La Crosse recycling: Keep your leaves out of the street

Free leaf collection is great. Raking your leaves in the street for collection? Not as great.

In fact, it’s something the City of La Crosse is warning property owners not to do.

The city’s recycling department says to put your leaves on the boulevard and crews will suck them up from there.

Dumping leaves in the street can, not only net you a ticket and a fine, but also create a high likelihood of clogging storm sewers.

The leaves also significantly increase the stuff that the city is supposed to be removing from the storm sewer before it all drains into the surrounding rivers.

City crews began collecting leaves this month and will continue making passes through the city as weather allows until Thanksgiving.