On a recent Saturday morning, a host of energetic volunteers joined forces to “sweep” the streambanks of the East Fork River.  As part of Earth Day activities on April 24, the East Fork Watershed Collaborative held its 12th Annual East Fork River Sweep.

The East Fork Stream Team of more than 140 volunteers scoured stream and shoreline areas picking up discarded bottles, bags and tires.  A total of 39 canoes were used as “garbage barges” to clean-up seven miles of the East Fork.  Others preferred “sweeping” shoreline, beaches or boat ramps at Stonelick Lake and East Fork State Parks.  All told, we collected 214 bags of trash, 59 tires, three refrigerators, a stove, two propane tanks, four 55-gallon plastic drums, an engine block, and another 5-6 cubic yards of other large miscellaneous garbage.  For their efforts, volunteers were treated with donuts, bananas, lunch and a River Sweep T-shirt.
 
 

The challenge of organizing and conducting the Sweep was once again ably handled by Collaborative partners 

• Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality, 
• Clermont County Soil and Water Conservation District, 
• Clermont County Park District, 
• East Fork State Park, 
• Stonelick State Park, 
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
• Clermont Co. Water and Sewer Department, 
• Ohio State University Extension, 
• and ODNR Scenic Rivers Program. 

We also would like to extend a huge THANK YOU: 

• to Little Miami Canoe Rental, Rivers Edge and Little Miami, Inc. for supplying canoes;

• to Long’s Country Store, Kahr’s Carry Out, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Chiquita Bananas and Amanda Hills Pure Spring Water for providing food and drink; 

• to The Sports Zone for producing a great event T-shirt; 

• to the Clermont Co. Engineer’s Office, Miami Township Trustees and Clerk, Tetra Tech EM, Inc., Little Miami River Partnership, Scenic Rivers Excursions and Buckeye United Fly Fishers for their continued support of the River Sweep.