Congratulations, Valdosta, on getting this detention pond cleaned up and this private storm drain fixed. The fix didn’t even cost much. Yet it should keep some trash from going into Hightower Creek, Sugar Creek, and the Withlacoochee River.

Thanks to this property owner for pioneering such a fix. Other parking lot detention pond drains could probably apply similar inexpensive fixes.

You can help by reporting any trash or litter problem you see in Valdosta with Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app.

For trash or other problems elsewhere, here’s how to report: https://wwals.net/report/.

Before and after

The drain fix is that bit of sawed-in-half pipe attached to the drain structure. It keeps trash from washing straight out. Instead, trash collects in the concrete block structure while water runs out the top. Inexpensive, yet should be effective.

Inexpensive trash stopper

This is what it looked like before.

Drain hole

This is what came out of it. Looks to me like a KFC cup and a Chick-fil-A cup,among other trash.

Open drain and trash

Into Hightower Creek.

Trash at Hightower Creek

This is the detention pond and drain from the same parking lot of the previous post about KFC to Sugar Creek 2022-03-21. Follow the red line on the map to see how trash goes down Hightower Creek to Sugar Creek to the Withlacoochee River.

Map: KFC to Tractor Supply to Hightower Creek and Sugar Creek in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

Here’s the cleaned-up detention pond:

Trash cleaned up

This is all in seeclickfix.com, which is how you see what happens with Valdosta Click ‘n’ Fix reports.

St. Augustine Road and Hightower Creek in Seeclickfix map

Unfortunately, the only response from the City of Valdosta to this Click ‘n’ Fix report was:

Public Works Department
3/18/2022
Verified Official

Thank you for reporting, the City of Valdosta will look into this issue and get back to you!

Odd that Valdosta isn’t telling people that it fixed a trash problem.

So let me congratulate Valdosta again on this fix, even though it was on private property! And let me congratulate the property owner.

For more on the Valdosta trash issue, see https://wwals.net/issues/trash

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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

Short Link: