Help Clean Up Jackson Lake Trash

Jackson Lake has been plagued with so much trash coming downstream that Jackson Lake Association (JLA) and South River Watershed Alliance have joined forces to raise $367,000 to install a trash trap in the South River.

The trash trap, Bandalong Litter trap, manufactured and installed by Storm Water Systems of Cleveland, funnels trash through a trap door and compacts it to be emptied as often as needed. Dekalb County has agreed to empty the trash on an as-needed basis.

Now, several times a year, Jackson Lake volunteers man five trash pontoons and collect trash. The amount of trash is overwhelming and collects daily along the 135 miles of shoreline. The Bandalong Litter trap will capture tons of trash in a year’s time that will help with the trash collection that Turtle Cove maintenance performs along with most homeowners with lake front property.

So far, approximately $203,000 has been raised toward the cost of the litter trap, including a generous $25,000 commitment from Georgia Power and $25,000 of JLA’s own funds.

Donations are needed immediately to raise the additional funds needed to purchase the equipment and have it in place during the first quarter of 2019.

There are several ways to contribute. Go to the homepage of South River Watershed Alliance, South River Watershed Alliance and click on the donation icon at the top of the page through Paypal. On the memo line type in “JLA trash trap.”

Or mail a check to South River Watershed Alliance, P. O. Box 1341, Decatur, GA. 30031 and note on the memo line “JLA trash trap”. All donations are tax deductible. For any information call Bud Cowan with Jackson Lake Association at 706-468-8740.