Mayor Scott James Matheson said he and Council had been discussing solutions to the trash problem, before last Thursday’s Valdosta City Council meeting. Afterwards he came outside and discussed that a bit more. Stay tuned.
There’s also a new Neighborhood Development and Community Protections Manager, Anetra Riley. Community Protections Manager is what they call Code Enforcement, so that is relevant to the trash problem. Continue reading
We even saw the Valdosta trash problem on the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. One paddler fell in picking up trash, and two more collected a huge bag of trash in a canoe. I think those two live in a different county.
Maybe you’d like to come say a few words tonight to the Valdosta City Council. 5:30 PM, City Hall, 216 E. Central Ave., Valdosta, GA 31601.
The WWALS trash boom at Sugar Creek is showing some promise, but there need to be more of those and people dedicated to cleaning them out, plus something done about fast food parking lots upstream, including on Threemile Branch.
![[Valdosta Trash on Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Little River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-22--trash-creeks-river-valdosta/many.jpg)
Valdosta Trash on Sugar Creek, Withlacoochee River, Little River
For all about the Valdosta trash situation, see: https://wwals.net/issues/trash/
This public health, well-being, and eco-tourism issue may be brought up at the Valdosta City Council meeting at 5:30 PM this Thursday, February 24, 2022, down at City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601.
You can thank whoever brought it up, or bring it up yourself, at the end of the agenda in Citizens to be Heard.
Here’s a facebook event so you can encourage others to attend.
And if you can’t go in person, you can watch on Valdosta’s facebook livestream.
Meanwhile, if you see trash, report it with Valdosta Click N’ Fix: https://www.valdostacity.com/public-information/click-n-fix
The Valdosta trash situation is still much like this summary from last fall. For new wrinkles, see https://wwals.net/issues/trash/.
![[White Paper, Trash down Sugar Creek to Withlacoochee River]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-09-10--vld-trash-situation/many.jpg)
White Paper, Trash down Sugar Creek to Withlacoochee River
See also PDF.
The other documents cited are on the WWALS website. Continue reading
Friday morning, February 18, 2022, at 8:00 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio, about the annual 11-mile Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, this Saturday, February 19th, on the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers.
We’ll also talk about how you can ask Georgia statehouse members to pass HB 1289 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining, while you can ask the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to stop a strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp, and ask GA-EPD to stop that second wood pellet plant in Adel while you’re at it.
We’ll mention the trash situation of Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.
When: 8:00 AM, Friday, February 18, 2022
Where:
Talk 92.1 FM radio, Scott James drivetime show
http://talk921.com/
Listen: Continue reading
Bobby McKenzie says, “This is visible from the road…if you’re looking.”
You guessed it: more fast food container trash in yet another Valdosta Creek: Three Mile Branch, where the Mayor lives.
Turns out the City of Valdosta owns that creek downstream from Country Club Drive. So that would be a great place for a trash trap. Otherwise, all this garbage floats down Three Mile Branch into the Withlacoochee River, then down past the future site of Troupville River Camp, and on into Florida and the Suwannee River.
![[Threemile Branch, Trash, Country Club Drive]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-13--threemile-branch-trash/many.jpg)
Threemile Branch, Trash, Country Club Drive
The road is Country Club Drive, a bit south from North Valdosta Road. This is looking east, upstream, on Three Mile Branch. You can see trash in front of the box culvert under the road. Continue reading
If one boom is good, two should be better.
We’re experimenting with what works best.
For why we are doing this, see https://wwals.net/issues/trash/. Continue reading
The Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle has been rescheduled to Saturday, February 19, 2022. Everything else is as Valdosta Mayor Scott James and I discussed on his radio show last Thursday. We’ll be talking about it again this Friday, January 28, 2022, at 8AM, Talk 92.1 FM.
Thanks to The Langdale Company for access to take out at Spook Bridge, and for a mid-point lunch spot. Thanks to Georgia Power for water quality testing grants to WWALS.
Gather 9AM for the Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, at the rescheduled Saturday, February 19, 2022.
![[Mayor and Chairman's Paddle (since rescheduled to February 19, 2022)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-01-20--videos-scott-james-radio/big/mayor-chairman-paddle.jpg)
Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle (since rescheduled to February 19, 2022)
We hope everybody’s favorite on-water painter, Julie Bowland, will join us.
WWALS is talking to Valdosta State University Deans and Faculty about Education and research at Troupville River River Camp and River Park. The paddle will go right by there.
On the radio, Scott James and I discussed the trash problem, coming mostly from parking lots with fast food outlets, down Sugar Creek, into the Withlacoochee River.
Arrow the talking puppy helped.
Don’t forget to tell GA-EPD no mine near the Okefenokee Swamp.
WWALS has a paddle on the last stretch of the Alapaha River, US 41 to Suwannee River, Saturday, February 5, 2022.
And a paddle from Langdale Park on the Withlacoochee River, to Sugar Creek, and on to Troupville Boat Ramp, May 7, 2022: the announcement will be up soon.
The Sugar Creek trash problem was described in the 2010 Valdosta Stormwater Master Plan, which said it should be fixed immediately. Continue reading
Update 2022-01-31: Another trash boom across Sugar Creek 2022-01-30.
Maybe this will catch some trash before it floats down Sugar Creek to the Withlacoochee River.
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and WWALS Science Committee Chair Dr. Tom Potter brought some 3/4-inch sissel rope and 4-inch flexible drain pipe down to Sugar Creek at the bottom of the Salty Snapper property off Gornto Road, and turned it into a boom across the creek.
For why we did this, see Sugar Creek Trash 2022-01-15. Continue reading
Update 2022-01-26:
Videos: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Trash, Swamp: Suwannee Riverkeeper on Scott James Radio 2020-01-20 2022-01-20.
Update 2022-01-19: Changed to 8:30 AM.
Thursday morning at 8AM 8:30 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio, about the annual 11-mile
Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle on the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers coming up in a week,
the trash situation of Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River,
and how you can
ask the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to stop a strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp,
and ask GA-EPD to stop that second wood pellet plant in Adel while you’re at it.
We may also talk about water trails, water quality testing, and who knows what else.
![[Suwannee Riverkeeper and Scott James, 92.1 FM, 2021-10-19]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-10-19--scott-james-radio/MVI_0233-08-57-sponsors-of-wwals-boomerang-including-dry-pocket-2021-01-23.jpg)
Suwannee Riverkeeper and Scott James, 92.1 FM, 2021-10-19
When:
8 AM 8:30 AM, Thursday, January 20, 2022
Where:
Talk 92.1 FM radio, Scott James drivetime show
http://talk921.com/
Listen: Over the air, or through the radio show’s own website, or through any of several online listening services.
Event: facebook
For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see Continue reading
Business as usual, plus preparing to nomimate officers for 2022, at the Authority that in some sense oversees the landfill in Lowndes County, Georgia, next to the Withlacoochee River.
That’s not sugar cane grinding in “6. City of Valdosta Grinding Reimbursement Request”. It’s for grinding up mulch. That seems to be the main thing DSSWA does: distribute grants for grinding from fees received from the landfill.
![[DSSWA-Agenda-10-20-2021-0001]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-10-20--dsswa-agenda/big/DSSWA-Agenda-10-20-2021-0001.jpg)
DSSWA-Agenda 10.0000000, 0.0000000
PDF
DEEP SOUTH
REGIONAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITYMeeting of the Board of Directors
Deep South Regional Municipal Solid Waste Management AuthorityOctober 20, 2021
6:00 PM
Southern Georgia Regional Commission
Valdosta, GeorgiaAGENDA
Continue reading
![[Many]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-18--scott-james-radio-mayor-chairmans-paddle/many.jpg)
![[Booms, Trash, Bridge, Banners]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-01-30--sugar-creek-boom2/many.jpg)
![[Boom and preparations]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-01-23--sugar-creek-boom/many.jpg)