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Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop met up with City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation and Stormwater Department employees this week to select a spot for a new trash trap.

“This is the third trap that we have contracted to install with the City of Raleigh, and we’re going to put this one on Walnut Creek,” Samantha said. “It’s going to be at Lake Johnson, at the inlet to the lake on the west side of town.”

And it’s an area that has a big trash problem.

“It’s a very trashy area because it accepts runoff from I-40, so our goal is to capture the trash before it gets to the lake. Many people use Lake Johnson to fish, to kayak, to paddleboard, so I think it will be a really good spot,” Samantha said. “And the trap is going to be very visible — right off the boardwalk.”

The trap will be filtering trash from water flowing from a 5-square-mile drainage area.

“We’re excited. The Parks Department is really eager to get it in the water,” Samantha said. “And their talking about having a trash-trap-naming contest to involve the community.”

The Walnut Creek trash trap is scheduled to be installed in early 2026.

Sound Rivers launched its Litter-Free Rivers program in early 2023, just a year after the first trash trap was installed on Jack’s Creek in Washington. Since, traps have been installed on Duffyfield Canal in New Bern, Little Rock Creek in Raleigh, Adkin Branch in Kinston, Greens Mill Run in Greenville, East Tarboro Canal in Tarboro, a tributary of Jack’s Creek in Washington, Marsh Creek in Raleigh and Little Creek in Clayton. Another has been approved by the Town of Smithfield, in addition to this latest one in Raleigh.

Through Litter-Free Rivers, Sound Rivers and an army of volunteers removed nearly 6 tons of trash from waterways and their banks since the program began. More than 2 tons have been removed in 2025.

Like Sound Rivers’ Litter-Free Rivers program? Donate today to keep your waterways Litter-Free!

Interested in helping with a trash trap cleanout? We’d love your help! See when the next ones are scheduled here!

Your group (civic, friend, family, school, church, scout, etc.) can volunteer to Adopt A Trash Trap for a month of monitoring and cleanouts. Visit our Adopt A Trash Trap page to find out how.