MADRAS, OR -- Dozens of new signs are going up in Madras this week, reminding people there is no littering or camping in waterways or water rights of way, like on and under bridges. Community Development Director Nick Sneed says it’s in response to issues discovered along Willow Creek, "With our new Code Enforcement officer, we have enhanced capacity to assess the amount of trash that’s in our community. One of the areas that we’ve determined there’s a lot of trash and a lot of risk is in our waterways."

He acknowledges littering has always been illegal. But tells KBND News signs make it easier to enforce, "Some people may not know that these regulations already exist. But by putting up a sign, we can say, ‘Hey, as we’ve posted right here, what you’re doing is inconsistent with state law.’"

Willow Creek is a dry stream-bed right now, "But when large water events come - That could be where we have a lot of snow and it melts really quickly - water can flow through Willow Creek very quickly. That’s a problem," says Sneed, "We also have large rain storms, usually with thunderstorms, things like that in the spring, maybe fall, sometimes summer, can create water in Willow Creek all of a sudden." He says a wildfire near the creek could also make it very dangerous, making it necessary to keep people out of the area, "So that during inclement weather, we can keep our residents safe. We want to remove the trash; we want to find safer places for people to live, if they happen to be camping there."