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

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.

Country Club Drive over Threemile Branch

Bobby found a pull-off on Northwood Park Drive where he could get out and look.

Parking location

It’s mostly the usual fast food container trash, plus this Nike ball.

Nike ball, styrofoam cups

That looks like maybe an engine oil quart container, but mostly fast food trash.

Trash cup

More bottles and cans and styrofoam in the water.

Bottles and trash

It’s a shame that a nice creek like that is full of trash.

Trash limbs

Bobby noted, “There is a ton more trash in the water would have been too many pic.”

There are some more on the WWALS website.

This one is ironic:

Dump No Waste! Drains to Waterways

So where is this? Near the middle of Three Mile Branch, which comes down from the Winn Dixie parking lot at Five Points, and goes through Langdale Park into the Withlacoochee River.

Three Mile Branch closeup in WWALS map of WLRWT

Three Mile Branch is north (upstream on the Withlacoochee River) from Sugar Creek and Two Mile Branch, and downstream from where North Valdosta Road crosses the Withlacoochee River.

Three Mile Branch in WWALS map of WLRWT

Where is all that fast food trash coming from? The south side of North Valdosta Road is mostly banks and furniture and medical and car dealers, although there is a Dollar General.

But just across NVR are Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, El Toreo Mexican Restaurant, Holt’s Sweet Shop Valdosta, Wendy’s Fast Food, and in the Win Dixie parking lot are Waffle House and Franks-A-Lot.

Fast food across US 41 in WWALS map of WLRWT

There are more food purveyors up Inner Perimeter Road, and according to the Valdosta Master Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), Section 4.7 Three Mile Branch, most of them are in the Three Mile Branch drainage area.

Aerial map, Three Mile Branch Sub-Basin –Valdosta SWMP
PDF

The SWMP indicates a culvert over on Ashley Street, across from the Winn Dixie parking lot.

N. Ashley Street culvert, Three Mile Branch Sub-Basin –Valdosta SWMP
PDF

And a culvert under Briggs Street south of that parking lot.

Briggs Street Culverts, Three Mile Branch Sub-Basin –Valdosta SWMP
PDF

Those will have to wait until later investigation, including did they really channel Three Mile Branch under the Winn Dixie parking lot, or are they just routing the water around in ditches?

Meanwhile, I have added the Briggs Street Bridge, more likely culverts.

Briggs Street Bridge —Google Streetview, 30.875902, -83.294355

And the Castle Creek Place Bridge, also probably culverts.

Castle Creek Place Bridge —Google Streetview, 30.877045, -83.296182

As well as the Country Club Drive Bridge.

Country Club Drive Bridge —Google Streetview, 30.876889, -83.305348

The land upstream (east) from the Country Club Drive Bridge is privately owned.

Upstream landowner

But the land downstream is owned by the City of Valdosta.

Downstream: Valdosta land

Including behind the Mayor of Valdosta’s back yard.

Hm, I wonder if the City of Valdosta should do something about all this trash in yet another creek? Below the Country Club Drive Bridge would be a good place for a trash trap. Or maybe below Castle Creek Place, or Briggs Street. Or maybe the City could enforce its ordinances about parking lot owners not letting trash escape.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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