EVERY boater should do this!

[arks]

......VOLUNTEER to help cleanup your local waterways!

Yesterday I had the privledge of helping the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway and the Friends of Garrett Island during their annual "RiverSweep" event. In the past I've thought about showing up but always had something "better" to do that day.

It was hard, dirty work but VERY rewarding. I met some fine people and our group collected at least 3 truckloads of debris. I modified my 14' Jonboat by adding a plywood deck on the bow, which really worked well. See pictures below.
LSHG homepage: http://www.hitourtrails.com/index.html
FOGI homepage: http://www.garrettisland.org/

The group I was with cleaned up Garrett Island, which is a 198 acre federally-protected refuge. It is currently "off-limits" to the public but both the LSHG and FOGI are attempting to find a way to promote eco-friendly tourism and continue archaeologic research (which was abruptly halted once the Feds took control).
Some sites with Garrett Island history:
http://www.fws.gov/news/newsreleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=C3DC00D0-65BF-03E7-26A1778A7A94AE04
http://www.friendsofthejohnsmithtrail.org/our_work/garrett_island.html
http://www.bayjournal.com/article.cfm?article=3605
Hey- these waterways are our collective playgrounds. GET INVOLVED with preserving our natural resources.
Your grandchildren will thank you!

 

[bowman316]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

yea, i always see a lot of trash around the rocks of garret island.
It is a shame that the government won't let us have any fun on the island, just like apg won't let us on any of their islands.
you can go on the beach on the east shore of garret island

 

[Edko]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

Stuff laying around APG tends to go boom

I hope to make that event next year, great job and thank you.

 

[arks]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

yea, i always see a lot of trash around the rocks of garret island.

Well, not anymore- at least for awhile.

you can go on the beach on the east shore of garret island

Yes, but only to the high tide line. Any farther and it would be considered trespassing on Federal property. The CG is now the primary law enforcers on Garrett Island and those guys don't fool around.

 

[bowman316]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

yea, i went ashore under the 40 bridge, and in minutes, a 60 ft boat pulled up and got on the speaker and told me to leave.
it was not uscg, but some other enforcement agency, i forget what.
the only thing that makes sense, is that you could blow up the bridge.
away from the bridge, there is no threat.

 

[Edko]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

At this point the SHOULD blow up that bridge and build another one. I swear they have been doing construction on it non stop for the past 20 years

 

[Shadow66]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

Seriously though, thanks to Arks and everyone who does this. It's a shame that people throw their S*@t everwhere and don't realize.

 

[nlain]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

I try to carry a trash bag when I go out to the barrier island beach here, I always bring my trash back home and quite often some that was left by another.

 

[Bard1]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

Good job! I always carry trash bags. This was my last clean up.

 

[QC]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

At this point the SHOULD blow up that bridge

But then arks would have to build an even bigger deck modification to clean that mess up . . .

Good thread and a good idea to get involved!

 

[bowman316]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

It would be somethin to do too, when there are not much fish in the water, still too cold for the fish.

I think most of the trash is not from boaters, but trash washing into the river from land. And parks near the water. Most boaters keep their trash on board, most campers however will trash the place up, which is why no one wants you camping on their island.

 

[special_kaye]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

......VOLUNTEER to help cleanup your local waterways!

Yesterday I had the privledge of helping the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway and the Friends of Garrett Island during their annual "RiverSweep" event. In the past I've thought about showing up but always had something "better" to do that day.

It was hard, dirty work but VERY rewarding. I met some fine people and our group collected at least 3 truckloads of debris. I modified my 14' Jonboat by adding a plywood deck on the bow, which really worked well. See pictures below.
LSHG homepage: http://www.hitourtrails.com/index.html
FOGI homepage: http://www.garrettisland.org/

The group I was with cleaned up Garrett Island, which is a 198 acre federally-protected refuge. It is currently "off-limits" to the public but both the LSHG and FOGI are attempting to find a way to promote eco-friendly tourism and continue archaeologic research (which was abruptly halted once the Feds took control).
Some sites with Garrett Island history:
http://www.fws.gov/news/newsreleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=C3DC00D0-65BF-03E7-26A1778A7A94AE04
http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?...tions_susquehanna_sightsandsounds_sightseeing

Hey- these waterways are our collective playgrounds. GET INVOLVED with preserving our natural resources.
Your grandchildren will thank you!

Love to join the organized outings but we always come back with a bag or two of other people's trash. It's just a part of boating, camping, or hiking for us.

 

[Edko]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

You guys should see the pile of crap on the Harford County side of the Conowingo Dam, reservoir side. How can that even be cleaned up?

 

[arks]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

You guys should see the pile of crap on the Harford County side of the Conowingo Dam, reservoir side. How can that even be cleaned up?

The power company does it. They've been collecting and removing debris from that location for years. Have you noticed the dumpsters between the roadway and lake?

yea, i went ashore under the 40 bridge, and in minutes, a 60 ft boat pulled up and got on the speaker and told me to leave.
it was not uscg, but some other enforcement agency, i forget what.
the only thing that makes sense, is that you could blow up the bridge.
away from the bridge, there is no threat.

Probably a DNR boat. I don't think they're too concerned about the bridge.
They're trying to keep people off the island because of the trash problem and, more importantly, recently discovered rare plants and insects. Garrett Island is sustaining some rather unusual nature.

I think most of the trash is not from boaters, but trash washing into the river from land. And parks near the water. Most boaters keep their trash on board, most campers however will trash the place up, which is why no one wants you camping on their island.

It's not fair to single out campers. Most of the debris we picked up had no direct connection to boaters or campers. Tires of all kinds, big chunks of styrofoam, propane cylinders (big ones), rolls of fencing, a bedliner, plastic buckets and barrels, and yes- literally hundreds of bottles and cans. Hey- I even found a perfectly clean 1 dollar bill near the bridge!


I didn't post this to win accolades. It's important for everyone who enjoys the water to pitch in and do their part- AND MORE- to maintain and improve the area we recreate in.
I applaud those that regularly take home more trash than they generate. I only wish everyone had the same mindset.

 

[special_kaye]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

I only wish everyone had the same mindset.

Sadly, they don't. I watched a kid climb out of a minivan the other day. Both parents and a sibling were right there. Kid knocked a napkin onto the ground, then stepped on it. Father stopped, looked at it for a second, then they all walked away. I mean, damn, he looked right at it and couldn't throw it back into the minivan with the other kid generated mess in there. Lead by example. Quite an example they set.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

As a boater on the upper Susquehanna (Lake Clarke & Conowingo) I appreciate your efforts. If something like that was organized up here I'd definitely participate.

 

[bowman316]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

the problem is ALL litter finds is way to the water, the end of the line.
most of the polution in the water gets washed in from land.

more city trash cans would help, when there is no where to throw it away, people litter.

 

[skargo]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

Let me know when the next cleanup is and I will try and help out.

I do a lot of offroading and rock climbing and the clubs I am in do many organized cleanups, it gives you a great feeling to do something good.

 

[jash1178]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

This is a great idea, I work for the state prison system road crews and we just finished our spring litter sweep and collected over 13,000 bags of trash off the highways in just 8 days. This is a great idea for the waterways.

 

[bowman316]

Re: EVERY boater should do this!

yea, i'll help too, it gives me something to do out in the boat.