Category Archives: Cleanup

Videos: Lowndes County buys land from Helen Tapp for Troupville Nature Park and River Camp 2022-12-13

Update 2022-12-23: Videos: Troupville Nature Park and River Camp, Trash, Cleanups –Helen Tapp & Suwannee Riverkeeper @ Scott James Radio 2022-12-15.

Landowner Helen Tapp spoke a week ago at the Lowndes County Commission about their historic purchase of her 71+ acres to add to 49 VLPRA acres to make a Troupville Nature Park and River Camp.

Below are videos and transcript of what she said about her vision and hopes for the site. For the entire meeting, see the Continue reading →

Pictures: Another Knights Ferry to Nankin Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-17

Update 2023-03-31: Yet Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2023-04-08.

Update 2023-01-30: Videos: Valdosta trash on the Withlacoochee River 2022-12-17.

Eight WWALS volunteers braved a cold winter’s day on another WWALS Withlacoochee River Cleanup from Knights Ferry to Nankin Boat Ramps, because we couldn’t get it all two weeks before.

After a big on-land cleanup and a floating trash jam, we also saw the wood piers of old Knights Ferry Bridge, Floating Marsh Pennywort, invasive Flowering Cleome houtteana, many private landings, Redland Creek, many rocks, many interesting trees, and Nankin Shoals.

Thanks to Russell Allen McBride for organizing, and volunteers Suzy Hall, Will Hart, Amy Myers, Gretchen Quarterman Scott, and Calvin.

[Composite, Another KF to Nankin Cleanup, 2022-12-17]
Composite, Another KF to Nankin Cleanup, 2022-12-17

Where did this styrofoam, plastic bottles, and cans come from? Almost certainly the City of Valdosta. See Valdosta Mayor Scott James on trash at Hightower Creek 2022-12-15.

There’s at least that much more trash on the river that we’ll have to come back to get. At least Valdosta has started to stop trash from getting into the river. They have much more to do:
https://wwals.net/issues/trash

Here’s a summary in a WWALS video playlist by Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman:

Continue reading →

Valdosta Mayor Scott James on trash at Hightower Creek 2022-12-15

With a sudden break in his schedule, Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson drove to see the parking lot where people park, eat their lunch, and toss their trash next to a creek.

He didn’t like it, and said so. Here’s the problem and how to fix it.

You can help by reporting trash or other problems through Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix app.

[Mayor, trash, fast food, trash cans at storefronts]
Mayor, trash, fast food, trash cans at storefronts

He had not seen this mess before, on St. Augustine Road, next to Hightower Creek. Continue reading →

Another Cleanup Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River, 2022-12-17

Update 2022-12-21: Pictures: Another Knights Ferry to Nankin Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-17.

Come help clean up more trash jams we found last time. It’s going to be cold, so dress warmly in layers and bring a change in a dry bag.

We found a new creek that we’re calling River Bend Plantation Creek because that’s the property it mostly runs through.

Speaking of which, the main big new trash pile is on the edge of River Bend Plantation. Could someone who knows them please ask them to contact WWALS about land access or closer river access?

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, December 17, 2022

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

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Trash on land and river]
Trash on land and river 2022-12-03; Photos: John S. Quarterman

Continue reading →

Pictures: Knights Ferry to Nankin Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-03

We got the big trash jam and discovered an even bigger one, on the Trashjam cleanup, Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-03.

[Banners, trash, river]
Banners, trash, river

Thanks to the eight people who came, and to Russell Allen McBride for organizing. We also saw posts of the old Knight Bridge sticking up in the river, some interesting plants, two dead deer, and a Great Blue Heron. Plus a creek that wasn’t on the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Wate Trail. And rocks. Many rocks.

Thanks to the two Valdosta city officials who did RSVP that they couldn’t. Don’t worry, we’ll be doing it again, with more advance notice. Pencil in Saturday, December 17th, for now.

This is mostly legacy trash from past years, now that the Sugar Creek Watergoat is catching much of it. But there’s more coming out of Three Mile Branch, and it’s still Valdosta’s responsibility even when it washes down the river, just like spilled sewage is Valdosta’s responsibility.

How do we know it’s Valdosta trash? Here’s some new evidence.

This was in the first big trash jam. Michael’s Deli has been closed since December 24, 2021, but it sat right on One Mile Branch, and its styrofoam cups washed down Sugar Creek into the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading →

Trashjam cleanup, Knights Ferry to Nankin, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-03

Update 2022-12-05: Pictures: Knights Ferry to Nankin Cleanup, Withlacoochee River 2022-12-03.

Clean up trash jams on the balmy blackwater Withlacoochee River. Looks like the weather will be almost 80 degrees. We will definitely get in a swim or two.

When: Gather 9 AM, Paddle 10 AM, End 3 PM, Saturday, December 3, 2022

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

GPS: 30.71205, -83.45554

[Trash composite 2022-11-26]
Trash composite 2022-11-26

Continue reading →

Alapaha River Cleanup, Sasser Landing and Statenville Boat Ramp, 2023-01-07

On-land cleanup in Georgia and Florida on the Alapaha River. You can bring a boat if you want to, so you can clean up on the river near the ramps.

These locations are on both sides of the GA-FL line on the https://wwals.net/maps/alapaha-water-trail/.

When: 9 AM – noon, Saturday, January 7, 2023

First Site: Statenville Boat Ramp, 206 GA 94 West, Statenville, GA 31648, right bank, west of river, north of highway bridge, in Echols County, Georgia.

GPS: 30.704437, -83.03468

Second Site: Sasser Landing, From Jennings, Hamilton County, FL, travel east on CR 150; cross the Alapaha River; turn left onto NW 72 Court and follow to river, in Hamilton County, Florida.

GPS2: 30.599562, -83.069828

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.

Free: This outing is free to everyone!

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

[Statenville and Sasser, 2019-07-06]
Statenville and Sasser, 2019-07-06

Continue reading →

Trash, Withlacoochee River, Troupville 2022-11-13

Hot Damn! It’s the Trashy Bottom Boys!

[Trash, Boats, Shoals]
Trash, Boats, Shoals

I went down to Troupville Boat Ramp to collect a water sample, and who should I spy? Bobby McKenzie and Russell Allen McBride, the Trashy Bottom Boys.

They were just back from a mile-and-a-half roundtrip down the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers to clean up trash. That location is now in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail as Trashy Shoals. Continue reading →

Winners, WWALS Boomerang paddle race 2022-10-22

Hahira, GA, October 25, 2022 — Home county favorite Kyle “Bird” Chamberlain, of Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, won the WWALS Boomerang paddle race from Georgia into Florida and back. He won the $100 First Prize with a time of one hour, sixteen minutes, and 55 seconds to paddle three miles down and three miles back up for six miles total on the astonishingly clear Withlacoochee River.

[River, Race, Prizes: WWALS Boomerang 2022-10-22]
River, Race, Prizes: WWALS Boomerang 2022-10-22

Bird said, “I wanna thank my sponsors State Line River Outfitters and Takis for believing in me… they gave me their undivided attention to make sure I had everything needed to win.” Continue reading →

Pictures: Lee St. Detention Pond Cleanup 2022-10-21

Those of us who came to the Friday morning trash reporting cleanup at Valdosta’s Lee St. Detention POnd got some bags of trash and reported a couple of Click ‘n’ Fixes.

Y’all come this afternoon, 2PM, Sunday, October 23, 2022, for another Click ‘n’ Fix reporting and cleanup, led by Bobby McKenzie. Park at Mr. B’s IGA, 1405 N Lee St., Valdosta, GA 31601. We’ll forage for trash from there.

[Trash, trash trap, banners]
Trash, trash trap, banners

The goal is to stop the trash before it gets into One Mile Branch, whic flows into Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River. Valdosta can do what its Stormwater Permit requires and educate businesses to keep trash from escaping their parking lots. Or it can enforce Valdosta’s trash ordinances. The more people reporting such violations, the more likely something will be done.

Thanks to Mr. B for keeping the parking lot at Mr. B’s IGA pretty clean. There is room for improvement, in putting trash cans in the parking lot. He said he would consider it.

It turns out the strip of land with the drainage ditch just south of Mr. B’s IGA is Continue reading →