The Claw Returns To Sacramento Streets, Hungry For Leaves

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The hero Sacramento needs for fall is ready to roam the streets.

Sometime between Wednesday and Nov. 10, streets in Sacramento will get a visit from the city's residential leaf collection system, known by its more popular name, The Claw.

The City of Trees becomes The City Of Leaves in the fall as foliage sheds to the ground and into gutters where it can clog drains. With rain in the forecast this weekend, it's important for gutters to be clear.

Enter The Claw.

Fallen leaves will meet their match when city crews come rolling through, grabbing piles of leaves out of the gutters. The city estimates it picks up more than 27,000 tons of yard waste during leaf season.

But while The Claw is an imposing and fearful sight for foliage, city crews recommend filling bins first. While The Claw may take up to two weeks to arrive, yard waste bins can keep leaves out of the gutter more effectively.

When The Claw will arrive to save your gutters from rotting leaves can be up in the air, depending on how quickly leaves fall, when storms hit. The best bet to find out when The Claw will arrive is by checking the city's collection calendar.

If you leave leaves in the gutter, make sure the pile is no more than five cubic yards in size, at least six feet away from obstructions like cars and basketball hoops, and no plastic bags are used.

Service runs through January, so if you get the crazy idea to dump your Christmas tree for the claw to pick up, don't do it. That's not allowed.

For more information, check the City of Sacramento's site.