06/09/2012 - Dog River Scenic Blueway Woes Continue

Header image - obligatory photo showing some ducks and geese with trash lining the shoreline as usual.

One nice thing about a pedal kayak is you can propel the kayak through the water while holding an umbrella and staying dry except for below the knees.

There were heavy rains in Mobile today. That means another new load of "Floatable" garbage entering the Dog River Scenic Blueway. I have no problem with there being floatables, however, I do have a problem about the City not removing their storm water generated garbage after it rains.

View of Dog River north of Dog River Park.

View of Dog River south of Dog River Park. By the time I turned around and went home, much of the trash had already been blown to the shorelines.

Today was FREE fishing day in Alabama.

Tourism advertisements should be honest and show potential vacationing fishermen the beauty Mobile has to offer fishermen, like in this photo. Enjoy your Alabama Seafood home grown in Mobile's illegal garbage dump. This view leaves me with a new definition of ADEM - Alabama's Department of Environmental Malignancy. Mobile's malignancy is litter and it is making people sick to death so many are moving away. ADEM, like the Governor, seem to be sleeping during this crisis that is polluting our water. Bring in the National Guard to clean up the mess after these natural disasters (heavy rains)!

This home owner's shoreline was clean when I paddled by three days ago. 

When are Dog River home owners going to get some relief from the public's litter?

It is a crying shame that despite homeowner complaints about the floating storm water garbage, media coverage and intervention by legal action, nothing has changed in almost a year. (Update: The City of Mobile and Dog River Clearwater Revival just reached an agreement about the litter in Dog River.) The Mobile City Council will soon have to vote on whether to approve a $500,000 storm water management contract with the elusive Mobile Group engineering company. Sadly, none of that money would go to get the trash removed from local rivers and creeks. (Update: Oops, I was wrong about the previous statement. Bess Rich says some of that $500,000 is earmarked for a Dog River pilot program for trash control.) Fixing the storm water pollution problems will cost even more.

If I was this boat owner, I'd be demanding the city get someone out to clean up the storm water garbage and if they didn't remove it, I'd be suing. As a citizen, you have a right to file a lawsuit against the City of Mobile due to aesthetic, conservational, recreational, or physical injuries as a result of the Clean Water Act violations. Clearly, when you have trash that came from Mobile's storm water system polluting your property and no one will do anything about it, there are some Clean Water Act violations! Here, read up on your right to sue at this link: Click Here. How do you spell trash relief? L-A-W-S-U-I-T

Since prayer, like our leadership, doesn't seem to be working to fix the litter problem, remember, there is the option to replace all the city Council Members, and the Mayor. This is an election year. Vote them all out and lets vote in new leaders who care about Mobile's cleanliness.

Video from today's kayaking trip along Dog River Scenic Blueway.