The 27th annual Deschutes River Cleanup Day is Saturday the 29th from 9am to 2 pm. Volunteers are needed to help pull trash out of the water.
“We have five different river clean up sites. As far upstream as La Pine State park, and then through town at Farewell Bend, Riverbend, 1st street rapids trail, and then down to Tumalo State park,” The Upper Deschutes Water Shed Council’s Kolleen Miller tells KBND News some years have seen more than a ton of trash pulled from the river, “We found a safe that we removed out of the river. Couple of years ago we pulled out a canoe. One year a former student of mine was scuba diving and he pulled out a wood stove.” Beverage containers and sunglasses are the most common items.
Volunteers are needed to pick up trash, or assist scuba divers.
“We are asking for paddlers to come with their paddle boards or kayaks to assist the scuba divers; provide them with safety support, as well as helping them pull the garbage out of the river,” Miller says, adding the Clean Up Day helps meet a council initiative, “It’s all part of a larger public awareness campaign called Enjoy, Protect, Respect. Which is trying to get people to think about the river as still a natural river for fish and other aquatic species, and hopefully protecting it in a way that it can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Volunteers can sign up at the Upper Deschutes’ Cleanup Day website.
