Keeping your local river clean can be as simple as picking up a piece of trash—or not throwing a piece of trash out a car window in the first place. And that is the thrust behind National River Cleanup Week.
"Educating people about the sources of litter and pollution in our rivers is the first step in cleaning up our waterways," said David Brown, chairman of National River Cleanup Week. "In just a couple of hours, a dozen volunteers can collect a mountain of litter from one mile of shoreline.
"It's a great lesson in the role of individual responsibility in keeping our rivers free of trash and debris."
For National River Cleanup Week 2005, which will run May 14 to 22, there will be several local cleanup events: the Salmon River on May 14, the Big Wood River on May 21, Silver Creek on May 21, Camas Creek on May 14 and Magic Reservoir on May 22.
There is no shortage of local events in which involved citizens can participate.
"How much we accomplish depends on how many people participate," said Jennifer Montgomery, who is sponsoring a cleanup on the Big Wood River May 21.
According to Sawtooth National Recreation Area River Ranger Will Smith, the intention behind the Forest Service's effort on the upper Salmon River is for people "to take pride in their local river."
A lot of the garbage along the upper Salmon includes leftover fishing equipment and general debris.
"A lot of it is just stuff that has flown out of vehicles along the road and has blown into the river or onto the river bank," Smith said. "Beer cans, garbage and possibly some tires."
For its cleanup, the Forest Service will charter rafts that participants will float in on two river sections. Some will float the class II section from Stanley to Mormon Bend. Others will float from the class III section from Sunbeam to Torrey's Hole.
"It's as conditions permit," Smith said. "If it's high water, we probably won't float."
High water or not, the effort should pay off, said Robin Brown, communications director for America Outdoors, which sponsors the event.
"It's a grassroots effort to get people out," Brown said. "People drive by these rivers but don't ever see what blows into them from their car window or from their driveway. It's really important to raise awareness."
Local river cleanups
People interested in participating in National River Cleanup Week have the following options to choose from. Event coordinators have asked participants to please RSVP.
· Big Wood, May 21. Meet at Lake Creek at 9:45 a.m. Contact Jennifer Montgomery at 788-7976.
· Big Wood, May 20. Meet at Rotary Park at 9 a.m. Contact Sawtooth Board of Realtors at 726-7764.
· Salmon River, May 14. Meet at Mormon Bend Campground at 10 a.m. Contact Will Smith at 774-3021 or e-mail at willsmith@fs.fed.us.
The following coordinators did not provide meeting times or places. Call for information.
· Silver Creek, May 21. Contact Sara Smith at 732-7338.
· West Magic, May 22. Contact Stacy McLaughlin at 487-2288.
· Camas Creek, May 14. Contact Rich Bupp at 280-0602.
