News

Jack's Creek Trash Trout nets a lot of trash

Environmental, Sound Rivers

Posted on July 21st, 2022

Volunteers wade in and retrieve trash from the Jack’s Creek Trash Trout.

Trash Trout-ers were at it again this week, as Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Jill Howell and Sound Rivers’ water-quality interns Megan Long and Maddie Garrison headed up another clean-out and audit for Jack’s Creek trash. Thanks to all of our Trash Trout volunteers — Bill and Sara Hanifin, Dawn Dolson, Christina Marshen and Carl Crozier — who waded in and/or counted quite a bit of trash!

After, the creek looks clean again!

So, what did they find?

Soft Plastic

Bags: 6

Food wrappers: 59

Latex gloves: 2

 

Hard plastics

Bottles: 61

Lids/caps: 12

Straws: 14

Cigar tips and cigarette butts: 152

Other (cig lighters, pens, packaging): 19

Fragments: 41

 

Styrofoam

Cups: 23

Take-out containers/plates: 8

Insulation-foam/packing material: 37

Fragments: 564

(Jill said there were also so many pieces of Styrofoam measuring 2 mm or less that there was no way to accurately count them!)

 

Metal

Drinks:17

Other: 3

Fragments: 3

 

Glass

Whole bottles: 2

Fragments: 2

 

Other Material

Paper cups: 1

Fabric: 3

Rubber: 2

Sports equipment: 2

 

To learn more about what Trash Trouts do and why Sound Rivers has installed them on creeks in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds, visit here.

Related News

Flyover reveals Brices Creek sediment pollution sources September 17th 2026
Low oxygen levels cause of New Bern fish kills September 17th 2026
Inaugural Spruce up the Neuse a huge success September 17th 2026
Boat day doubles as algal bloom surveillance September 17th 2026
Controversial dock expansion prompts Riverkeeper response September 10th 2026
Riverkeeping team investigates Brices Creek pollution September 10th 2026