Looking out across the waterways of Beaufort County, there is so much beauty to be seen — sweeping scenery, wildlife and some of the most picturesque places in North Carolina.

As previous editorials have touched on, perhaps the biggest detractor to Beaufort County’s natural beauty is the trash that is so carelessly discarded on our roadsides, on our street corners and in our waterways.

If we’re talking trash, and eyesores, and scenery-ruining garbage, there is perhaps no greater offender than the vessels left to rot in the Pamlico River.

Currently, no one can make the owners of these vessels take responsibility for their removal. Left to sit in the Pamlico, after a decade, they will become the property of the Department of Cultural Resources.

A year ago, the Daily News ran a story about abandoned vessels in the Pamlico and Pungo rivers. The conclusion was this — while these vessels are a common problem, they are nobody’s responsibility.

A vessel highlighted in that article, the ironically named Treasured Jewel, remains one of the Pamlico’s largest pieces of trash. Whether through the county, the City of Washington, or private efforts, it’s time to do something to clean up the Pamlico.