Jefferson County’s beautiful waterways are cleaner thanks to these unusual new devices

Every time it rains, trash thrown out of vehicles or dropped on the ground washes through the stormwater drainage system into Jefferson County’s beautiful waterways.

Thankfully, since December 2019, “Litter Gitters” installed throughout the county have helped remove over 11.5 tons worth of litter from our rivers and creeks—mostly styrofoam cups and plastic bottles.

Jefferson County Commission and Osprey Initiative have teamed up to fund instream litter collection devices at five locations. Keep reading for all the details.

Litter Gitters collect trash across Jefferson County’s waterways

Whenever people drop trash on the ground or throw it out of their vehicles, it eventually travels to bodies of water, where it reduces water quality and endangers wildlife.

To help protect our waterways, the Jefferson County Commission has committed $125K per year for three years as part of its waste diversion program to fund instream litter collection devices at five locations across the county:

• Beaver Creek in Bicentennial Park (Turkey Creek Basin)
• Village Creek downstream of Minor Parkway
• Two tributaries to Cahaba River near Overton Road
• Two tributaries to Valley Creek called Five Mile Creek—not the same Five Mile creek which flows through Fultondale, Brookside, etc.

Osprey Initiative’s role

Mitch Lowe from Osprey Initiative—which is installing the devices to capture litter and other debris from rivers, lakes and streams—explained the importance of this project:

“A kid growing up in Jefferson County shouldn’t have to go up to Gatlinburg to play in a clear mountain stream. The Jefferson County Commission is allowing us to be part of making it possible for that kid to go out in his or her back yard and play in the creek in a litter-free environment.”

Mitch Lowe, Regional Field Leader, Osprey Initiative

Litter Gitters: a little backstory

Osprey Initiative staff goes into rivers and creeks to collect the trash captured by the Litter Gitters. (Osprey Initiative)

To learn more about Litter Gitters, we spoke with Hana Berres, Jefferson County’s Stormwater Program Education Coordinator.

She explained that in 2020, Freshwater Land Trust (FLT) received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to fund instream litter collection devices and anti-litter public outreach programs.

The outreach programs included the Trash Free Waters in Central Alabama Film Series, which consisted of four parts addressing the problem of litter, its prevention and solutions.

Also, FLT funded Litter Quitters, a high school anti-litter video competition.

Since that time, FLT has lobbied for other municipalities and companies to fund additional instream litter collection devices called Litter Gitters. Jefferson County has joined in the efforts.

“Litter Gitters resemble a soccer goal cage—a square box with swim floats that channel the floatable litter into the device.

Within 24 hours of a rain event, Osprey Initiative collects and sorts the items from the devices.

Then they provide metrics to identify the sources of litter entering our waterways from impervious areas like parking lots, roadways and driveways.”

Hana Berres, Stormwater Program Education Coordinator, Jefferson County

They are strategically located downstream from impervious areas not already covered by existing structures—generally in tributaries of the main waterways.

By installing a Litter Gitter in a tributary near those sites, they are able to collect litter before it makes its way to the Black Warrior River or the Cahaba, eventually draining to the Gulf. 

Help keep Jefferson County’s waterways clean

Litter Gitters are just one part of Jefferson County’s broader “Keep it Clean” initiative. Here are actions we can all take take to help keep our community clean:

• Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): The next Household Hazardous Waste Day is October 19, 2024, 8-11AM at Camp Bessemer + Camp Ketona.
• Don’t flush wipes: Find out why they don’t belong down the drain + how they affect taxpayers.
• Recycle your cooking grease: There are free containers + lots of convenient locations.
• Learn more about Litter Quitters: This is an anti-litter public high school video competition.
• Host a volunteer roadside litter cleanup event: Residents of unincorporated areas who want to clean up litter in their community or neighborhood are provided free materials and resources.

Help Jefferson County “Keep It Clean”—always dispose of your trash properly, in a trash can, whether at home, in public or at a gas station. For more information, call 205.325.8741.

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