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North Lagoon Trap the Trash — August 20-29, 2026
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Day 1

THU AUG 20

Break Day

Setup & volunteer orientation

Day 2

FRI AUG 21

Oak Hill & South Mosquito Lagoon

Covered by FWC

Day 3

SAT AUG 22

Break Day

Trap processing & volunteer appreciation

Day 4

SUN AUG 23

New Smyrna Beach North

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Day 5

MON AUG 24

Ponce Inlet

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Day 6

TUE AUG 25

Port Orange

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Day 7

WED AUG 26

Holly Hill

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Day 8

THU AUG 27

Break Day

Equipment check & training

Day 9

FRI AUG 28

Highbridge Park Mound Grove

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Day 10

SAT AUG 29

No Event

Closed season ends 12:01 AM Aug 30

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North Lagoon Trap the Trash – 10-Day Blue Crab Trap Closed Season

Official Event Rules & Participant Guidelines

Event Dates: August 20–29, 2026

Event Area: North Lagoon — Volusia County (Mosquito Lagoon, Halifax River, Tomoka River)

✅ Volusia County

1Purpose of the Event

The goal of this event is to remove abandoned blue crab traps from the North Lagoon and Volusia County waterways during Florida's 10-day Blue Crab Trap Closed Season. During this 10-day closure, blue crab traps remaining within the official closed-season area are considered abandoned for the purposes of this authorized cleanup event and may be removed by approved participants following these guidelines.

2Stay Within Your Assigned Event Zone

To ensure complete coverage of the lagoon and avoid duplicate work, volunteers will be assigned recovery zones for each day of the event.
  • Only remove traps within your assigned event zone.
  • If you know of abandoned traps in another area, select the day when our teams will be working that area.
  • If you cannot participate on that scheduled day, join us on any of the other recovery days listed above.

Working together as a team allows us to efficiently cover the entire closure area.

3Stay Within the Official Closed-Season Area

This event only applies to the official 2026 Blue Crab Trap Closed Season areas within Volusia County.

Included Counties

✅ Volusia County

Not Included

❌ Brevard County (separate event Aug 10–19)

❌ Indian River County (separate event Aug 10–19)

Traps located outside Volusia County are not part of this cleanup and must not be removed during this event.

Always verify your location using the Event Map before recovering traps.

4Do Not Remove Traps Before August 20

Trap recovery may only begin on August 20, 2026, when the official closed season begins in this area. If you already know where abandoned traps are located, please wait until the event begins and participate on the scheduled day assigned to that area.

5Reporting Every Trap

Every recovered trap must be documented.

After removing a trap:

  • Take one clear photo of the recovered trap.
  • Open the Report tool in the Water Report Network app.
  • Complete all required information.
  • Submit the report before leaving the area whenever possible.

Your report helps us:

  • Document every recovered trap.
  • Measure the success of the event.
  • Provide accurate recovery data to FWC and our partners.
  • Improve future cleanup efforts.

6Safety First

Your safety is always more important than recovering a trap.

Participants should:

  • Wear gloves.
  • Wear closed-toe shoes or appropriate water shoes.
  • Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while on the water.
  • Watch for changing weather, tides, and boat traffic.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Never enter unsafe water or attempt a recovery that places you at risk.

If a trap cannot be recovered safely, report its location and notify an event organizer.

7Respect Wildlife

Many abandoned traps continue to capture marine life.

When recovering traps:

  • Release live animals whenever it is safe to do so.
  • Handle wildlife carefully.
  • Report any injured or protected wildlife to an event organizer.
  • Leave wildlife and habitat undisturbed whenever possible.

8Required Before Participating

Before participating, every volunteer must:
  • Register for the event.
  • Complete the participant waiver.
  • Attend any required safety briefing or training.
  • Carry any required event authorization paperwork while participating.
  • Follow all instructions provided by event organizers and team leaders.

9Help Us Cover the Entire North Lagoon

If you know where abandoned traps are located, your knowledge can make a huge difference. Please participate on the day assigned to that area so we can recover those traps efficiently. If you're unable to attend that day, join us on the Volunteer Choice Finale (Day 10), when crews will focus on any remaining reports and uncovered areas.

Together, we can ensure the entire closed-season area receives a thorough cleanup.

10Our Mission

We Don't Just Clean the Water. We Find What the Water Hides.

Every trap removed helps protect marine life, improves navigation, and makes the North Lagoon healthier for future generations.

See It. Report It. Remove It. Restore It.