Dividing into five teams, 75 volunteers swept the river and banks of the Boardman River clean.
Working Saturday morning on three sections below Beitner Road, the Boardman Pond and downtown from Hannah Park to the mouth of the bay, these volunteers picked up trash, removed debris and cut fishing line. The Second Annual Boardman River Clean Sweep covered 20 miles of river and netted approximately a ton of trash, about the same haul as last year's inaugural event.
Spearheaded by members of the Cherry Capital Paddle America Club in conjunction with National River Cleanup Week, the event drew volunteers or contributions from Trout Unlimited Adams Chapter, the Kingsley High School Adventure Club, Backcountry Outfitters, Ranch Rudolph and Disability Determination.
These individuals and organizations walked or paddled slowly upstream, depositing smaller trash into bags as they went. Larger debris, such as an waterlogged easy chair found west of the Farmer's Market, would not fit into canoes or kayaks and was noted for later pick up.
"It'll be a lot of junk: plastic bags, old tennis shoes, plastic bottles and fishing line," said Marty Strand, a kayaker with the paddling club who helped clean up trash with the team working downtown.
Nearly 20 students from the Kingsley High School Adventure Club logged hours of work cleaning up after other people, contributing their time and muscle for a good cause.
"It's a shame that people are using swamps and rivers as garbage bins," said Josh Green, a senior at the school who participated in the event last year. "I remember we found a construction cone, that was pretty interesting."
"I like helping out on the river, with anything that has to do with nature," added Green, who plans a career in wildlife management.
Under the guidance of Steve Largent from the Grand Traverse Conservation District, some volunteers worked on downfalls along the riverbank. They repositioned felled trees or other natural debris with an eye to preventing bank erosion, boosting fish habitat and fostering navigability of the river.
In one location, property owners led volunteers to a blockage of the river caused by downed trees.
"The Trout Unlimited team, thanks to calls from homeowners, actually unplugged a section of the river above the forks," said Nancy Thornton, president of the club and coordinator of the event. "It was great that the property owners called rather than take it upon themselves, where they might not be sensitive to stream bank erosions or fish habitat."
Grants from Patagonia, secured by staff at Backcountry Outfitters, and Anheuser-Busch helped fund the event. In addition, area businesses donated prizes for the fundraising raffle and picnic Saturday afternoon. Ranch Rudolph let volunteers stage on their property and also donated canoes for the morning.
This is the first year that the Boardman River Clean Sweep tackled the Boardman Pond and it turned out to be the trashiest of the segments.
"They found probably some of the largest and most awkward items -- a lot of it is flushed from the rapids," noted Thornton. "A lot of people who are ill equipped to go through the rapids, all the stuff that comes out of their boat when they capsize goes through the rapids and comes to a screeching halt at the dam."
The paddling club deemed Saturday's effort a great success, with the banks and water of the Boardman left much improved. And Thornton already has ideas for the 2007 Boardman River Clean Sweep, based on this year's experiences.
"We learn something every year and next year we'll really focus on some of our in-river work," she said.