Merced's leaf collection program is back. How to prepare for pickup day

As fall settles in across Merced, colorful leaves are piling up in yards and along streets.

However, with rain in the forecast later this week, those fallen leaves could create problems by blocking storm drains and contributing to flooding, according to city officials.

“It’s not that serious...until it is,” officials wrote in a post on the city’s official Instagram page.

Merced’s annual Leaf Collection Program returns Monday, Nov. 9.

“This program is an easy way to help keep our city safe when the rains come,” officials said.

Here’s what Merced residents need to know about leaf pickup, including when crews will visit their neighborhoods and how to prepare:

When does Merced’s leaf collection program begin?

City crews will begin collecting fallen leaves from streets Monday, Nov. 9.

The program operates within Merced city limits six days a week through Jan. 16, with no service on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day.

The city is divided into four collection areas, separated by Highway 59 and Bear Creek Drive.

What do I have to do to get my leaves picked up?

Residents do not need to call or schedule a pickup.

Collection days are assigned based on the neighborhood where they live.

The city mailed leaf collection flyers to residents with their November utility bills.

The schedule is also available on the city’s website, where residents can find service dates listed by the corresponding color-coded area on the map.

To prepare for collection, residents should rake leaves into rows at least 4 feet from the curb. This helps make sure rainwater can flow into storm drains, according to the city.

Crews will not collect branches, brush clippings, pine needles, pine cones or grass clippings. Those materials should be placed in green waste bins, city officials said.

Residents who do not want to wait for scheduled collection can also put their leaves in their green waste bins.

The city asks residents to follow these additional guidelines:

• Move vehicles away from the curb on scheduled collection days.
• Put as many leaves as possible in green waste bins.
• Have leaf piles ready before the neighborhood’s scheduled pickup date.

Collection routes might run behind or ahead of schedule because of unforeseen circumstances, the city said.

“Due to unforeseeable variables, routes may be delayed or ahead of schedule,” officials said. “If we get ahead of schedule, we will return during your scheduled days.”

Residents with questions about the program can contact Merced Public Works at 209-385-6800.

Am I responsible for leaves that fall into my yard from a neighbor’s tree?

In California, neighbors generally are not required to clean up leaves or fruit that naturally fall from their trees into another person’s yard.

Responsibility for fallen branches is a different matter and can depend on whether the branch caused damage and whether the tree owner was negligent.

“If a branch comes off and it just lands in the grass of your yard and really doesn’t do any damage ... you’re not going to really have an action,” real estate attorney Robert J. Enos of BPE Law Group previously told The Sacramento Bee.

If a fallen branch damages a neighbor’s property, the tree owner could be held responsible if negligence can be established, Enos said.

However, a neighbor is not automatically liable for every fallen branch or leaf.

Liability can depend on the circumstances, including whether the tree owner knew or should have known the tree posed a hazard and whether the damage resulted from an unforeseeable event, such as strong winds or a severe storm.