Trash in waterways is an unfortunate byproduct of society. Whether intentional or accidental, most trash that is dropped on the ground ends up in our streams and river. There are a variety of options for cleaning it up. The City of Austin assesses trash quantity using a visual assessment to evaluate severity. Streamside vegetation has the ability to capture trash floating in the streams, preventing it from going downstream to the Colorado River and Gulf of Mexico. The City of Austin does perform some trash clean-up but the problem is so extensive that it is impossible to keep all waterways free of trash. In order to better clean our streams it takes the whole community to take part. For this reason Keep Austin Beautiful assists Austinites with supplies and support for cleanups. If large trash such as furniture, appliances, and vehicles are in the stream please call 311 to report it.