Wissahickon Creek Swimmers Leaving Trash Along Park Trails In Northwest Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The hot, summer months lead to an uptick in people looking for a place to cool off and Devil's Pool in Wissahickon Park is a hot spot. The people visiting Forbidden Drive to access Devil's Pool and other parts of the Wissahickon Creek have been leaving behind their trash, polluting the park that local residents consider their backyard.
Residents have been voicing how disgusted they are over the amount of trash that is left along the trails on social media.
"SUCH A DISGUSTING MESS! I was hiking today by the dam by the valley green inn and there were so many people partying in the river leaving all of their trash," Mel R George posted in the Roxborough Rants & Raves Facebook group."They parked their cars where you aren't allowed to drive and left their garbage in the actual river. Beer cans, paper plates, so much food. Oh yea, some of them were nice enough to bag up their trash but then leave the garbage bags. How do you report it to the right person? Do park rangers monitor this? It's a shame someone has to clean up after these ignorant people."
Nancy Shearer Crescenzo grew up in the area and says the Wissahickon Park was her playground and she can't sit around and do nothing about the park being trashed.
"I cannot sit back and do nothing about what is going on back there," Shearer Crescenzo said. "I can't sit back and be on 'Rants and Raves' [a community Facebook group] and complain about it. There is enough people in this world that care about the environment, care about wildlife, someone must have the authority to do something."
Shearer Crescenzo is one of three people organizing a peaceful rally at the Valley Green Inn on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. They say the rally cry is "to get more park rangers to enforce the rules and regulations and stop the rules from being broken."
Philadelphia Parks and Rec says swimming in the city's rivers, streams, and waterways is not allowed and visitors are required to carry their trash out of the park if they cannot find a trash can.
While there are six park rangers assigned to the Northwest section of the city, and one to three rangers patrolling the Wissahickon park at a time, swimming continues to increase, followed by trash being left behind.
Parks and Rec tells CBS3 that it is the park rangers' job to enforce the rules and regulations, but their goal is "compliance through educational enforcement."
But, despite signage and preventative measures taken by Parks and Rec, people continue to swim.
"Despite clear signage and preventative measures like stationing rangers permanently at popular entrances to Devil's Pool, there has been an increase in swimming and gathering in parts of the Wissahickon," Parks and Rec said. "This leads to increased trash and debris. We ask all visitors to carry out any items they carry into our parks."
Shearer Crescenzo believes if people are forced to stop swimming, it would eliminate a majority of the issue.
"If someone can stop the swimming, everything else will fall into place," Shearer Crescenzo said. "No barbecues, no drinking, no music, no partying, no trash. Everyone is welcome in the park, just follow the rules and regulations."
Park clean-ups are constantly hosted by Friends of the Wissahickon, The Unofficial Custodian of Devil's Pool, and other local residents looking to keep the park clean.
"Shoutout to some #Wissaheroes! A huge thank you to Trail Ambassadors Stephanie Stein and Rose Fisher (and Maci Stein too!) for cleaning up Devil's Pool yesterday. You are amazing," the Facebook post read.
Friends of the Wissahickon encourages residents to help keep the Wissahickon Creek clean by hosting their own clean up.
Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. says his office has been working with Parks and Recreation, Friends of the Wissahickon and the 5th and 14th Police Districts to put a stop to all illegal activities that are going on at Valley Green and Devil's Pool.
"I am enormously proud to represent 66% of Fairmount Park including most of the Wissahickon," Jones Jr. posted on Facebook. "However, the behavior of some park-goers this summer is totally unacceptable."
Jones Jr. says a number of preventative efforts will be going on this weekend along the trails including:
- Parks and Rec and Friends of Wissahickon will continue with the regular cleaning of the park
- Social distancing ambassadors will be handing out masks, palm cards with park rules and regulations and trash bags
- 22 sandwich type message A-frame boards and signs will be placed along different entrances to the park in English and Spanish with the park rules
- Parks rangers and Philadelphia police will be posted at Livezey Lane and Valley Green entrances for target enforcement efforts
- A private tower will be on site this weekend towing illegally parked vehicles
- Parks rangers will continue issuing violations for anybody who does not follow the rules
