‘Trash trout’ collection system installed in Brush Creek

PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVVA) - A $7,500 trash collection system was installed in a Mercer County creek Monday afternoon.

The ‘trash trout’ was purchased by the Mercer County Commission to help clean up trash from the impacted Brush Creek waters.

This system is designed to hold up to 300-400lbs of trash and is located near the bridge at the Eads Mill Road and Brushy Creek Street intersection.

The county is very hopeful that this system will work and plans to install more trash trout systems in Mercer County including one in Crane Creek which runs into the Bluestone River in Montcalm and one in Widemouth Creek.

According to Chris Mullens who helped install the Brush Creek trash trout, this system works to filter out trash using a combination of high waters and a funneling method.

“The trash will flow when you have a high-water event not necessarily a flood event, but the rain will raise the water levels and it will flush the trash out,” he said. “As it comes down stream it’s got some buoys to funnel all the trash to the collection system in the middle and then once the rain event is over, we will come down and get the trash out of the trash trout.”

The county is also looking for a group of volunteers that will be called the “rivers keepers” to help clean the Mercer County waters and empty these trash collection systems.

If you are interested Mullens says to contact the Mercer County Litter Control Officer or the Mercer County Commission.

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