As leaves fall off trees in the autumn most cities and counties in Oregon have leaf pick-up programs. In the city of Eugene, leaf pick up starts the week of Nov. 13.
City of Eugene’s Brian Richardson says leaves are falling everywhere right now and they can make a mess. But he urges people to be thoughtful about piling them in the streets too soon. They can be hazardous to cyclists.
Richardson: “We can only be in certain sections of the city at one time so we ask people to keep their leaves in their yards until the week before we’re going to be in their particular part of the city.”
Property owners are held liable for leaves that are placed improperly in the street.
Richardson says clearing the leaves is important because they can clog drainage systems and affect water quality.
Richardson: “So when you put them in the street, when they fall in the street what happens is those can go down into the storm water sewers. Those storm water sewers are connected to our rivers.”
Eugene collects leaves and will redistribute them to gardeners for mulching.
You can find out when leaf pickup is in your neighborhood by checking your city or county website.
https://www.eugene-or.gov/314/Leaf-Collection-and-Delivery
http://www.springfield-or.gov/dpw/Leaves.htm
https://www.lanecounty.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3585881&pageId=11144664
