SALISBURY, Md. -- People have noticed that a lot of trash is building up along the Wicomico River near the Riverwalk in downtown Salisbury. City officials say they are aware of the issue and are working to address it, not just by removing trash, but by targeting its source.
According to the city, most of the trash can be traced back to littering away from the river itself. When someone tosses a beer can, soda bottle, food wrapper or anything else onto the side of the road, that trash eventually makes its way into the water through storm drains and runoff.
"It's an ongoing battle," said Mayor Randy Taylor.
What is typically a scenic area on the edge of downtown, the Wicomico River is now marked by visible litter, drawing concern from neighbors like Damian Priznar, who frequently walks along the Riverwalk.
"Recently, I have noticed that it's been getting a little bit worse," said Priznar. "Maybe it's because people are coming outside more and they have more disregard for where they're putting their waste."
Priznar said the litter detracts from the city’s image, particularly for visitors.
"You know, Salisbury's a beautiful city, and I don't want to see a lot of trash sitting around like that because it just makes it a little more unattractive to people who aren't from here," said Priznar. "They come here, maybe for some kind of event at the Civic Center, they take a walk along the river, and they see all this trash, it's just not a good look for the city."
City leaders say they are taking both reactive and proactive steps to combat the issue. Mayor Randy Taylor said Salisbury has implemented measures to prevent trash from reaching the river in the first place.
Those efforts include installing nets on storm drains to capture debris, as well as supporting volunteer initiatives such as Wicomico Clean and Adopt-A-Road.
"We've cleaned about 15, estimated over 15 to 20 tons of trash out of the streets in the last 12 months which is a huge, huge bump," Taylor said.
Despite the progress, Taylor acknowledged the challenge remains ongoing.
The city is also increasing street-sweeping frequency in high-litter areas and deploying downtown ambassadors to conduct daily cleanups and help maintain the area's appearance and safety.