The riverways around Central Oregon were filled with more people than usual Saturday morning. However, this time around, it wasn’t for recreation. Equipped with plant guidebooks, 289 volunteers gathered in six different locations, from Tumalo State Park to Farewell Bend Park to Sunriver to pick up trash and pull invasive weeds along the riverbank. About 2,100 pounds of garbage and weed were removed from Riverbend Park, Farewell Bend Park, Mirror Pond and First Street Trail. Another 600 pounds were removed from LaPine State Park, Sunriver and Tumalo State Park.
The event was the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council’s annual summer cleanup. While most stayed on dry land, some equipped with paddleboards or scuba gear plunged headfirst into the Deschutes.
Trash and weeds were hauled off by the truckful at every location. This year’s finds are pretty tame compared to past years, Education and Development Director Kolleen Yake told the Source.
Deflated floaties, large tires, lots of glass bottles and cans and some large pipes were just a few of the items volunteers found along Central Oregon’s largest river — and, of course, by those who have floated the river before know, they also found quite a few cell phones.
The Upper Deschutes Water Council names a Deschutes River hero each year. This year, they were thrilled to honor Weston, age 5, for his stewardship activities.
“He was proud to wear his new blue cape all day as he…clean[ed] up the river,” Yake said.
I also made the trek to the river cleanup last week – with my dad along for the adventure. My crew and I were stationed at Tumalo State Park, where we spent the morning taking on what felt like an endless army of invasive knapweed.
For those interested in signing up for future cleanups, the UDWC recommends following its website, upperdeschuteswatershedcouncil.org.
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