Business owners: Holcombe Ave. litter trap successful so far

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - With severe weather possibly headed our way, Mobile’s first litter trap in Eslava Creek could be put to the test. Storm water runoff containing trash often flows into drains and straight into the city's waterways. The trap, installed back in December, is supposed to catch some of that litter.

 But is it working? One business owner said it is. 

“It’s doing a real good job because normally when it rains, if it rains a lot, it will go all the way to the top. Now that they have the trap out there, the trap catches the trash,” said Yolanda Williams.

Williams' hair shop is right next to Eslava Creek. She said she often sees city workers emptying out the trap.

“Like if it rains today they will be there tomorrow, and it will be like 15-20 of them out there, you know, cleaning it. And then they are gone,” said Williams.

But the trap only catches litter from one part of the city. Officials said it’s designed to catch trash flowing down Eslava Creek from the Airport Boulevard and the Bel Air Mall area.  

Related: City settles with Dog River group

Rick Courtney, the attorney representing the Dog River Clearwater Revival group, said the single trap is progress.

“It’s not going to get everything but it’s going to get a lot,” said Courtney.

Courtney said a second trap would make a bigger difference one is in the works for the Montlimar and Halls Mill area.

“We hope that one will have a much larger impact on reducing the amount of trash that gets into Dog River after a big rainfall,” said Courtney.

Environmentalists said the best way to keep litter out of the waterways is to put trash in trash cans, where it belongs.