NAMPA, Idaho (CBS2) — The Treasure Valley's waterways are under attack from polluters.

Irrigation workers spoke up about what they have to do to keep these canals clean and free of trash. At Nampa and Meridian Irrigation, keeping waterways clear is a constant battle.

And it's not just litter that's being dumped into the canals, but yard waste as well.

Greg Curtis, a 25-year veteran of Nampa and Meridian Irrigation, says some yard waste that's been burned is especially dangerous to dump by the canals, because it may still be smoldering.

"It's a smoldering mess that never goes away," Curtis said. "People call in cus it's smoldering. We've gotta sit there and babysit it, and we've got such precious time to prepare the canal system that this takes away from."

And it's a similar problem for the people at Pioneer Irrigation District.

"Whenever we go out and find stuff on the canal banks, we have to dispose of it," said Mark Zirschky of PID. "Sometimes it goes into the dumpster here at our office and it's dumped weekly."

According to Curtis, it can cost thousands of dollars and take hundreds of manhours every year to clean dumped waste out of the canals. Which is why he's so grateful for the good samaritans who sometimes take it upon themselves to clean the waterways of trash.

And those good samaritans are needed, because the best tool there is in keeping the waterways clear is public participation.

"I think the place to start is awareness," Zirschky said. "Folks just don't listen to us when we talk to them out on the ditch banks when we catch them doin' stuff. It just doesn't seem to work very well for us."

"I tell people it's the same water people are recreating with up there in the reservoirs," Curtis said. "It comes down through the valley, we're delivering it to them to use. It's not a good situation to have someone adding anything to it."

And unfortunately, it's a problem that's getting worse as more people move to the Treasure Valley. People who have lived in the surrounding area for years say they see folks dumping by the canals all the time.

Everyone must remember a simple mantra: pack out what you pack in.

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