Cargill employee Jacob Dagiau, left, of Vandalia, and City of Sidney employee Barry Zerkle, of Sidney, arrive on Friday at the Sidney Boat Club while taking part in the Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River 2024. Among the pieces of trash they found were a mini fridge and a wood pallet. Groups of volunteers collected trash from different stretches of the Great Miami River in Shelby County.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Realtor Caven Risk, of Sidney, shows some of the trash his group collected on Friday during the Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River 2024. Among the pieces of trash they found were a grocery cart and a patio table. Groups of volunteers collected trash from different stretches of the Great Miami River in Shelby County.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
SIDNEY — Volunteers once again climbed into boats and started hunting for trash as they took part in the annual Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River on Friday morning.
“The main goal is to remove trash from the river. Tires are a big thing. Second aim is to make people aware of the river so they know it needs to be taken care of,” Sidney Storm Water Technician Gregg Mitchell said. “Bring awareness to the importance of clean water the importance of the river to our town.”
A lot of random things are found every year. Volunteer Caven Risk, of Sidney, helped clean a section of the river starting from Custenborder Field and ending at Roadside Park.
This year, Risk said of his experience: “Parts of the river were much cleaner than in the past. But then when we came across stuff, it was a bunch of junk like a shopping cart and mattresses. A lot of shoes and flip flops. A table a chair a cooler. Some old paving bricks.
Another volunteer City of Sidney employee Barry Zerkle, of Sidney, has been taking part in the Clean Sweep since 2007. This year he, along with his canoe partner, Jacob Dagiau, of Vandalia, found a mini fridge in the river.
Every year the Great Miami River is divided into five sections among the volunteers. The first section starts on the edge of Logan County and the last section ends at Roadside Park. Cleanup crews vary in size. This year a total of 37 people showed up to help. The City of Sidney rented canoes and others brought their own boats or canoes.
The Great Miami River has improved according to Mitchell.
“It’s been listed as an exceptional warm water quality habitat for the last 20 or 30 years,” Mitchell said. “A lot has to do with waste water treatment plants doing what they’re supposed to do and then controlling discharge from industries and public awareness, making sure that storm drains aren’t used as trash cans. It’s good and its getting better.”
Risk summed up his feelings with: “I wish more people didn’t litter in the river.”
Reach Sidney Daily News reporter Luke Gronneberg at 937-538-4825.
