News

Sound Rivers Riverkeepers were on the upper Neuse this week, hunting down trash.

Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman joined friend of Sound Rivers Alan Capps and Litter Reduction Coalition’s Madison Haley on a search for plastic bottles dropped into a tributary of the Neuse River in Raleigh several weeks ago — part of ongoing N.C. State-led research into how litter travels in waterways.

The plastic bottles deliberately dropped in Marsh Creek are outfitted with GPS trackers, so their journeys can be traced and lead project participants to their locations.

“These bottles were released in Raleigh, in Marsh Creek, and made it to Smithfield and the Let’lones,” Samantha said. “It really does show how one piece of trash doesn’t impact just the place where you throw it, it can impact many places, and all the while that plastic is breaking down in the waterways.”

Samantha said Tuesday’s outing was an adventure, as flooding from tropical depression Chantal, followed by more recent rain events, has not receded as much as expected.

“We traveled about 40 miles on the Crestliner, and the water was just below flood level,” Samantha said. “It was clear why fast water is dangerous — there was plenty of debris, strainer piles of logs and branches. Trying to find those plastic bottles was literally like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Samantha said they did pick up plenty of trash while they were on the Neuse.

You can track the journey of Litter Reduction Coalition’s plastic bottles here!

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