Read on to view an extensive photo series at the end of this article.

City officials appear to only clean up when paying customers are expected, leaving residents wondering why their cities aren’t kept clean for the people who live here year-round. 

In preparation for the upcoming 2022 Canoe Freestyle World Cup hosted by the city in October, public/private organizations have announced a series of clean-up events taking place on both sides of the Chattahoochee River. Both Columbus and Phenix City stand to gain financially from hosting the international event and appear to be making a mad-dash to look their best.

The last-minute effort raises questions about why the cities’ governments polish their appearances for profitable events but fail to maintain the ever-growing trash problem for their own residents who live here year-round.

While taxes in Columbus have increased to fund development of the Dragonfly Trails Network and the reconstruction of parts of the river walk, the improvements have already become littered with garbage, used clothing, graffiti, and filth. The developments’ planning appears to not have taken into account that vandals and loiterers see the improvements as a blank canvas for them to destroy, vandalize, and litter upon.

The lack of policing and maintenance is leaving some Columbusites questioning if their tax dollars are being well-spent, as the vandalism seems to be happening at a faster rate than the developments themselves.

Headed by executive director Becca Zajac, Dragonfly Trails is a non-profit organization selected by the city to help facilitate Columbus’ ‘master plan’ for trail-related development, including along the river. According to the Columbus Planning Department, the city’s work with Dragonfly Trails is one of several public/private partnerships to help “restore the Chattahoochee River to health as it flows through downtown, creating the World’s Longest Urban Whitewater Course and the 22-mile RiverWalk linear park.”

The vast amounts of trash seem to have counteracted those intentions.

More trash and vandalism accrues as more people are drawn to the improvements, bringing their garbage and inevitable vandalism along with them. 

To-date, Columbus has invested nearly $1 billion — with a ‘b’ — in developing the riverwalk. Regardless of the investment dollars spent, the trash, graffiti, and vandalism demonstrate a lack of the proper policing and maintenance required to uphold the developments year-round. 

Like many ambitious public works projects, the improvements have become degraded faster than they can be repaired and maintained. The example of the Columbus civic center parking lot and grounds also drive this point home.

The  river-centric sister cities of Columbus and Phenix City lack a cohesive management plan and enforcement policy to combat the problems of trash and vandalism on both sides of the Chattahoochee River. Instead, the local governments largely rely on non-profit organizations and volunteers to make up for their shortcomings on an annual basis.

Several organizations from both cities have announced volunteer clean-ups to tackle the vast amounts of trash along the banks of the river. The dates of these scheduled cleanups appear to be coordinated, occurring throughout the month of September and wrapping up just before the city is hosting the high-profile kayaking event.

While a noble cause for our volunteers and hometown-heroes who gladly step up to the plate, their efforts would not be needed in the first place if both cities properly managed the trash for their own residents year-round instead of only in preparation for a profitable, high-profile, internationally recognized event.

The following photos were obtained by the Muckraker on September 2, 2022 and highlight the vast amounts of trash, vandalism, and graffiti present along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

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