CLEARFIELD, Utah — It’s another sunny day in Davis County, even though it's the middle of winter. It’s got some people out fishing more than usual.
The city of Clearfield posted to social media recently that they’re seeing an uptick in people discarding their fishing lines.
After a group of concerned residents came to the city for help, they placed signs asking people to take their trash with them after their day at local parks.
“It causes a hazard for the ducks. A discarded fishing line can get wrapped around their bodies and cause limited movement and injury to the ducks,” said Clearfield City spokesperson Shaundra Ruston.
We walked around Steed Pond in Clearfield to see for ourselves. We found several discarded lines around the shoreline.
People in the community are starting to notice, too.
“There’s a fair amount of trash. People leave beer cans, soda cups and worm boxes, things like that,” Clinton resident Jim Warner said.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said this is an ongoing problem.
“It’s related to littering, and littering has been a problem for a long, long time,” said Trina Hedrick, the sportfish coordinator with the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
The solution is simple. Pick up your trash.
“If we don’t take care of the animals, the wildlife, who will, right? Just put it in your picket, take it home, throw it away,” Hedrick added.
In Clearfield, the city has been working to keep the area clean.
“We had our parks department work for the last month to trim all of the trees and brush along our ponds so there’s a clear shoreline for our fishermen to enjoy and reduce the chances of fishing line getting tangled and caught around the pond,” Rushton said.
If you still don't pick up your lines or other trash, there could be a fine that comes with it.
“Let’s preserve our green spaces so that we can enjoy it, because that’s one of the things that heals my soul — being out in nature. So that’s why we like to come here,” Diane Wariner said.
Both state and local officials want to remind people to keep the waterways clean.
