Have you seen the garbage?

The English Coulee is full of garbage at 11th Ave S. Milk jugs and egg cartons within the water suggests that this isn't someone littering; this is household garbage that is not making it into the garbage truck. Please make sure that all your household garbage is properly bagged to avoid loose garbage from blowing out when the garbage truck dumps it into the truck.

Properly bagging garbage prevents pollution.

Bagging your garbage is not just a convenient way to carry your garbage from inside your home to your garbage bin; it helps prevent pollution as well! If garbage isn't bagged, it can blow out of the truck which is a big problem for a few reasons:

• It pollutes neighborhoods, parks, waterways, and more. Loose garbage that has organic material or chemicals on it can cause harmful algae growths in the English Coulee and Red River. 
• It harms wildlife that can mistake it for food or get injured by it. 
• It can spread germs especially to those who pick it up such as garbage truck crews, City employees, and citizens.
• It slows down the efficiency of garbage truck crews when loose garbage flies out of the truck and they have to take extra time to pick it up.
• It's an eyesore.

Why can't the City just keep picking the garbage up?

The area of the English Coulee where the trash is located has loose sediment on the bottom. This sediment makes it difficult for people to enter the water without getting stuck. The area can also be too shallow and dense with plants for boats to enter. Therefore, the easiest way to clean up the garbage is to prevent it from getting there in the first place!