Flooding debris forming 'Trash Island' near the Beargrass Flood Pump Station

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- On Friday, the Metropolitan Sewer District plans to open two more flood gates.

The city of Louisville closed six flood gates total to combat the rising Ohio River during the weekend rains. Of those six, four currently remain closed. The city opened the 11th Street flood gate on Wednesday, and the Port Road flood gate on Thursday.

On Friday, MSD plans to open flood gates on 2nd Street and Bingham Way. When completed, the move would leave only two flood gates remaining: the 10th Street flood gate and the 27th Street flood gate.

MSD also plans to remove what many locals have dubbed "Trash Island" on Friday as well. 

Located at the Beargrass Flood Pump Station, "Trash Island" is the name given to trash and debris -- including small things, like water bottles, and larger items, like coolers and car tires -- that has accumulated there during the recent flooding. 

Officials plan to begin cleaning it up at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 2. A boat will push the trash upstream to the Brownsboro Road overpass, where a boom will be utilized to remove the trash.

Officials say Trash Island really shows how much of an issue it is when people litter, but they decided to leave it up briefly while the flood waters receded.

"It's actually functioning as another filter...protecting the turbines and motors in there, and the intake valves, because the larger debris has formed a barrier to keep out the smaller debris," said Sheryl Lauder, an the communications program manager for the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), earlier this week. "It's working pretty well."

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