Malia Thomas, reporter for the Valdosta Daily Times, and Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman toured many of the same Valdosta trash locations we visited three months earlier. Most of them did not seem what you might call fixed.

Valdosta Trash Examples 2023-05-23

Plus one added stop was most definitely not fixed. Apparently 84 days of $100 a day fines were not enough.

There is some progress on Valdosta’s chronic trash problem, such as the three trash traps (thanks, City Engineer Ben O’Dowd and Stormwater Manager Angela Bray) and the notices sent to parking lot owners by City Marshalls (thanks, Community Protections Manager Anetra Riley), but there is also much more room for improvement. Apparently some of those notices have not had much effect yet, and more trash traps are needed, as well as other measures. See:
https://wwals.net/issues/trash/

Needless to say, WWALS and the usual citizens are still watching and speaking up.

Here is a WWALS video playlist of some of the main spots we toured in May.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-Qx0Lj_h2bwBO7DvmDhigMNB

There are many pictures below.

The locations on One Mile Branch, Two Mile Branch, Browns Canal, and Sugar Creek all flow into the Withlacoochee River and the links on their latitudes and longitudes go to the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

The locations on or near Dukes Bay Canal drain into Mud Swamp Creek, the Alapahoochee River, and the Alapaha River. Their latlongs link into the WWALS map of the Alapaha River Water Trail.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

OMBDPTT

Lee Street Detention Pond Trash Trap, One Mile Branch, 2023:05:23 15:06:33, 30.8467600, -83.2779650

MM

Malia Thomas, VDT, at Mega Mart parking lot drain into One Mile Branch above Lee Street, 2023:05:23 15:11:18, 30.8494415, -83.2777837

ACTOMB

Styrofoam cup, 2023:05:23 15:12:24, 30.8493750, -83.2776780

ACTsign

Malia Thomas, VDT, Rules of the Trail, Azalea City Trail at Lee Street, 2023:05:23 15:19:36, 30.8488771, -83.2780462

16 – 20

Movie: Yikes! Trash between Azalea City Trail and One Mile Branch below Lee Street, plus Zacadoos, 2023:05:23 15:19:14, (120M) 30.8488771, -83.2780462

USBCNTS

The main report we got for Browns Canal at this location is that it floods the LODAC parking lot during heavy rains.

Malia Thomas, VDT, Browns Canal east of N Toombs Street, 2023:05:23 15:48:33, 30.8356715, -83.2828164

DSBCNTS

Downstream, N. Toombs St. culvert, Browns Canal, 2023:05:23 15:50:05, 30.8358413, -83.2829765

TP

Trash pile, Pullman Street, between S. Oak Street and Pullman Street, 2023:05:23 15:57:15, 30.8215559, -83.2775839

DBC

Dukes Bay Canal east of S. Oak Street, 2023:05:23 16:00:57, 30.8237493, -83.2787199

BTRDP

Yes, this is the location of the 84 days of $100 a day fines. Apparently there is some issue of the permit for this pond pre-dating the City’s trash ordinances. We shall see what happens next.

Movie: Detention Pond, Baytree Road, Sugar Creek (34M)

TMBBD

WaterGoat, Berkley Drive, Two Mile Branch, 2023:05:23 16:29:00, 30.8635051, -83.3019380

UD

Trash along University Drive near Moody Drive, 2023:05:23 16:41:43, 30.8650276, -83.2837872

OMBUD

Trash by One Mile Branch on University Drive, 2023:05:23 16:43:15, 30.8682336, -83.2847355

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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