# Little River, Woodstock GA



## intargc (Apr 8, 2011)

I found this river the other day and absolutely loved paddling it.  It has the potential to be very beautiful if it weren't for the huge litter bugs around here.  

** Caution - Rant **
My biggest gripe was that there are a bunch of drunk fishermen trolling around that river.  As you look around, you see tons of garbage.  Beer bottles/cans everywhere.  Stuck in the sides of the river bed, in trees, all over the ground.  There is plastic and other items around every turn.

Everytime I saw a fisherman with a huge cooler of beer, I couldn't help but think that he may be one of the people contributing to all of this litter.  It drives me nuts... They go out there to enjoy that area as much as I do and yet they throw their trash all over the place and don't even think twice about it.  I do not get people that do this... How is it that only a few of us can use common sense and say "Hey, if I throw all of this litter around, this place won't be very fun to fish at anymore, nor will it be as beautiful."  Just drives me nuts thinking about it...
** End Rant **

So, has anyone else paddled this area?  I saw the neat waterfall and started paddling toward the lake and turned around about 3 miles down stream cause it was getting late.  I noticed that there may be some pretty nice areas to set up a camp overnight, but I wasn't sure if this is allowed around here?  Does the Corps own this area as they do most of Lake Allatoona?


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## injun joe (Apr 8, 2011)

How'd you know they were drunk? Most people I meet on the lake are very nice, responsible folks. Believe it or not, most trash that you see on rivers comes down the waterway during heavy rains (as we've experienced the last couple of weeks). Every plastic water bottle and basketball that is in a parking lot gets washed into a storm drain and ends up in the watershed.
It's regrettable but much as "we all live downstream", the same holds true that "all rivers are downhill". I last canoed Little River about twenty years ago and killed a limit of wood ducks there. It was gorgeous , but believe it or not, there was trash then, too. There's a lot of extra room in every kayak and canoe. It will haul out a lot of garbage. Good luck.


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## intargc (Apr 8, 2011)

Not everyone that was out there with a cooler was drunk, but I spoke to a few people on my paddle down.  Slurred speech, while not a 100% accurate reading for drunkenness, is usually a good sign of it.  

I can see some of the plastic and stuff that ended up on the shore lines as being washed down stream, but beer cans and bottles sitting conveniently around where people were fishing... with coolers of beer...  I'm not saying it was those guys sitting there that day, but it's quite obvious that the fishermen tend to flock to specific areas of little river (mainly around Rope Mill park).  

Cans that are shoved in nooks of trees, sides of the river bank, etc... Those aren't washed up.  Those are thrown out or sat there for a reason.  

When we got to the waterfall area, there were 3 obviously very drunk younger guys hanging out there with a large cooler.  There was trash around them that I'm sure they didn't pick up before they left.  

Obviously not everyone with a cooler is a drunk or litterbug.  I did meet some really nice people while paddling that river as well.  However, it's obvious to me that a lot of that trash was put there out of laziness and lack of concern for that environment, while other bits have washed up.  

I picked up some trash on my way back.  I will probably do it again my next time around but bring a bag or two with me.


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## trad bow (Apr 8, 2011)

Ever done a river clean up or lake clean up? We have picked up tons of trash from these waterways. On rivers alot of it gets washed down stream but on lakes it gets left by those who brought it. 80 % of it is in public parking and fishing areas away from where the high water mark is. Easy money for the LEO's looking for litterers and people leaving under the influence of said emptied cans and bottles..


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## todd (Apr 9, 2011)

The property up through there is COE and no camping allowed.  To be honest they never go up there very far so you might could chance it.


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## intargc (Apr 9, 2011)

trad bow said:


> Ever done a river clean up or lake clean up? We have picked up tons of trash from these waterways. On rivers alot of it gets washed down stream but on lakes it gets left by those who brought it. 80 % of it is in public parking and fishing areas away from where the high water mark is. Easy money for the LEO's looking for litterers and people leaving under the influence of said emptied cans and bottles..



The next couple of times I head out there I will bring a trash bag or two and start carrying back trash.

The vast bulk of it is all beer cans/bottles situated around the prime fishing spots.  There are sheets of plastic, old floats and chairs and other garbage sitting around other areas that I may not be able to bring back in my touring kayak... But maybe I can make a dent in the beer cans and bottles...


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## intargc (Apr 9, 2011)

todd said:


> The property up through there is COE and no camping allowed.  To be honest they never go up there very far so you might could chance it.



I was thinking the same thing.  If the COE came out this way, I'd assume they'd pick up some of the crap along the way...  Also maybe remove some of the chairs and stuff from where people have obviously camped out before.

I wonder what would happen though if they did come out that way and catch you with a tent up?  Just ask you to move along or give you a hefty fine?


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## bfriendly (Apr 9, 2011)

intargc said:


> I found this river the other day and absolutely loved paddling it.  It has the potential to be very beautiful if it weren't for the huge litter bugs around here.
> 
> ** Caution - Rant **
> My biggest gripe was that there are a bunch of drunk fishermen trolling around that river.  As you look around, you see tons of garbage.  Beer bottles/cans everywhere.  Stuck in the sides of the river bed, in trees, all over the ground.  There is plastic and other items around every turn.
> ...




I agree with the littering part, but its everywhere and I always wonder what these people's homes look like

What I was curious about was did you bring a fishing pole with you? 

You were in some Prime fishing habitat when the lake is UP


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## sinclair1 (Apr 9, 2011)

theres plenty of litter, but I bet most of those coolers are full of crappie.the party folks sink them


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## intargc (Apr 9, 2011)

bfriendly said:


> I agree with the littering part, but its everywhere and I always wonder what these people's homes look like
> 
> What I was curious about was did you bring a fishing pole with you?
> 
> You were in some Prime fishing habitat when the lake is UP



Nah... I'm not much of a fisherman...  I just like to paddle to be outdoors.  . It did appear though that the people fishing out there that day weren't having much luck.  However, two days before that I was there checking the place out and noticed people catching some very nice fish!


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## intargc (Apr 9, 2011)

sinclair1 said:


> theres plenty of litter, but I bet most of those coolers are full of crappie.the party folks sink them



So freaking depressing....

At least it doesn't look like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBai3fl8MbI

Wait till you see them get stuck in all the plastic bottles towards the end of the clip...


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## wgatling (Apr 13, 2011)

Just in case all this litter talk has anybody wanting to make a difference, the Georgia Canoeing Association has two clean up trips posted and a third on the way. All of our rivers are trash magnets. Dams stop the trash and create huge trash piles. 

River clean up trips really don't feel like work or wasted time. It is a good day paddling the river that ends with a feeling of accomplishment. They will even bring the trash bags for you. Come on out be part of the solution.


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## injun joe (Apr 13, 2011)

Chattahoochee clean up is full according to the site.


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## ZachYak (Apr 13, 2011)

That's a great area to paddle.  During the summer its great for taking young ones out too, the lake is at full pool and the current essentially stops in this area.  

We've caught plenty of nice fish out of there too.


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## fish hawk (Apr 15, 2011)

Drunks dont pick up trash...there too drunk.They do there best to stagger back to there vehicle....Now if they get pulled over on the way home they might get to pick up some trash whether they want to or not.


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## geaux-fish (Apr 15, 2011)

Iv'e fished from Allatoona ( Little River) to Rope MIll park and past. Iv'e seen the trash, lot's of curb side fishing going on. And yes, you can fish and boat withOUT drinking, some don't believe it, but it's true. Responsible drunk????
But let's not


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## Matthew6 (Apr 27, 2011)

This is a great fishing area. I put my canoe in here alot and use my trolling motor to get down river and fish the noon day creek area. I do think alot of trash washes down. Most folks at rope mill are good about picking up the trash. The city has made this a nice park. I live nearby and do bank fish alot here as well. I have never seen anyone with alcohol in this park. This is a very family oriented park with constant police patrols. Alcohol is prohibited and Woodstock po po will lock your rear end up. The have no tolerance at all.


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