Operation Clean Stream volunteers pulling up some of the 943 car tires and 450 cubic yards of trash pulled from the Meramec and its tributaries last year.
Remember, too, when your canoe capsized and sent a flotilla of beer cans and debris floating down the river?
Who knew that a cooler full of Jello shots could actually sink? But not to worry, river turtles love (repeat love) gelatinous vodka served in plastic Dixie cups, right?
Wrong.
Missouri streams and rivers are some of the state's most valuable natural resources, but that doesn't stop people from littering and illegally dumping in the waterways each and every year.
Thankfully, the St. Louis region has Operation Clean Stream, one of the country's longest and largest river restoration projects. Each August, Operation Clean Stream calls on thousands of volunteers to help clean up the Meremac and its tributaries: the Big, Bourbeuse, Courtois and Huzzah Rivers.
This year's cleanup is this weekend and Operation Clean Stream is looking for volunteers for Saturday and/or Sunday. Some 2,000 people volunteered last summer to clean up the rivers and made a huge impact. Operation Clean Stream hopes that even more people will volunteer this year after spring flooding washed lots of debris into the water.
Visit the Open Space Council for information on how to volunteer, or call 636-451-6090 for more information.
