This brief mention in a Florida state-wide bi-monthly environmental review newspaper is mostly right as far as it goes. Many more people and some personnel changes at the city of Valdosta were involved.

Valdosta Lee Street Detention Pond Trash Trap and Florida Specifier article

Florida Specifier, April-May 2023, Valdosta trapping trash from entering waterways,

The City of Valdosta announced the deployment of the Lee Street detention pond trash trap to stop trash from entering waterways. John Quarterman, the Suwannee [R]iverkeeper and the riverkeeper watershed organization, WWALS, have expressed concern over trash in the city’s waterways for some time.

The City responded with the newly installed trash trap designed and constructed for roughly $5,000.

The Lee Street trap is being considered a model for installation at similar sites.

The Riverkeeper also is advocating solutions such as issuing citations that enforce trash littering regulations.

The Lee Street detention pond trash trap leads to One Mile Branch, which flows into Sugar Creek, where Valdosta has recently upgraded a WaterGoat trash trap, and then the Withlacoochee River, and on to the Suwannee River and the Gulf of Mexico. Valdosta has moved the old Sugar Creek trash trap to Two Mile Branch, which also flows into Sugar Creek. There is much more to do.

Thanks to WWALS Board member and Hamilton County, Florida, Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price for spotting this article.

For much more about the trash situation, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/trash

 -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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