Posts: 388
Threads: 11
Joined: Feb 2014
Reputation:
1
I had to run over to Utah county this morning to get livestock grain and other supplies. So I took my catfish gear and spent 2 hours over around Goshen Bay on the bank. It sure was a pretty day. But I never had a bite. No carp were getting romantic either over there. What just completely disgusted me was the trash! It was every where! I could have filled the bed of my truck with everything from beer bottles to empty worm containers. I gathered up 2 garbage bags of trash but you probably wouldn't know it if you saw what is still there. No wonder land owners just say NO TRESPASSING. I have no idea what the solution is because until folks take a little personal responsibility and pride, parts of Utah Lake will look like a wreck happened to a garbage truck. Sorry to go on a little rant. I hope my next trip has more success catching cats, instead of cleaning up after folks who are basically trash themselves.
[signature]
Posts: 1,602
Threads: 45
Joined: Aug 2010
Reputation:
3
Man, I hear ya! I take that little ride quite often and there is always a new layer of trash every time I go. One section of the shoreline just south of the orchards was strewn with Corona beer bottle, paper plates, bean cans, Taco shell wrappings and other assorted detritus. I totally support the landowners for posting the area but I don't think it helps much. I had some nice cattin' holes along that road and they are now no longer accessible... unless by boat.
Sad situation that has gone on for years.
[signature]
Posts: 288
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2014
Reputation:
0
Agreed. Utah lake shoreline is always bad. I also fish the Lower Provo river quite a bit, and am literally amazed at the sections of the walking path along the river that closely follow the highway. People must just toss junk out their windows at high speed all the time. And apparently a lot of the anglers aren't much better. There's a never ending supply of Mepps packaging, old 30lb monofilament (a sure sign someone doesn't know what they're doing on the Lower Provo... haha), and even PowerBait bottles on the AFL section of the river. Ridiculous.
[signature]
Posts: 761
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2013
Reputation:
0
Now when you say "parts of the lake", you mean the shoreline... right? [bobhappy]
[signature]
Posts: 931
Threads: 6
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
0
Sad.
Contrast:
I've been in Manila shore fishing many nearby Flaming Gorge places. I've seen plenty of fishermen, ladies and children, but no litter. I see footprints in soft ground, so people have been fishing these places yet only leaving footprints. The rare exceptions were likely not litter -- that is, not deliberate. I found a fabric bag of a folding chair. I suppose the occasional high wind took it away from people who had no intention of losing it. I picked it up along with an occasional package of a fishing item that gets hidden in the rocks and from where it was placed most likely forgotten rather than being intentional litter.
Why is there litter on the shore of Utah Lake and almost zero at Flaming Gorge?
[signature]
Posts: 1,602
Threads: 45
Joined: Aug 2010
Reputation:
3
One reason is that there are a lot of slobs that just don't care about cleaning up their own trash.
Another reason people dump in the UL area is because many people live in the county and rather than pay the $17.00 (?) dump fee at the Payson City landfill, they sneak out somewhere along the shoreline of UL, often at night, and dump their trash in any convenient spot.
Another reason is that some fishermen feel no need to clean up after themselves in a remote area like UL. And then there are the partiers who leave all of their trash, especially drink cans and bottles when the party is over.
The one bright spot in the area is the development of Lincoln Beach. There was a time when that area was reserved for beer busts, fist fights, wild parties, and body dumping (both animal and human). Still, there are slobs who continue to trash even that area. I talked to the camp host at Lincoln last year and he said people would not believe the kinds of trash he had to deal with even in the camping and launching area.
All can be summed up as slobs who just don't give a damn.
Sad indeed.
[signature]
Posts: 931
Threads: 6
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
0
I still don't see the difference in landscape beauty (though I like the rocky geological features here), fishing use and rural. There's lots of ranches and farms and even some housing.
Perhaps a difference is traditional as you indicate and perhaps that never got started here.
Is it a demographic difference? Are the people different here?
I've been fishing here for all of this week and I even fished next to a family also from Sandy, Utah. They didn't litter. It's puzzling what might be the difference.
Today people came in great numbers from many places for the fishing derby and still no litter. How can we get that same no littering attitude for Utah Lake? Is there something the many of us can do?
[signature]
Posts: 1,602
Threads: 45
Joined: Aug 2010
Reputation:
3
I just don't know if there is a solution to the problem at UL. I think too many people see litter so they feel like littering is okay? Access to the west side of UL was lost because of constant dumping and littering. Maybe the answer is no access = no littering.
It is always encouraging to see someone taking a few minutes or sometimes a few hours to make the place a little cleaner and therefore a little better. I know there are some fishermen who go out of their way to gather up garbage when they can. I'd like to see a few "no littering" signs put up (and enforced!!) along the Goshen Bay road, then again, they would probably just be all shot up. Maybe the best we can do is to make sure we all clean up after ourselves and hope it catches on.
I'm with the land owners: no trespassing!
[signature]
Posts: 253
Threads: 1
Joined: Feb 2011
Reputation:
0
I think with the advent of cellular linked game cameras perps would be fairly easy to catch. First offense is a fine. Second is community service picking up the trash from the slobs who havent been caught yet. Sheriff Joe Arpiao has it right. Use inmates to do work. If all the guys in jail had to pick up garbage all the time then I would be willing to bet they wouldn't litter ever again. But it has to be an unbearable experience. Something they would not want to do ever again.
[signature]
Posts: 931
Threads: 6
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
0
"I think too many people see litter so they feel like littering is okay?"
That might be the reason. A stupid reason. But, still likely true.
I know that some places vigilantly remove occasional graffiti before the paint dries or as soon as possible as that discourages additional graffiti. Places that don't remove it get lots of graffiti.
Litter or graffiti, it changes the character and property values of a community.
[signature]
