Photo: Project Iowa Aware
(Undated) -- An annual river-clean-up project in Iowa is releasing results from this summer's effort. Nearly 350-Project Aware volunteers paddled 61-miles of the West Fork of the Des Moines River in northwest Iowa July 11th thru July 15th, ending the trip in Emmetsburg.
Iowa Project Aware Coordinator Nina Marquart says each day about 200 volunteers in canoes lugged out junk. She says in total, they removed 18.6 tons of trash from the water. She say that included 300 tires, large pieces of vehicles, barrels, plastics, a refrigerator and various metal items. She says the total included 10 tons of scrap metal. Proceeds from the sale of the scrap are being used to buy walleye to stock the river.
She says 89-percent of the haul will be recycled and just over two tons went to a landfill.
Project Iowa Aware marks it's 20th anniversary in 2024. The route for next year will be announced in the spring.