Mississippi River Clean Up Scheduled for April 13

Posted: April 9, 2024

Are you concerned about preserving the Mississippi River as a host for recreation and nature-lovers now and in the future? If so, please consider participating in the Friends of Pool 9 River Cleanup on April 13^th from 8 a.m. to noon. People interested in helping with this clean up should contact the group leaders at the following towns to get their assignments and sign up sheets. Each individual must sign a liability waiver. Those under the age of 18 must have signed parental permission to participate. Volunteers will receive gloves, garbage bags and water when they arrive. Dumpsters will be placed at strategic places on both sides of the river.

Group leaders are

DeSoto WI- Jerry Boardman, 563-419-7968

Ferryville WI- Larry Quamme-

Lynxville WI- Mark Schneden- 608-412-0483

New Albin IA- Jim Erbe- 563-419-1085

Lansing IA-Alex Galema- 563-568-7294

Pool 9 is the stretch of the Mississippi River that exists between Lock 8 at Genoa WI and Lock 9 at Lynxville WI on the river. The Friends of Pool 9 are stewards/caretakers of that section of the river. For several years, they have spearheaded a spring clean up to get the river ready for summer fun. This involves cleaning up trash and debris along the shores, on the islands and in the river itself.

This is a great activity for families to share knowledge about being caretakers of this beautiful stretch of the Mississippi River. Past volunteer cleanups have collected more than 168,800 pounds (84.4 tons) of debris from the river and recorded over 9,900 hours of volunteer time. In 2022, 100 volunteers collected 12, 160 pounds. The 2023 clean up was postponed because of flooding so the clean up was done as needed by individuals.

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