Here's how you can help clean up local rivers
CENTREVILLE – The 14th season of St. Joseph County Conservation District’s river cleanup program is less than a month from its first event.
Carolyn Grace, executive director of the Centreville-based agency, said four familiar locations are on the agenda for this year’s river cleanup effort.
June 12, St. Joseph River, from Farrand Road in Colon Township to Jacksonburg Road in Leonidas Township
July 15, Rocky River, from Null Road in Flowerfield Township to Hanks Tavern on the River in Three Rivers
Aug. 5, Fawn River, from Fawn River Kayak in the 30000 block of Fawn River Road to Big Hill Road in Fawn River Township
Aug. 28, Portage River, from Portage Lake in Mendon Township to Parkville Road in Park Township. The route is widely considered the most popular kayak and canoe route in the county.
Grace said there will be three additional cleanups conducted by local companies or organizations, who parlay the opportunities into team-building and community-service events.
Looking over the schedule of the four regular cleanups, Grace said two are on weekdays. While not unprecedented for a cleanup to be on a weekday, Grace said the option seems to appeal to older, potential volunteers.
“Taking the advice from some people who have retired and wanted to participate in the past but were unable because of their weekend schedule, we are doing two of the four cleanups on weekdays, both on Mondays,” Grace said. “We’ve found that retired people prefer to spend time with their grandkids or they are going places on Saturdays. There just aren’t a lot of Saturdays in June, July and August where people don’t already make plans.”
Regarding the four sections of cleanup this summer, Grace said the St. Joseph River is always a popular spot to paddle or tube, due largely to its generous width. The stretch from Farrand Road to Jacksonburg Road is a highly traveled portion and Grace said, as a result, there will usually be a fair amount of trash to collect.
Meanwhile, the Portage River stretch is the most popular route in the county, as there is ample parking at both ends, the river is not deep and its length is just right for paddlers of all experience levels, Grace said.
Grace said after being shut-out the past two years, the agency in 2023 received state grants to help the cause. The supplemental money allows the conservation district to purchase a variety of necessary items and tools, as well as cover the cost of canoe/kayak rental, lunch for volunteers and an odd assortment of other expenses. Also, Waste Management provides the conservation district dumpster space to properly discard of collected items, while Cobalt Holdings of Sturgis has agreed to accept any tires retrieved from the rivers.
“It’s great to have local support, from the companies that offer their services to those that bring their employees out to volunteer for a day on the water,” Grace said.
The employees-only cleanups are being done by Abbott Labs, International Paper and a couple scout groups, she added.
Grace said she knows 13 years of cleanup efforts have made a difference in the quality of St. Joseph County’s five rivers and Nottawa Creek. In all, the county has 150 miles of navigable rivers, more than any other county in Michigan. Since its inception in 2010, the St. Joseph County Conservation District River Cleanup program has covered more than 250 miles of local waterways.
Kayaks, canoes, paddles and life jackets are all provided. Grace said anyone wishing to volunteer is asked to call the agency no later than a day before the scheduled event in order for organizers to secure the correct number of canoes and kayaks, as well as have an accurate lunch count.
All events begin at 9:30 a.m.
The conservation district’s number is 467-6336, ext. 5.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Here's how you can help clean up local rivers
