Photo: Iowa Project Aware
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa Project Aware river cleanup program turns 20 this year. Organizers say this year's effort July 9-14 will be on a 65-mile stretch of the Iowa River, from Marshalltown to Koszta township, northwest of Marengo.
Registration opens today (Monday, March 13th) and organizers expect a sellout within a matter of days.
Nina Marquart during the past 19 years, nearly 6,000 volunteers have removed 479 tons of trash from 1,400 miles of Iowa rivers, 78% of which has been recycled. This year, the cleanup is expected to exceed one million pounds.
“We are excited to be part of this project that includes the Iowa River,” said Kendall Jordan, Toledo City Administration. “We look forward to the opportunity for better water quality as well as better recreation activities on the Iowa River.”
Participants can spend a day or the entire week on the cleanup. Each evening educational programs are held to broaden watershed awareness and strengthen community understanding. Program topics range from geology, ecology, natural resources, local history and archeology.