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Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop played an instrumental role in this week’s removal of a sunken barge in Northwest Creek, a tributary of the Neuse River, by directing motivated fishing club members to how to report abandoned vessels to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

It started when the fishing club invited Sam to speak about her work several months ago. There, fishing club members told her about the sunken barge. On researching the issue, Sam found out there is a way to have abandoned vessels removed from the waterways.

“The NC Wildlife Commission received a grant that offers them a budget to tag and remove these vessels. This process is very slow and often takes over a year, but if a ship is truly abandoned, the Commission will eventually remove it,” Sam said.

Sam referred the fishing club members to a page on the NC Wildlife website, where abandoned vessels can be reported.

“At the bottom of the page is an interactive map with the location of all of the vessels that are on the Commission’s radar. If you click on any of the little diamonds, you can see a photo of the vessel and more information about where it’s at in the process of removal,” Sam said. “There is a form on the page to report abandoned vessels, and you can also give the Commission a ring at their law enforcement office (919-707-0030).”