Clean Sweep Trash Tally!!!

an estimated 60.8 tons of trash!

Our Big Muddy Clean Sweep was a cross-state clean-up of the Missouri River. We started with a land-based clean-up in Kansas City, followed by a series of river clean-ups near Cooper's Landing. In Jefferson City, we hopped on a barge and started collecting trash in clean-ups all the way to the Confluence of Missouri & Mississippi Rivers. Here's the trash tally from the whole trip:

1,201 bags of trash       
 

493 tires       
 

15 tons of scrap metal  
 
95 chunks of styrofoam       
2 tire rims       
6 ginormous metal tanks        
25 - 25 lb Propane Tanks       
3 Freon Tanks       

14 Refrigerators       
 
7 Chest Freezers       
2 washing machines       
1 drier       
6 Refrigerator doors       
1 inside of a refrigerator       
1 refrigerator compressor       
1 mini fridge       
1 crisper drawer       
1 microwave       
11 Coolers       
1 dishwasher       
1 AC unit       
3 Car Fenders       

21.5  55-gal. Metal Drums       
 

26.5  55-gal. Plastic Barrels       
42 5-gallon  Buckets       

1  30-gallon metal barrel       
3 Boxsprings       
3 mattresses       
1 bed frame       
1 foam mat       
1 pillow       
2 blankets       
1 Cot       
26 Chairs       
7 Buoys       
2 buoy foam pieces       
2 hot water heaters       
1 Double Cast Iron Sink       
2 Fire Extinquishers       
3 Sheets of Roofing Tin       
1 Sponge Bob Bobber       

3 duck decoys       

1/2 of a Duck Boat       
1 duck decoy butt       
1 Goose Head Decoy       
5 Fishing Poles       
3 Deck Umbrellas       
1 Concrete Nose       
1 small Cooler filled with Oyster Mushrooms       
6 Couch Cushions       
1 Can of Sudden Tan       
3 full cans of beer       
1 plastic Horse with the legs chewed off       
1 stove grill       
2 buckets/jugs of oil       
2 plastic pipes - 40'       
1 plastic tray with plants       
1 Bowling Pin       
A gazillion balls, toy bowling ball, basketballs, tennis balls, baseballs, soccer balls…       

Plastic Toys:         

purple plastic turtle       
1 toy baby bottle       
1 squashed yellow rubber ducky       
1 little mermaid       
1 green pair of heart sunglasses       

2 toy gas pumps        
1 big foot truck      

1 little tykes plastic slide       
1 little tykes house        
1 pair of vampire teeth       
1 foam airplane       
1 plastic French fries       
3 hard hats

1 motorcycle helmet       

1 shopping cart
plastic crating       
80 yards of orange pvc water pipe       
1 picnic table       
2 - 10 gallon tubs       
7 – 30 to 50 gallon garbage cans       
12 rail road spikes       
63 metal posts       
9 pieces of rebar       
26 feet of iron pipe       
1 disc brake       
3 gas cans       
1 wire grate       
2 motorcycle helmets       
1 b&w TV       
1 tv vacuum tube       
2 baseball bats       
1 dishwasher shelf       
2 plastic swimming pools       
1 radiator       
1 "do not dig" sign       
4-wheeler fender       
8 good planks of lumber   

2 blue catfish attached to a free floating jug

6 pieces of lumber with nails       
1 cow skull       
51 pieces of braided cable       
2x5 foot piece of corrugated plastic truck liner       
25 feet of erosion control honey comb plastic       
1 mop bucket       
3 foot round plastic oil tub       
3 herbicide/pesticide sprayers (one with chemicals)       
4 paint cans       

5 messages in a bottle     

1 plastic scooby ketchup bottle       
1 palm tree mylar balloon       
1 coon trap       
1 40-gallon metal drum       
3 plastic mineral feeding tubs       
1 boat seat        
1 awning       
10 plastic bins       
1 window frame       
1 antifreeze container       
1 20-gallon metal barrel       
1 hard hat       
2 tents       
1 sleeping pad       
5 Tarps       
1 rubber car bumper       
1 large plastic piece from a boat       
1 - 5" corregated plastic tube - 5'       
1 - 3' piece of cooregated tube - 2'       
2 orange traffic barrels       
1 squirrel cage fan       
1 large corregated matal bin used for holding rail road ties   

1 potato planter
 
2 steel grates 2x4'       
1 patio umbrella base       
5 plastic pipes       
Car Parts:       
1 ford muffler       
2 car batteries       
1 real suspension       
1 car door       
1 hub cap       
1 exhaust pipe       
1 car hood       
1 brake rotor       
1 car door window frame       
1 metal wheel       
4 car seats       
1 metal can of car wax       
8 gas tanks  (1 1962 Chevy gas tank)       
1 metal axel       
20  pieces of a trailer       
5 pieces of vinyl siding       
1 top to a tool box       
1 piece of sheet metal       
1 gas heater       
1 artificial Christmas tree       
1 wiffle ball bat       
1 baby bath       
1 15-ft long cattle gate       
1 really big anchor       

1 antique sewing machine   

5 fishing weights       
1 metal cabinet       

1 riding lawn mower  
   
1 riding lawn mower hood       
1 push mower       
1 lawn seeder       
2 plastic lids       
1 speaker cabinet       
1 boat-load of wet, nasty carpet (36 pieces)       
1 25-foot long piece of rebar       
½ of a 30-gallon plastic barrel       
1 tarp       

4 bicycles       

2 bike inner tubes       
1 exercise machine       
2 tricycles       
2 cooler lids       
1 chimney       
1 metal cabinet       
1 “no trespassing” sign       
1 wood burning stove       
1 piece of landscaping fabric       
1 pink button       
1 milk crate       
1 plastic ladder       
6 cardboard boxes       
1 plastic gate       
1 vinyl umbrella cover      

1 airplane sponson

1 metal grate       
1 starter       
1 tool box       
2 pieces of linoleum flooring       
1 plastic patio table top       
1 set of boat bunks       
12 ft of PVC tubing       
1 garage door brack       
1 cheater bar (world’s largerst)       
1 garage door brack       
1 metal tool box       
1 sandbag       
1 serving tray       
1 bullet ridden sign       
 1 oven door       
10 drain pipes       
1 mobile home roof       
1 circular saw       
2 electrical boxes       
1 floor fan       
2 AC units       
1 computer desk        
1 15-ft swimming pool       
1 tub liner       
1 bathroom sink       
1 unopened can of mini ravioli       
1 wheel to a wheel chair       
1 kids Firefighter's Helmet       
1 Wicker Table       
1 Bean Bag       
1 BBQ Grill       
1 big plastic Culvert (8ft long)       
1 Pet Carrier       
1 Mylar Balloon       
1 Hockey Puck       
1 Nerf Laser Tag Vest       
1 Plastic Egg       
1 Foam Fortune Cookie       
1 McDonald Ball Pit Ball       
1 Playdo Hair Thing       
1 Rusty Spray Can       
2 Old Glass Jugs       
1 Glass Bottle with Glass Stopper       
1 Toilet Tank Bulb       
1 Fuzzy Toilet Seat      

1 frisbee

1 Bottle of Personal Lubricant       
1 Dog Skull w/ Collar       
1 Plastic Dog       
Handful of Turkey Feathers       
A String of Christmas Lights       
A Flower growing out of a piece of Styrofoam       
1 Naturally Feminine Powder Spray       
1 plastic Hair Curler       
1 Avon Crème Lotion       
1 Pacifier       
1 Eldon Mustangs Water Bottle       
1 Machete Blade       
4 Milk Crates       
1 Metal Grill       
1 Hammer       
12 Headlights       
1 plastic milk crate       
1 8 ft. "saddle" gass tank (800 lbs)       
2 boat seats       
1 "Caution Wet Floor" sign       
1 toilet       
2 fan cages       
1 water softner tank       
1/2 a car bumper       
14 rusty hunks o' metal       
2 bails of wire       
1 concrete anchor       
5 pieces of rebar       
1 sign post rod with concrete

1 plastic Swampthing     

8 pieces of braided cable       
1 buoy anchor       
1 aluminum baseball bat       
1 tent shredded to pieces       
1 "Dawg Haus Restaurant" sign       
1 clay pot       
1 life vest       
2 plastic swimming pools       
1 green plastic helmet       
1 "No Trespassing" sign on post       
3 fishing poles       
1 plastic baseball bat       
1 umbrella       
1 hair curler       
3 pairs of ladies panties       
1 door knob with plate lock       
1 rubber duck soap dish       
1 Disney rubber ball with Tinkerbell       
1 Incredible Hulk action figure       
1 snapping turtle shell       
1 soccer ball, 2 baseballs, 2 footballs       
1 Lacross ball, basketball, bocci ball       
1 headlight, light bulb & taillight       
2 bottles of Blue Magic cleaner             
2 syringes in a plastic bottle       
1 green buoy       
1 dust pan       
1 pink toy air craft carrier       
1 minnie mouse ball       
1 toy cup       
1 sandbox bucket, 1 sand shovel       

1 leopard print high heel shoe       

1 magnifier w/out glass       
1/2 of a hula hoop       
1 cable spool       
1 Geoffery Beene purse       
1 duck decoy       
1 wind chime made out of bud light bottles       
1 15' wooden dock       
1 fraggle costume       
1 airplane sponson (pontoon)       
2 plastic tubs       
1 orange highway barrel       
1 frame for a car speaker       
1 plastic sled       
1 35-ft chain covered in yellow plastic       
1 12-ft iron post       
3 plastic tubes       
3 chunks of hard plastic       
1 "Mile 11" mile marker sign       
1 plastic pesticide jug       
1 plastic bumper       
7 hunks of scrap metal       
1 set of legs to a bbq grill
2 metal grills

1 plastic jack-o-lantern

        

    

Hermann Clean Sweep Oct. 4th-10th

Missouri River Relief kicked off the Hermann Clean Sweep with 2 days of awesome education events with the Hermann area schools.  Being able to take kids out on the river to actually clean up trash is where it's at!  133 students from St. George Catholic, Hermann Middle School, Owensville Dutchman High School, and Owensville Middle School came out over 2 days to help us clean up the Big Muddy!

One of them even caught an Asian Carp! 

Hermann Clean Sweep in the news: 

• Gasconade County Republican - Oct. 12, 2011 - "MoRR Learning Festival draws praise from area administrators"
  
• Washington Mo. News + Video - Oct. 5, 2011- "Big Muddy Clean Sweep will bring Educational Activities, River Clean-up to Washington next week"
• Gasconade County Republican - Oct. 5, 2011 - "Good, clean, trashy fun with Missouri River Relief"
• CountyNewsLive.com (Hermann) - Oct. 4, 2011 -"Gasconade County students volunteer to clean Mo. River banks and learn more about river ecosystem"

On Friday, as is typical before a big clean-up on the river, our barge team went out and scouted the river for trashy areas, marking sites with our big blue Stream Team bags, and then set up a booth at the boat ramp on Saturday morning to take people out on the river despite Octoberfest activities going on in down town Hermann.

Lucky for us, a few locals & families showed up at 9 a.m. as well as the Arnold boys (aka the Mighty Stream Team 211 from St. Louis) to help the River Relief crew clean-up.  By 10 a.m., seven Lincoln University students in the MANNRS organization (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences) came out to clean up as well!

In all, 26 people signed up in addition to 20 of Missouri River Relief's "hard core crew" to clean up 14 miles of river!  

Here is the trash tally from the Hermann Clean Sweep:

166 bags of trash

80 yards of orange pvc water pipe

18.5 tires

12 - 55 gallon plastic barrels

3 tire inner tubes

3 propane tanks

2 refrigerators

2 freezers

2 ginormous tanks = to 300 gallons

1 picnic table

1 cable buoy

1 trash can

2 - 10 gallon tubs

1 - 10 lb propane tank

6 chairs

3 fence poles

4 heavy chunks of metal

1 panel of corrugated metal

2 - 30 gallon garbage cans

2 rail road spikes

51 metal posts

9 pieces of rebar

26 feet of iron pipe

7 pieces of cable wire

1 disc brake

1 metal gas can

1 wire grate

1 motorcycle helmet

7 - 5 gallon plastic buckets

4 propane tanks

2 coolers

1 hot water heater

1 tv vacuum tube

1 baseball hat

1 dishwasher shelf

1 plastic swimming pool

1 refrigerator door

1 radiator

1 "do not dig" sign

4-wheeler fender

8 good planks of lumber

2 buoys

1 cow skull

1 huge undergound gas tank (girl team score)

2 hunks o' styrofoam

10 pieces of braided cable

2x5 foot piece of corrugated plastic truck liner

25 feet of erosion control honey comb plastic

1 mop bucket

3 foot round plastic oil tub

1 pesticide sprayer

1 3-gallon paint can

1 message in a blottle

1 plastic scooby ketchup bottle

1 palm tree mylar balloon

1 metal can of car wax

Big Muddy Clean Sweep Log Book Vol. 2 - Jefferson City Mooring

diligently recorded by Jodi Pfefferkorn

The second batch entries in the Log, recording our adventures moored in Jefferson City. The barge team continues getting the barges ready for living and working while more crew gathers to get ready for the Jefferson City Clean-up and Race to the Dome on Saturday & Sunday. The Clean Sweep and the barge have finally met up!

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 

photo from the bridge by Bernie Arnold

Early morning wake up for everyone except for Jeff. He was out like a light until 0900 when Habibi finally woke him.
Steve ate breakfast with his computer in front of him. Things are just that busy. We certainly wouldn’t be here without the tireless efforts of Steve, Mel & Jeff.

While I took a can of WD-40 & a bag of rags into the engine room to try to cut down some of the diesel soot, the guys set about moving our small work flat to the back of the house barge. Then they loaded up the propane tanks & headed into Jeff City to fill them.

Habibi stayed behind to get started on the “Great Sand Removal of 2011” After I emerged from the engine room looking like a chimney sweep, I joined Habibi. We monkeyed around with a water pump for a while before finally settling on a system which resembled shelving coal into a furnace. We worked ourselves silly then took a watermelon break.

Jeff, Anthony & Racin’ got back from their propane run (which was a fiasco in & of itself) at 1600. By this time Habibi & I were very exhausted, dehydrated & sun-stupid from shoveling sand all day. But we all rallied to unload the propane tanks, scarfed down some sub sandwiches which Lee Diekroeger brought for us, then packed into the “Jimmy” to head back to Columbia to load the box truck for Saturday’s cleanup (Anthony stayed behind to take care of things on the barge).

We dropped Racin’ off at his van because he’s off the barge for a few days to take care of some things. Then we were mad schlepping fools.

Back on board the barge by 2045. Anthony grilled brats and rocked a mad kitchen overhaul & reorganization. We came back and helped Jeff with the schedule of events for the next 30 days. Better get some rest now, because there doesn’t seem to be and sleep in the schedule…

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 

photo by Bernie Arnold

Took DNR employees out for a morning on the river. They were mostly clerical workers & this was a chance for them to get out of the office and get on the river that flows beneath their building.
We took all three plate boats. Steve, Anthony and Habibi all drove boats. I was Habibi’s first mate. The whole outing was organized by Joe Engeln. We drove the boats about 5 miles upstream & tied them together then Joe stood on the bow of his boat and educated his fellow DNR workers about the Missouri River. They seemed to really enjoy it.

Steve & Jeff took management level employees out in the afternoon. This was more of a floating meeting for them, covering topics they might have discussed around a conference table but this time in boats.

Josh Pennington stopped by after lunch. He, Anthony & I motored upriver past Claysville Island to take a tour of the sand dredge moored up there. The dredge wasn’t in operation, so we explored Claysville island where we found a cool zippo lighter and a maglight. Both of them worked! We also accidentally discovered a great trash site for Saturday’s clean-up.

Friday, September 30, 2011 
Today was the big “Jeff City Cleanup Prep Day” Jeff got the morning kicked off right with scrambled eggs, bacon & fried potatoes for breakfast. That was the kind of energy we needed to put up the Flying Nun kitchen tent for the crew camp. How many river rats does it take to figure out an angle? I think it’s safe to say none of us retained anything we learned in high school geometry but we got ‘er up and she’s flying proudly. The Flying Nun is made from a semi-trailer tarp stretched over a frame made from scrap metal tubing (a Racin’ Dave design from 2004).

The Flying Nun - photo by Brian Waldrop

Habibi had the great idea to tie a banner with the MRR logo to it. Now people don’t have to ask “Who are you guys?” Instead, they ask “What does Missouri River Relief do?”

Upstream scout - photo by Bernie Arnold

A quick lunch of sandwiches at the boat ramp, then the scout began. Racin’, John Brady and Gale peeled off to set up the propane system for the fridge. Mel, Anthony & Craig scouted downstream & Habibi, Bernie & I went up. An abandoned homeless camp, a few log jams filled with bottles and the occasional tire were what we found. Plenty to keep a bunch of volunteers busy Saturday morning.

By the time we got back, our crew was starting to arrive. Soda Popp fried catfish – the best darn fried fish any of us have had – and so began the evening. A Lengthy pow-wow around the fire for the clean-up and Race to the Dome. Then it was foshee flying time. It turned into an early evening because of the early wake up call for the clean-up.

Before the meeting - photo by Bernie Arnold

Saturday, October 1, 2011 – 

Today was the Jeff City Clean-up. We sent out over 140 volunteers and had about 30 crew members on hand.

Veteran river cleaners - photo by Steve Schnarr

We rocked and got a good system for loading trash onto the barge.

Hauling one big honking tire onto the work flat - photo by Melanie Cheney

Back to the river - photo by Brian Waldrop

After the clean-up we were standing on the ramp drinking beers when a kayaker coming off the river asked us if we knew Steve. It turns out he was an Australian who had kayaked from Montana. He stayed for dinner but headed out after that. We asked him to stay the night but he needed to put on a few more miles for the day – he had to catch a flight home in St. Louis in just a few days.

New crew members that we had today were Jason (who operated a boat for MDC- Chillicothe shop), Kris and their awesome little boys, Isaac, Ethan & Avery. Jason works for MDC & was one of their boat drivers. He decided to bring his family along & they had a blast. We hope they come back for more!

Sunday - October 2, 2011 
Today was Race to the Dome. Mel trailered one plate boat to the Providence Access and Steve & Joe Englen were the sweep boat for the 26 mile race. Bernie trailered another plate boat to Hartsburg and Habibi & Jeanne were the sweep boat for the 15-mile race. John Brady & I waited for the fog to burn off. Then we took the 150 upriver and met the racers as they were coming down.

Hartsburg start to Race to the Dome - photo by Bernie Arnold

Racin’ & Gale & Anthony stayed on the barge and busted ass with cleaning and organizing. When we returned from safety boating we were blown away by the difference. Then everyone rallied to break down camp and schlep stuff to the barge. Tim Nigh moved in to be our cook and he set to work getting the galley in order.

Fixing the rigging -photo by Steve Schnarr

Habibi arrived in Hermann to pick up Capt. Mike Hanlin. Captain Mike has been the pilot for Living Lands & Waters since they got their first barge (and their tow boat was a Vietnam era push boat with a John Deere tractor cab stuck up on stilts for a wheelhouse. He happily offered to push us downstream for the Big Muddy Clean Sweep. Once a week he would come and move us on downstream to our next location then head home to East Moline, IL.

As soon as he stepped aboard he put us to work moving rigging around so we could move the towboat. It didn’t last long because as soon as Capt. Mike fired up the engines, we discovered that something was jamming up the starboard engine. Capt. Mike mumbled some curse at the Missouri River.

After a bit of standing around, poking around, and a dip in the water by Racin’, we deduced that we needed different tools, but it was too late to go the JCRT yard, so we chowed down on ham and bacon soup that Tim whipped up. It was good eatin’!

After dinner, Habibi, Jeff, Tim and I went to Lee’s to take showers. Did ya’ hear that?...Showers!!! Quote of the day! Jeannie Kuntz referred to the Capital dome as “the ‘space nipple’ where aliens come down and…”

Monday, October 3, 2011 
Racin’ made an early morning run to the Jeff City River Terminal to get a pipe wrench & some extension pipes. He used the wrench to try to loosen the shaft of the starboard engine. Whatever was jammed between the prop & hull was jammed pretty good.

At different points in the morning, Habibi, Tim & I found ourselves standing on the pipe wrench extensions. The wrench itself was attached to the shaft of a 600 HP diesel engine. Racin’ was manually revving the engine. This caused whoever was standing on the pipe wrench to bounce up & down while holding onto anything in the engine room to keep from getting bucked off. But hey…it worked! The log popped out & the shaft spun freely.

As the culprit drifted downriver, we all flipped it the bird and bid it fare-fxxxxxg well.

Once the log was free we were able to pull up to the boat ramp and take on water. The Jeff City Fire Dept. brought a truck and crew down and filled our tanks for us! We were under way by 1215 & heading in the right direction (downstream) for the first time this trip.

We pull away from the ramp and head downstream - photo by Joe Wilson

Steve & Habibi trailered a plate boat and peeled away to pick up the trash from the Mokane Clean-up on Saturday. Going downstream is much quicker than going up, and we were able to average 9-10 mph. This meant that any time a plate boat departed or returned the barge had to slow down. Capt. Mike was happy to comply.

Did I mention how cool Captain Mike is? A world class gentleman for sure. He’s a patient rigging instructor & a fun guy to joke around with on the radio.

We were lucky to have the most experienced river cleanup towboat pilot ever - Mike Hanlin

We arrived in Hermann at 1700. Steve & Jeff met us in a plate boat with a reporter and camerawoman from the Washington newspaper. We finished tying off by 1800 & Capt. Mike immediately left. He was itching to start his 4 & a half hour ride home to Illinois.

We pull into a perfect little spot at the Hermann ramp - photo by Steve Schnarr

Tim grilled up some rockin brats he’d bought at a shop in Hermann. Perfect!

 Quick Links

• Jefferson City Cleanup Page 
• Jeff City photos
• Other Jeff City Blog Entries
• Race to the Dome homepage
• Big Muddy Clean Sweep homepage

Sunrise over Hermann - photo by Bernie Arnold