December 5, 2012

"I bet you find the craziest stuff in that river..."

Here's a sample of what volunteers hauled out of the Missouri River in 2012:

 

St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12 1,124 bags of Trash
364 Tires
10 Refrigerators
3 Chest Freezers
85 Chucks O' Styrofoam
19 Propane Tanks
2 Large Propane Tanks (100 pounds)
30 - 55 gal. Plastic Barrels
1 Plastic 35-gallon Barrel
21 - 55 gal. Metal Drums
34 - 5 gal. Plastic Buckets
4 – 5 gal. Metal Buckets
137 –  Plastic Jugs, Tubs, Crates, Pipes & other Misc.
1 – 500 gallon Metal Diesel Tank
4 Couches
36 Chairs
13 TVsKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
15 Coolers
10 ½ Box Springs
8 Bed Frames
7 Mattresses
1 Crib Mattress
1 Hot Water Heater
3 Bbq Grills
2 Bicycles (1 red, 1 blue)
3 Bicycle Tires and 1 Wheel
4 unopened Cans of Beer
1 unopened bottle of Evan Williams Whiskey
1 Fan
2 Folding Tables
1 Hula Hoop
2 Hockey Sticks
4 Baseball Hats
1 Football Flag
40+ Balls (Soccer, Football, Basketball, Tennis)
1 Basket Ball Goal
1 plastic Base Ball Bat
1 Oar
1 Metal First Aid Kit
1 Type IV Throwable PFD
1 Wooden Recycle Bin Topper
1 Wooden BenchKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
2 Life Jackets
1 Boat Bimini Cover
1 Cast Iron Pan
1 Fork and Knife
1 Drink Pitcher & Cup
1 Partial Park Bench
1 Silk Red Rose
1 Unopened Can of Beans
3-1/2 Flip Flops
1-1/2 Pair of Sunglasses
1 Fraggle Piggyback Snails Toy
1 Green Fuzzy Stuffed Animal
1 piece of Pummice with Racoon Pawprint
1 Golf Driver Club
1 Cat Scratch Post
2 Flashlights
A gazillion stryofoam cups, straws, bottles & plastic bags
Several bags of Fisherman’s Trash (beer cans, bait boxes, fishing line)
2 Garden HosesKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
1 Lawn Mower
9 Orange Traffic Cones
2 Shopping Carts
2 Horse Shoes
4 Couch Cushions
1 Refrigerator Door
1 Ice Dispenser
1 Picnic Table
4 Counter Tops
9 pieces of Carpet
1 set of Cabinet Doors
2 ½ Doors
30 ft. of Wiring Conduit
1 plastic Step Ladder
2 Wooden Lattice Fences
1 – 10’x20’ Dock
3 glass Windows
1 Window Screen
400 lbs of assorted Metal45th Annual Operation Clean Stream 8-25-12
120 ft. of 1-inch Cable
100 lbs of Rebar
100 ft. of Cable
300 Misc.pieces of Scrap Metal
61 pieces of Tow Boat remains
1 Pair of Pliers
1 small silver Christmas Ornament
1 Bike Spoke decorated with Plastic Bags
1 Nintendo Gun
1 Plastic Wishbone
7 Misc. Toy Dolls
1 Toothbrush
1 purple Transformers Magnet
1 Toy Slide
2 Mylar Balloons
1 plastic Big Wheel Tricycle
1 25 ft. Tape Measurer
1 Blow-up Can of Pork & Beans"Git that Garbage" Trash Contest at Omaha Clean-up 9-22-12
1 Dress Jacket
1 pair of dirty Socks
1 white lacey Bra
1 size-11 High Heel Shoe
8 Light Bulbs
1 pink Flamingo
1 wooden Pig-shaped Cutting Board
1 Library Card
1 Toy Airplane
1 Solar Powered Light
1 Crossbow Pistol
1 BB Gun Handle
1 Soggy Mitten
6 unopened boxes Assorted Fireworks
1 small Animal Carrier
1 Dog Harness
1 Frisbee
1 Bag of Syringes – unused
65 feet of Snow Fence
2 inflatable Swimming PoolsSt. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
1 Stereo Speaker
1 Cubicle Divider
1 Fire Hose
Pornography
1 giant Man Purse (full)
2 Patio Umbrellas
1 plush Yellow Duck
2 Fishing Poles
1 Boat Bumper
1 pink zebra striped Women’s Briefs
1 Wilson’s Glow in the Dark Watch
1 leopard print Cat House
1 old Leather Satchel
1 white strappy baby sandel
1 Hoop Earing
1 Ceramic Painted Dish
1 Ceramic Pepper Shaker
2 pieces of Marble (from a table)
2 iPods
1 center Console to a Car with cup holders
1 Motor Gear
1 Garage Door Opener
1 Car Seat HeadrestSt. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
1 car window crank Metal Gear
6 Gas Tanks
3 Automobile Mufflers
1 Gear Shift
2 License Plates
9 Hub Caps
2 Truck Liners
1 Car Bumper
1 Motor Wheel
1 Tail Pipe
1 Freon Tank
1 Air Compressor Tank
1 Car Door
2 Car Mats
2 Mud Flaps
2 Car Seats
12 Grills & Grates
6 Wheel RimsSt. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
6 Exhaust Pipes
1 Pump
1 Headlight
1 Steering Wheel
1 fiberglass corrugated Roof
6’ of Roofing Shingles
2 pieces of Vinyl Sidinsg
3 heavy pieces of Rubber Roofing/Flooring
14 wooden Boards with nails
1 Tool Box (empty)
20 ft. of plastic Corrugated Roofing
1 tall metal 4-ft. Candle Holder
1 Plastic Spatula
1 Security Badge
1 Wool Coat
2 Tank Tops
1 Shoe
1 Metal Bird
1 Fishing Lure
1 Wooden Heart
Hazardous Waste
1 – 5 gal. Plastic Bucket with Poison
1 – 5 gal. Jug of Insecticide
3 – 250 gallon square Plastic Tanks with cage & spout (2 with purple ink type liquid)
2 Paint Cans
1 Spray Can
1 Gallon Bottle Gear Oil
5 Gallon Engine OilOmaha-Council Bluffs Missouri River Clean-up 9-22-12
1 Full Quart Engine Oil
1 Jug of Insecticide
1 Jug of Hydraulic Jack Oil
1 Oil Drum
2 long fluorescent light bulbs
1 Spray Can of Bug Killer
2 Hazardous Material Containers
2 Sinks
2 sets of Blinds
1 Computer Hard Drive Tower
1 computer monitor
pieces of a desk
2 Gas Stoves
1 Furnace
1 Toilet
1 BathtubKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
1 Vacuum Cleaner
1 Tennis Shoe
1 Sleeping Bag
9 Tarps
1 Tent
1 Blanket
1 Buisness Card:  Above and Beyond Yoga
1 Hot Tub
1 Fiberglass Boat in pieces
25 Lottery “scratcher” Tickets – scratched
1 Pint Glass
1 Audio Tape
1 “That’s What I call Music V.26” CD
1 “The 4 Most Important Things I Know” CD by Pastor Brian Zahnd with the Word of Life Church in St. Joe, MO still in the wrapper
1 partial Kiddie Pool
2 BuoysSt. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
1 – 8 mm Film Container
1 Hammock
1 mini-Futon
1 Daisy Flip Flop
1 Pool Slide
15 Old Glass Bottles
1 Hair Roller-Curler
1 Turquoise Snow Sled (plastic)
1 Plastic Hand Grenade
1 Christmas Ornament
1 Toy Rocket Ship
1 Igloo Dog HouseOmaha-Council Bluffs Missouri River Clean-up 9-22-12
4 Duck Decoys
2 Goose Decoys
1 headless Turkey Decoy
3 Deer Skulls
1 Butterfly Stencil
1 Mop Bucket
3 Fire Extinguishers
1 Hard Hat
1 12-lb Medicine Ball
1 Exercise Sign
1 “No Parking” in Picnic Area Sign
1 YMCA “Parking” Sign
1 Freightliner Sign
1 Dollar
A 2-headed Dragon
An “Official” Message in a Bottle from Fort Morgan, CO
A natural Terrarium growing in a Glass Bottle
1 Note from a Paranoid Person 9/17/2
1 set of national bylaws from the Hell's Lovers Motorcycle club

Omaha-Council Bluffs Missouri River Clean-up 9-22-12

October 30, 2012

Missouri River Education

Missouri River Education

The mission of Missouri River Relief is to connect people to the Missouri River through hands-on river clean-ups, education events and stewardship activities.

It's been 11 years since Missouri River Relief held our first community clean-up in Easley, MO.  Cleaning up all the trash on the Missouri River is a daunting goal.  Very quickly we realized that the easiest way to get rid of the trash is if it never ends up in the river in the first place.

Education is the key.

Missouri River Relief's Education Program provides on-the-river, hands-on educational activities for children and adults that help foster a better understanding and appreciation of the Missouri River.  During an event we've started to organize called "Day on the River", we combine Service Learning with hands-on booths from experts in various river related fields, and then actually take students out on the river.

Kansas City Day on the River 10-16-12

Kansas City Day on the River 10-16-12

Hands-on learning is the focus.  The riverbank is the location.  River Relief and its partners bring scientists, educators and volunteers together to share their expertise with hundreds of school children right where it matters most.  Through direct experience and a little effort, they walk away with a renewed relationship to the river and more knowledge than they thought they'd gain on a boat trip. 

During the last decade, this mission has introduced more than 30,000 students, teachers and volunteers to the beauty and importance of the Missouri River.  By teaching the values of clean water and the impacts of human pollution on wildlife and ecosystems, we give our community the knowledge to make change in local evnironmental issues.

We spent two days recently with North Kansas City students from Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Technology and Staley High School.  Experts from the Mo. Dept. of Conservation, National Weather Service, US Geological Survey and US Environmental Protection Agency came to teach students about reptiles, water quality, hydrology and the history of the Missouri River.

Kansas City Day on the River 10-16-12

During both the morning and afternoon session, Missouri River Relief got to take the kids out on the river to see the sights and clean up a bunch of trash. Most of these students had never been on the river, and we could see doors opening as the day went on.  The kids hammed it up with the attention they were getting as we captured the event on camera, and tried to act normal despite their excitement when the TV crews showed up and took this amazing footage:



It also amazes me that the kids that are really into getting trash out of the river always gravitate to the biggest items.  Here, both of my student groups went after the biggest tires they could find!  


Kansas City Day on the River 10-16-12

Over the previous several weeks, Fran and Dave Stous, chairs of Missouri River Relief's Education Committee, began to teach lessons in the classroom about the Watershed, Where Trash Comes From, Recycling, and Stormwater from lesson plans that had finnally been formalized and  formatted by the committee.  Here's a photo of Fran & Dave greeting the buses arriving on Tuesday, Oct. 16th.

Kansas City Day on the River 10-16-12

Students were then invited to bring their family to our annual Big Muddy River Clean-up in Kansas City, and treated to a free t-shirt, that featured some of Missouri River Relief's favorite wilflife that inhabits the river.  A Great Blue Heron and River Turtle!  (Okay, the turtle actually pictured is not a river turtle, but close enough)

"Git that Garbage" Trash Contest at Omaha Clean-up 9-22-12

This project was supported in part by grants from Mid-America Regional Council, Captain Planet Foundation and USFWS Columbia Ecological Services.

Check out our Flickr albums to see all of the wonderful groups we've had the pleasure of getting out on the river in 2012!  Here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/8478409@N03/collections/72157629674561251/

October 29, 2012

Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up Results 2012



Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up
Kaw Point Park, Kansas City, KS
October 20th, 2012

Total Volunteers:  303
MRR Crew:  44
Boats:   12  (5 Missouri River Relief, 4 MDC, 1 EPA, 1 Burns & Mac, 1 Rivermiles)
River Miles:  13  (Missouri Rivermiles 373-362, 2 on the Kaw)
River Level: 10.4 ft on the Kansas City gage
Tires: 76 Tires (1.4 tons)
Landfill Tonnage:  5 tons
Scrap Metal:  6.5 tons
Total Tonnage:  12.9 Tons!

Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
Groups & Agencies Involved:  
The Missouri River Relief Crew, Rockhurst University, Missouri Dept. of Conservation, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), Park University, Oakwood Manor Elementary, Crossroads Church, Missouri Stream Team, Kaw Point Park, Kansas City Geocachers, Missouri Master Naturalists, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SEA LIFE Kansas City, Captain Catfish, Student Environmental Coalition (SEC), Louis Berger Group, Cargill, Singles Available for Community Service (SACS), Healthy Rivers Partnership, Burns & McDonnell, Unilever, North Central Neighbors, Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club (OWWC), Advantage Metals Recycling, Cub Scouts Pack 3385, Green Club, Briarcliff Chapel, Shawnee Mission Northwest Highschool (SMNW)

Names of River Teams:  Jumping Carp, Banana Tacos, Red Backs, Smithe Patrol, Sleepy Wimbats, Trash Ninjas, Nautical Salmons, KC GeoCachers, Outstanding Owls, Trash Talkers, The Gappers, Dry Muskateers, Fearless Chickens, Screeching Owls, Oakie, Group Fourteen, Mark Twain, Sharks, Bob Supertrash, Team Solid, Man Up, Getters, Killswitch Engage, Blue Catfish, Cleaning K, The Polywogs, Happy Campers

Trash Tally!!!!

Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12421 Bags of Trash

76 Tires (5 huge ones)
3 Hunks O’ Tire Tread
1 Inner Tube
30 Chunks O’ Styrofoam
7 Coolers
17 ½ - 5-gal. Plastic Buckets
1 – 5 gal. Plastic Bucket with Poison
3 – 55 gal. Metal Drums
2 ½ - 55 gal. Plastic Barrels
1 – 10 gal. Water Jug
1 – 40 gal. Metal Drum
1 – 5 gal. Jug of Insecticide
1 – 7 gal. Metal Bucket
2 Refrigerators (1 mini fridge)
2 Bicycles (1 red, 1 blue)
3 Bicycle Tires and 1 Wheel
1 Cart on Wheels
2 Garden Hoses
1 Lawn Mower
Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-124 Orange Traffic Cones
1 Shopping Cart
2 Mattresses
4 Bed Springs
6 Chairs
1 Cushion
1 Bathroom Sink
1 Venetian Blinds
1 Folding Table
1 Trash Can Lid
3 ft. of PVC Pipe
1 – 30 gal. Plastic Tub
Pornography
1 Bag of Syringes – unused
3 Baseball Hats
1 Football Flag
20+ Balls (Soccer, Basket Ball, Tennis)
1 Dress JacketKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
1 Fire Hose – blue plastic
4 Bags O’ Scrap Metal
1 Gear Shift
1 License Plate
6 Hub Caps
1 Truck Liner
1 Car Bumper
1 Motor Wheel
2 Car Grills
6 Wheel Rims
5 Exhaust Pipes
1 Pump
3 Gas Tanks
1 Steering Wheel
2 Horse Shoes
1 – 4” shaft Motor
5 pieces of Steel Beam
1 steel Belt
2 pieces of Electrical Conduit
20 pieces of RailingKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
65 large pieces of Iron
1 metal Gas Can
Barbed Wire
9 Grills & Grates
3 – 12” metal Pipes
1 Wire Basket
1 RR Bridge Catwalk
17 steel Rods
1 4x4 Post
1 6x8 Metal Sheet
49 pieces of Rebar
30 iron Machine Parts
Refrigerator Coils
3 Fence Posts
1 Window Screen
1 Metal Case
59 pieces of Tow Boat remains
1 Fire Extinguisher
1 TV
6’ of Roofing Shingles
2 pieces of Vinyl Sidinsg
3 heavy pieces of Rubber Roofing/Flooring
14 wooden Boards with nailsKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
2 wooden Box Frames
1 6x6 piece of Plywood
4 pieces of Flooring
2 pieces of Carpet
1 cubicle Divider
8 Vinyl Strips
1 Blanket
2 Tarps
1 giant Man Purse (full)
1 Bamboo Shade
2 Patio Umbrellas
5 Hunks O’ Corrugated Plastic
1 melted heavy Chunk O’ Plastic
50’ of Plastic Tubing
1 Golf Driver Club
45 pieces of 8” Plastic Pipe
9 ½ PVC Pipes
1 long Plastic Planter
1 Tote Cover
1 Plastic Sink


Trash Contest Entries!!!!
Kansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
Best Darned Find of the Day


An “Official” Message in a Bottle
A natural Terrarium growing in a Glass Bottle



Weirdest Trash
1 naked Baby Doll
1 Motor Gear
1 Garage Door Opener
1 Car Seat Headrest
2 Mylar Balloons

Biggest Trash
1 plastic Big Wheel Tricycle
1 25 ft. Tape Measurer
100 ft. of Cable

Most Fashionable
1 Security Badge
1 Wool Coat
1 Tank Top
1 ShoeKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
1 Metal Bird

Most Artistic
1 Fishing Lure
1 Wooden Heart
1 Wire & Plastic Contraption
1 Bobber in Driftwood

Oldest Trash
1 Computer Hard Drive Tower
1 Fire Extinguisher
1 Spray Can
1 Audio Tape
1 Guy Wire Loop
1 Wooden Box

Most UsefulKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
1 Cooler
1 Dollar
1 I.D. Card
1 Small TV
1 Plastic Cup
1 Library Card
1 Pair of Pliers
1 Toy Airplane
1 Socket
1 Wheel
1 Solar Powered Light
1 Crossbow Pistol
1 BB Gun Handle
1 Maglight
1 MO Lisence Plate
5 Balls
1 Hub CapKansas City Missouri River Clean-up 10-20-12
2 pieces of Marble (from a table)
2 iPods
1 plastic Base Ball Bat

Best Animal Finds
1 Deer Skull complete with Antlers & Teeth
2 Jaw Bones
1 stuffed Penguin with a Santa Hat
1 headless Turkey Decoy
1 Bag of Deer Bones

October 11, 2012

We Love St. Joe!

We arrived on Thursday to start setting up our camp, conveniently located right underneath the Remington Nature Center, and began to ready our crew for the trash scout on Friday.  The ladies at the Nature Center were really nice and let me stop in there a few times to get out of the rugged cold.  I loved seeing the huge Wooly Mammoth that greets everyone at the front door!  What a cool place for learning right there on the river.

St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12

The dumpsters started to arrive, and we began to pile on the layers of clothing as a chilly wind blew, and the clouds robbed us of warm sunshine.  Jerry, one of several Master Naturalist volunteers that showed up to help, joined the scout.  And off we went.

Even though the weather was bitterly cold, I enjoyed as always seeing the beauty of the river while scouting for trash.  While we were motoring around, every now and then I would see a small duck head pop back underneath the water, only to pop up again close by.  I never saw the ducks body... how strange.  Jerry told us that they were called "Pie Billed Grebes".  Then I also noticed some "Coots" easily identifiable by their black round body and white bill.  But the best "bird" highlight of the weekend was the Pelicans!  There was probably over 100 pelicans that kept us company all weekend just across the river flying high above the tree line around & around in circles.... they never went anywhere, never perched on anything or swam down the river that I saw... they just glided around and around.  Oh, and how can I forget, the Swan!  We saw the same exact lone swan swimming around the riverfront two years ago.  Local ambassador, Ken Reeder tells us that the Swan has lived there at the river front for something like 11 years!


This was Missouri River Relief's 3rd cleanup in the St. Joe area.  Together with our community clean-up partners and volunteers, we were able to remove 6.9 tons of trash from the banks of the river!

Thank You St. Joe!

It has been 2 years since we helped clean the river in St. Joe, and with 1 major flood in the mix from 2011, we weren't sure how much trash we would find.  Sadly, we found a ton.  Well, I guess 7 tons actually.  Highways are built right alongside the river, with lots of railroads, and pockets of land for a walking trail and riverfront park.  So what we were actually finding was highway and railroad refuse, trash littered from well used beaches and fishing accesses, illegal dumps and abandoned homeless camps.  We prayed for a great turnout so that we could get all of this junk off of the river.

St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
Well, if the sun had just come out, we might have seen over 270 volunteers like in 2010.  But after a freezing night hovering in the 30s, a stiff breeze and no sunshine, we were just amazed that 125 brave souls showed up to get out on the river!  Brrrr!!! ...and clean the river they did!  Just check out the amazing trash tally !

After bringing the volunteers back for lunch just a couple hours later, one of the favorite parts of our lunch program is the "Git that Garbage" Trash Contest!  As each boat load started to trickle back in, much to everyone's relief, the lunch that was being provided by the St. Jo Frontier Casino had been moved inside!  It was like heaven.  What a treat.  On top of that, we had a wonderful trash contest MC'd by our own Steve Schnarr, followed by a captivating river "love" story by story teller and Ozark songstress, Maridith Sisco!


We got all warmed up - no actually Meredith got us fired up - and we went back out to finish hauling in the trash from the river that we learned was really our life blood, every bit a part of us.  Meredith joined us later that night around our campfire where she graced us with her historic rendition of the song "Shanendoah" after telling us the story of its history and how over time it had been changed to a sailor's tale.  It was amazing.
Everything was smooth sailing after lunch, and we had an incredible clean-up and weekend in St. Joe!

A huge thanks to Scott, Thomas, Darby and Jason, the Mo. Dept. of Conservation biologists that brought their boats to shuttle volunteers. Much thanks to MDC employee T.J. Peacher for bringing an ATV and trailer to help haul trash by land. And thanks to Ron Gillette from St. Joseph Parks for running the back hoe used to get trash from boats to the dumpsters.  And to our local ambassadors, Ken Reeder and John Wood who took good care of us while we were in town.

To read more stories about the St. Joe Missouri River clean-up and see more photos from the event, check out our blog and photos on Flickr!

It takes a real leap of faith to get down & dirty on the Mighty MO and we can't thank our St. Joe sponsors, partners and volunteers enough for all of the support they showed us while we were in town!


St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
photos by Melanie Cheney, Steve Schnarr and Rachel Beck  http://rachelbeckphotos.com/

St. Joe Missouri River Clean-up 2012

St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up

French Bottom Boat Access, St. Joseph, MO
October 6, 2012
Results:
St. Joseph Missouri River Clean-up 10-6-12
Total Volunteers:  125
MRR Crew:  22
Boats:   7  (4 Missouri River Relief, 3 MDC)
River Miles:  8  (Rivermiles 446-454)
River Level: 5.6 ft
Tires: 52 Tires (.83 tons)
Landfill Tonnage:  3.05 tons
Scrap Metal:  3.01 tons
Total Tonnage:  6.9 Tons

Groups & Agencies Involved:  
The Missouri River Relief Crew, Missouri Master Naturalists - Loess Hills Chapter, Cub Scouts Webelos Pack 17, Cub Scout Webelos Pack 219, Boy Scout Troop 219, Venture Crew #6, Buchanan County Juvenile Authority, St. Joseph Parks and Recreation & Public Works, Rachel Beck Photography, Remington Nature Center, River R. Reeder Foundation, Missouri Dept. of Conservation, St. Jo Frontier Casino

Names of River Teams:  Iron Man, Gate, 219, Beast Mode, Mud Ducks, River Monsters, Major Major, Crew 6


Trash Tally!!!!


126 Bags of Trash
52 Tires
1 Refrigerator
1 Freon Tank
1 Air Compressor Tank
1 Gas Stove in pieces
1 Gas Stove
1 Furnace
1 Perfect Toilet
1 Chunk O’ Styrofoam
2 – 5 gallon Plastic Buckets
3 ½ - 55 gallon Metal Drums
5 – 55 gallon Plastic Barrels
2 Plastic Waste Baskets
5 Mattresses
1 Crib Mattress
3 Box Springs
1 Bed Frame
1 Couch
7 Chairs
1 Plastic Crate
1 Exhaust Pipe
1 insulated Angle Bar
2 rolls of Carpet
1 Board
1 Spool End
20 feet of Snow Fence
19 Metal Pipes
1 Fishing Rod prop
8 pieces of Rebar
2 Fence Posts
1 Paint Can
1 Metal Shelf in pieces
1 Metal Table Top
1 Cable Wire
15 pieces of Scrap Metal
2 Gusset Beams
1 Cable Support
2 ½  TV’s
1 Stereo Speaker
1 Sleeping Bag
5 Tarps
1 Tent
2 inflatable Swimming Pools
1 Vacuum Cleaner
1 Car Grill
1 Tennis Shoe
1 plush Yellow Duck


Trash Contest Entries!!!!


Weirdest Trash
1 Nintendo Gun
1 Plastic Wishbone
1 Creepy Naked Baby Doll
1 Toothbrush
1 part to an Electric Car
1 purple Transformers Magnet

Biggest Trash
1 Boat Bumper
1 Bedframe
1 Couch
1 Barrel
1 Center Console to a Car with cup holders

Most Fashionable
1 pink zebra striped women’s Briefs
1 nice Watch – Wilson’s Glow in the Dark
1 leopard print Cat House
1 old Leather Satchel
1 white strappy baby sandal
1 Hoop Earing

Most Artistic
1 Ceramic Painted Dish
1 CD still in the wrapper “The 4 Most Important Things I Know” by Pastor Brian Zahnd with the Word of Life Church in St. Joe, MO
1 Ceramic Pepper Shaker

photos by Rachel Beck, rachelbeckphotos.com

October 2, 2012

Council Bend Army Corps MRR Crew Cleanup



Council Bend USACE Cleanup
NP Dodge Park, Omaha, NE
September 23rd & 24th, 2012

Results :

MRR Crew:  4
Boats:   2 Missouri River Relief
River Miles:  2  Missouri River Miles 618-616, left descending
River Level: 15.42 ft on the Omaha Missouri River Gage
Tires: 7 (estimated .13  tons)
Landfill Tonnage:  estimated 0.8 tons
Scrap Metal:  estimated 0.18 tons
Total Tonnage:  estimated 1.1 Tons

Trash Tally!!!!

Army Corps Council Bend Clean-up 9-24-12
56 Bags of Trash
4 Tires on the Rim
3 Tires off the Rim
15 Chunks of Styrofoam
5 Chunks of Plastic
1 Plastic Tub
6 Small Propane Tanks
2 Large Propane Tanks (100 pounds)
2 Plastic 55-gallon Barrels
1 Plastic 35-gallon Barrel
1 Metal 55-gallon Barrel
1 Couch Cushion
2 Double-paned Windows
1 Insulated Shed Door
1 Gallon Bottle Gear Oil
5 Gallon Engine Oil
1 Full Quart Engine Oil
1 Jug of Insecticide
1 Jug of Hydraulic Jack Oil
Several bags of Fisherman’s trash (beer cans, bait boxes, fishing line)
1 Metal First Aid Kit
1 Type IV Throwable PFD
1 Wooden Recycle Bin Topper
1 Wooden Bench
1 Life Jacket
1 Boat Bimini Cover
Army Corps Council Bend Clean-up 9-24-12
1 5-gallon Metal Gas Tank for Boat
1 3-gallon Plastic Gas Can
1 Cast Iron Pan
2 Burnt Camp Chairs
2 Plastic Chairs
1 Fork and Knife
2 Traffic Cones
3 Traffic Cone Bases
1 Freightliner Sign
2 Float Rafts
A gazillion stryofoam cups & plastic bags
1 Partial Park Bench
1 Wooden Lattice Fence
1 Grill
1 Ford Hubcap
1 Chevy Mudflap
1 Truck Bedliner
1 Soggy Mitten
45 Feet of Snowfence
1 Concrete Form Rod
6 Unopened Boxes Assorted Fireworks
1 Small Animal Carrier
1 Dog Harness
1 Duck Decoy
5 Tennis Balls
2 Golf Balls
1 Frisbee
5 Light Bulbs
1 Silk Red Rose
1 Unopened Can of Beans
1 Full Budweiser Ice
1 Full Milwaulkie’s Best Light
3-1/2 Flip Flops
1-1/2 Pair of Sunglasses
1 Fraggle Piggyback Snails Toy
1 Green Fuzzy Stuffed Animal
1 Used Condom
2 long fluorescent light bulbs
1 Note from a Paranoid Person 9/17/2