2009 Volunteers Clean Up the New River

On Saturday, September 12th, 150 volunteers turned out to get wet and dirty while pulling trash out of the New River. Working with NCNR who annually coordinates the effort, volunteers pulled 4,940 pounds of garbage of all varieties from the New River in Ashe, Watauga and Alleghany counties.

Courtney Wait, Advocacy Coordinator for NCNR, said, This year we saw 44 more volunteers, 1,420 more pounds, and almost a mile more of river cleaned up than last year, yet were seeing fewer tires than before, which is a great sign.

The more noteworthy items removed included 3 shopping carts, 2 patio chairs, orange and white traffic sign, large wooden palate, a 2-person tent, raft, kiddie pool, air conditioner, water heater, and scraps of siding. Overall, 96 tires were recovered, as well as numerous flip-flops, shoes, and 5-gallon buckets. The New River State Park picked up the trash loads collected by the volunteers, transporting the bags to the dump for weighing; they also supplied campsites and canoes for some of the volunteers who traveled over 120 miles to join the effort.

Were so lucky to have the help not only of the volunteers who join us on this one special day to clean the river, but of the New River State Park, Department of Transportation, and all the outfitters (Rivergirl, Zaloos, New River Outfitters, Rivercamp USA, and Riverside) along the New. Without these donations of time, energy, and boats this effort wouldnt be nearly as successful as it has continued to be. And a special thanks to Riverside Canoe and Tube Rental in Crumpler who once again graciously fed so many of our hungry volunteers after the cleanup, said Wait.

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