Trash Traps Keep Litter Out of Flint

The Dougherty County Board of Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding on June 1st between Dougherty County, Flint Riverkeeper, the City of Albany and Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful (KADB) to install trash traps that will help prevent litter from entering the Flint River.

The trash traps will be installed at Marine Ditch and the Hillsman Site, where they will capture floating debris carried by stormwater runoff before it reaches the river. The devices use floating booms to guide litter into a collection basket, allowing it to be removed, sorted and recycled when possible.

Litter carried into local waterways during rain events can harm wildlife habitats, degrade water quality and contribute to the growing problem of plastic pollution. This innovative partnership provides a practical, low-cost solution to intercept trash at the source and protect one of Southwest Georgia's most valuable natural resources.

"This project is entirely about stopping litter before it reaches the Flint River," said Henry Jackson, director of outreach and development for Flint Riverkeeper. "These trash traps provide a practical, low-cost solution that will help protect water quality, wildlife habitat and one of our community's most important natural resources."

This project is fully funded by Georgia Rivers and one of its donors, which awarded Flint Riverkeeper a $95,000 grant to cover the purchase, installation and one year of maintenance for the trash traps.