With cooler temperatures and earlier sunsets rolling into the area, it appears that autumn has arrived for the residents of southwest Michigan.

And with that, it’s only a matter of time before Dowagiac’s trees begin to shed their leaves for the season, leaving residents to clean up the debris from their lawns.

Stating next month, city crews will again be offering some assistance to cleanup efforts, collecting fallen leaves from the curbsides of homes within city limits.

“We start in one corner of the city, going to every single street in a large circle,” said City Manager Kevin Anderson. “Typically, we close pickups close to Thanksgiving, when the snow begins to start.”

Crews have been assisting with the removal of fallen leaves for the past 20 years, since the state banned the dumping of foliage in public landfills, Anderson said.

“Virtually all our residents take advantage of it,” the city manager added.

The city usually starts the beginning of the collection period with a single, one-person operated truck. As the season continues, additional crews and vehicles are employed in order to wrap up the cleanup before winter, Anderson said.

“It takes a while to pick these leaves up, and we have crews who are willing to work the extra hours to do so,” he said.

In order to have trucks pick up the leaves, residents should rake their leaves into piles within 6 to 8 feet of the curb.

“We ask people to rake them as close to the curb as they can, without spilling into the streets,” Anderson said. “We want to make sure that the leaves don’t clog up our storm water drains.”

In addition, residents can request curbside pickup for any brush, branches and grass clippings from their lawns by contacting the Department of Public Services at (269) 782-8200 or at DPS_Service_Request@dowagiac.org. This collection will run through Oct. 31.

Residents who wish to take care of their leave or brush cleanup can do so by taking their debris directly to the city’s compost site, which will be open from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, from 4 p.m. until dusk on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.