Tag Archives: trash

Click ‘n’ Fix of uncleaned Sugar Creek WaterGoat 2022-06-30

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Valdosta has still not even acknowledged my request #12772355 to clean out the WaterGoat trash boom on Sugar Creek. I sent it five days ago, on June 30, 2022, through Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app.

[Photograph, Seeclickfix]
Photograph, Seeclickfix

Remember Sugar Creek is just upstream from the Withlacoochee River. No trash boom is designed to hold trash forever, so the WaterGoat will eventually overflow and send that trash on down the river, past the proposed site of Troupville River Camp, and on to Florida.

That was a day after our previous post about Sugar Creek trash boom after 1.5 inches rain 2022-06-29.

The Click ‘n’ Fix request was two days after I sent email to the relevant Valdosta city departments. No response from any of them, either.

It’s now two weeks since Continue reading →

Sugar Creek trash boom after 1.5 inches rain 2022-06-29

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Update 2022-07-05: Click ‘n’ Fix of uncleaned Sugar Creek WaterGoat 2022-06-30.

Substantial trash washed into the new WaterGoat trash boom on Sugar Creek in Valdosta after only 1.5 inches of rain yesterday.

Since then, upstream gauges recorded more than 2 inches, and some gauges around Lowndes County measured 3 and even 4 inches.

[Trash composite]
Trash composite

Valdosta needs to come up with a plan for cleaning out that trash boom, before that trash washes on down into the Withlacoochee River.. And get more trash booms and do something about upstream trash.

In good news, the Zacadoos on Ashley Street now has trash cans in its parking lot. Since we have often found Zacadoos discarded cups in the creeks, that’s really good. Yay, Zacadoos! Continue reading →

Pictures: Chainsaw Cleanup, Withlacoochee River, Troupville

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Five of us with five or six chainsaws cleared more than three log jams out of the Withlacoochee River above the Little River Confluence, and collected some trash, in the Chainsaw cleanup, Troupville Boat Ramp to Withlacoochee River 2022-06-25.

[banners, boats, sandbars, and saws]
banners, boats, sandbars, and saws

We’ll be back at it after about six weeks, i.e., probably in August. The current goal is to clear the stretches from Langdale Park Boat Ramp past Sugar Creek, and on around to Troupville Boat Ramp. Fortunately there are no log jams on the Little River from the ramp to the Confluence, but there are plenty left on the Withlacoochee River. Stay tuned. Continue reading →

Trash boom good; more needed –Suwannee Riverkeeper @ VCC 2022-06-23

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Fixing Valdosta’s trash problem would cost far less than a single sewer line. Thanks for starting by putting in one trash boom; thanks especially to Council Andy Gibbs and Mayor Scott James, who have come and helped clean up on Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.

Now what’s the plan to clean that one out? When will we see the other two or more trash booms? And where’s the plan to get businesses to stop trash upstream at the source?

[Valdosta Mayor and Council, trash boom, Holly Street]
Valdosta Mayor and Council, trash boom, Holly Street

At their meeting last Thursday, I thanked Valdosta Mayor and Council Continue reading →

Valdosta Adopt-A-Street Program 2022-06-20

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Also good. Now how about those fast food outlets and their parking lots?

Valdosta Press Release, June 20, 2022, Love Where You Live Adopt-A-Street Program,

[Adopt-A-Street, Gornto Road, Moody Air Force Base 2013-03-15]
Adopt-A-Street, Gornto Road, Moody Air Force Base, March 15, 2013, Valdosta road kept clean and green by AFSA Ch. 460.

The City of Valdosta’s (Love Where You Live) Adopt-A-Street Program aids in beautifying the city by cleaning up litter and debris on local roadways. The program allows organizations, businesses, or individuals to pick a street they want to take care of for at least a one-year contract. All city streets are eligible for adoption, with the exclusion of those that have active contracts.

There is no monetary fee Continue reading →

Valdosta Watergoat installed in Sugar Creek 2022-06-21

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Two years of politics and less than an hour to install. And a fun summer solstice celebration!

[Delivery, installation, WaterGoat]
Delivery, installation, WaterGoat

Today the WaterGoat the Valdosta Mayor announced a month ago was installed on Sugar Creek, where it should stop trash from getting into the Withlacoochee River.

This first trash boom (a steel cable with floats and a 12-inch mesh below it) is a good start. Continue reading →

WWALS Accomplishments 2022-01-01

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Incorporated in June 8, 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is ten years old.

Since December 2016, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER® is a project and staff position at WWALS as the Member of Waterkeeper Alliance® for the Suwannee River Basin.

Here’s what we’ve been doing all that time.

[Outings and Water Quality Testing]

Follow this link for WWALS Accomplishments:
https://wwals.net/about/wwals-accomplishments/

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Chainsaw cleanup pictures, Withlacoochee River 2022-05-29

Update 2022-06-01: Chainsaw cleanup again, Withlacoochee River 2022-06-05.

Some chainsawed, others cleaned up, on the chainsaw cleanup at the Withlacoochee River.

We met at the Salty Snapper parking lot, but we did not actually go to Sugar Creek. We headed straight for the biggest Withlacoochee River impediment, the infamous NSRR Deadfall, a stack of deadfalls (downed trees) across the river downstream of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge.

That took the allotted time of nine to noon. We’ll probably do it again next Sunday; stay tuned.

[Logjam, Sawing, Cleanup, Banners]
Logjam, Sawing, Cleanup, Banners

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for sawing and Jan Krysa for helping in the boat and in the water. Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner and family for cleaning up.

Also, we did not see much trash actually in the big deadfall, presumably because Continue reading →

QUARTERMAN in VDT: Sewage situation better, trash needs work 2022-05-21

John S. Quarterman, Valdosta Daily Times, May 21, 2022, QUARTERMAN: Sewage situation better, trash needs work,

Thanks to Valdosta for no sewage disasters since December 2019. Some manholes still need fixing, such as at Wainwright Drive on One Mile Branch.

But Valdosta’s mayor, council and staff seem to be staying ahead of the sewage situation, for example by buying 37 emergency generators, one for each lift station.

[John S. Quarterman]
John S. Quarterman

Now Valdosta needs to get a grip on its trash problem.

Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta Mayor announces first trash trap @ VCC 2022-05-19

Update 2022-06-21: Valdosta Watergoat installed in Sugar Creek 2022-06-21.

Update 2022-05-21: QUARTERMAN in VDT: Sewage situation better, trash needs work 2022-05-21.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman asked for action about trash at the Valdosta City Council meeting yesterday, and two elected officials vied to announce that there was some action already.

[Suwannee Riverkeeper, Andy Gibbs, Mayor James, Richard Hardy]
Suwannee Riverkeeper, Andy Gibbs, Mayor James, Richard Hardy

You can see it for yourself: Continue reading →