member Bobby McKenzie saw the Lowndes County Little Control truck in the wild, at Nankin Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River.

Gotta give mad props to Lowndes County, GA for the Litter Control crew!

The boat ramps in Lowndes have been surprisingly clean lately! I ran across these folks today while out testing water. If you’ve been paying attention to the trash we’ve been cleaning up out of the rivers and trashed local spots in other counties…this is a much appreciated sight!

These boat ramps have been notoriously trashed in the past. Glad to see Lowndes stepping up!

Lowndes County Litter Control at Nankin Boat Ramp. Photo: Bobby McKenzie, who was an intern for WWALS at the time.

You can help, too, at the big river and creek cleanup this Saturday, October 9, 2021, with WWALS sites downstream from Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River and on Sugar Creek at the Salty Snapper just upstream from the Withlacoochee River.

River and Creek Cleanup, Saturday, October 9, 2021

I checked with Robin Cumbus, Director, Lowndes County Public Works, and confirmed with Meghan Barwick, Lowndes County Public Information Officer, that Litter Control cleans up at all the boat ramps once a week, all on their normal route, which also includes all the 55 mph roads and the I-75 off-ramps. They watch for bad spots and pick those up more frequently.

It’s a whole new division in the current county budget: Litter Control, currently with two people. They will be expanding education and operations.

Litter Control looks through trash to see if there are identifying marks. They hand that over to code enforcement. Code Enforcement is following up.

If you see trash where it shouldn’t be in Lowndes County, you can call

• 229-671-2700 for Lowndes County Public Works if it’s on a public road
• 229-671-3070 for Code Enforcement if it’s on private property

For other kinds of reports, see Reports.

Little River

Lowndes County has one boat ramp on the Little River, Troupville Boat Ramp, on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. I do not think Litter Control is yet cleaning Folsom Bridge Landing upstream.

WLRWT signs, Troupville Boat Ramp

Withlacoochee River

Lowndes County has four boat ramps on the Withlacoochee River, plus other access points, all on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. I do not think Litter Control is yet cleaning Hagan Bridge Landing and Franklinville Landing upstream, or US 84 Landing.

WWALS water trail signs, boats, 10:14:27, 30.8876521, -83.3238601. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS.

Knights Ferry Boat Ramp Sign, Withlacoochee River 2021-09-02. Photo: WWALS water quality tester Michael Bachrach.

Nankin Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River @ Clyattville-Nankin Road 2021-09-02. Photo: WWALS water quality tester Michael Bachrach.

State Line Boat Ramp Bridge, Withlacoochee River @ GA 133 2021-09-02. Photo: WWALS water quality tester Michael Bachrach.

Alapaha River

Lowndes County has one public access site to the Alapaha River: Naylor Boat Ramp.

Paddlers with signs. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS.

Thanks to Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for the trash can at Naylor Boat Ramp.

VLPRA trash barrel. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS.

People swim and put in kayaks at Naylor Park Beach, slightly downstream in the same park.

Naylor Park Beach, Alapaha River @ GA 122 2021-08-27. Photo: WWALS water quality tester Tasha Ekman LaFace.

Back in 2018 Gretchen Quarterman asked VLPRA to put a trash can on Naylor Beach, and they did, and it works.

. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS.

There’s still trash in the woods, but much less than there used to be.

. Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS.

Stay tuned for more progress upstream, where the trash is coming from.

And remember, the real trash problem is the companies that make all that single-use packaging, bottles, cans, and styrofoam that breaks into little pieces that get eaten by wildlife, fish, and birds that can’t digest it.

At least two states have already passed stryrofoam packaging bans.

More than half a dozen states have bottle and can deposits.

There’s no reason Georgia and Florida can not do the same.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

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