Heavy rains wash trash onto lakeshore property

By Christina E. Sanchez • THE TENNESSEAN • May 21, 2009

Gina Craig knew owning lakeside property could come with the occasional inconvenience of debris washing ashore.

But she couldn't believe what came ashore this week: a bleach bottle, light bulbs, tires still on the wheel, beach sandals, a basketball, tennis balls, a dog bowl, plastic bottles, Styrofoam — the list goes on.

"This is all new to me," said Craig, who moved to her Mt. Juliet home on Cedar Creek, a cove off Old Hickory Lake, from Miami in March.

"I don't mind cleaning it up. For the pleasure of having a shoreline, you expect to have to maintain it, but ecologically it is not right."

This is the second time since March that trash has washed up on her property and other land along the lake and its coves. Residents say the junk buildup is not uncommon.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that when rainfall is as heavy as it has been this month, the high water levels and runoff carry debris along the 440-mile shoreline. In May, the Nashville region had about 8 inches of rainfall, almost 4 inches above normal, according to National Weather Service data.