Frankfort, KY -  One of the ugly side effects as the summer boating season kicks into full gear is the amount of unsightly trash that washes up on the shores of our lakes. Boaters throw much of this trash overboard, but trash also accumulates around boat ramps, public access areas, popular bank areas for fishing and around boat-in camping areas.

"Littering reflects poorly on all who use our water resources," said Benjy Kinman, director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). "Trash in our waterways is not only unsightly, but it is potentially harmful to fish and wildlife."

Fishing line is a harmful substance to leave in and around waterways. Ducks, geese, turtles and fish can become ensnared in discarded fishing line. The fishing line will still be in the water and harmful to wildlife when the litter bug’s children reach adulthood.

"Discarded fishing line is common around any popular fishing spot," said David McChesney, wildlife program coordinator for the KDFWR. "Any bird can be affected and I’ve seen turtles and waterfowl entangled in discarded fishing line. This can lead to death or the loss of appendages and can affect their ability to feed or defend themselves from predators. Fishing line entanglements may have a tourniquet effect that restricts or completely cuts-off blood flow and can lead to severe, deadly infections."

Another painful aspect of littering is the image it creates in the minds of visitors and those who rarely use public waterways. "Trash is not only an eyesore, but it’s a bad reflection on boaters, anglers and those who use public waterways," said Jim Axon, assistant director of fisheries for the KDFWR. "Boaters and anglers can play an important role in reducing this problem by leaving these areas more attractive for other users than before you arrived."

Pack out what you bring in to a public fishing or camping area. Discarded monofilament line may be wound into a tight ball and stored in a pocket until it can be disposed of properly. Bring a trash bag on your boat and place all trash in it until you arrive back at the marina or boat ramp. Trash cans are readily available in these areas. If you are bank fishing or using a stream access area, put a plastic grocery store bag in your back pocket to store trash until you get back home or to a trash can.

"If everyone did these things, we can greatly reduce the amount of trash in and around our waterways," Kinman said. "Pick up other’s trash when you use our waterways. People don’t want to go on vacation and see soda cans, broken styrofoam coolers, bait containers, potato chip bags or plastic sandwich bags lining the shores of our lakes and rivers. They want to see clean areas free of trash."

The littering problem also helps prevent access to fishing areas. "Many stream public access areas get closed down to public access because private landowners grow tired of picking up the trash that accumulates around these areas," Kinman said. "Litter bugs hurt everybody."

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