July 20, 2009

On-the-River with the Travel Channel

Text and Photos by Vicki Richmond

Missouri River Relief has become a "go-to" group for "on-the-Missouri-River" experiences. We’ve become the people to call when inside information is needed about our river.

This weekend I had the unique opportunity to take some media types out on our little boat to shoot some unique views of the Kansas City skyline for a Travel Channel segment. Michael and I splashed the boat and enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Kit Bond Bridge construction from the water while we waited for a call form the producers.


We met the crew at Kaw Point on one of those days when it just pays to live in the Midwest. The sky was blue, the temperatures mild and the river just about deserted. We quickly set up the camera in the bow of the boat and began a slow motor toward the skyline.


Each of the video crew remarked that we had the river to ourselves. They were amazed at how lovely and scenic the river is, and how under appreciated it seemed. A lone kayak, headed downriver from Montana caught their eye, and then a fisherman motoring slowly past, enjoying his solitude, all made their way into the video footage.

I was interviewed about my feelings about the river, about the huge challenges facing it and the need to come together to look for new ways to manage it for all of its uses.

It was a great opportunity to give some perspective about our town, and our river and put a distinctive slant on it- River Relief style!

July 13, 2009

Post 4th of July River Road Cleanup


Easley, MO
7-11-09

It was a hot & humid day on the river, and not a breeze stirred. It was the kind of day that reminded me why we don't do River Clean-ups in the Summer time here in the midwest. Yet, a hardy crowd or river rats gathered at Cooper's Landing for a day of festivities on the beautiful Big Muddy.

Three of our crew staffed a safety boat and presented to the many participants of a Big Muddy Float, organized by our sister organization, Missouri River Communities Network.

Six of our crew gathered for a post-4th of July River Road Clean-up, to dispose of the careless trash left by people who think it's cool to blow stuff up down on the banks of the river, and then leave all of their trash there. We were able to clean a 4 mile stretch of road before half of us started dropping like flies due to the heat. The crew on the river were also able to clean a small stretch, netting a refrigerator in addition to the wasted fireworks & assorted litter on her sandy beaches.

Here is a list of what we found in just 5 miles on the river!

9 bags of Trash
9 bags of Recyclables
1 box & 2 bags of Fire Works remains
3 Coolers
1 Refrigerator
1 large Truck Tire
1 Computer Monitor in pieces
1 Styrofoam Chunk 2'x2'
1 Toshiba 27" TV in pieces
1 moldy Mattress & Box Springs set
1 bag of seasoned Catfish remains
1 bag full of unopened Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
1 dozen fancy Bottle Rockets
1 Magnum Condom wrapper
1/2 of a Fishing Pole
1 Fishing Net
3 good Sparklers


This amounts to approximately 1/2 a ton of trash!

I hope someday people will have more respect for this special place. At one point, we were cleaning a highly used beach right off of the road where people come to party and fish, there were at least three pairs of fishermen & women sitting there when we showed up, and to our surprise, they started helping us clean the beach, bringing us armfuls of plastic bottles, cans & fishing trash. It probably took us 5 minutes to clean it up with so many hands, and I think both parties were thankful & aware that, yes, there are some people out there who use and care for the river too!

A big thanks goes out to our volunteer crew members who survived such harsh conditions to clean the river!

Anthony Pettit
Joe Engeln
Steve Schnarr
Melanie Cheney
Lynne Hooper
Ruthie Moccia
Dyan Pursell
Scot Heidbrink
John Brady


and as always, to the Boone County Public Works Department for allowing us to Adopt-a-Road & pile massive amounts of trash on it for them to pick up.

Thank you!

July 7, 2009

Trash Tally & Results!

Siouxland Missouri River Clean-up
Chris Larson Park, Sioux City IA
June 27, 2009


Total Volunteers: 182
MRR Crew: 23
Boats: 11 (4 Missouri River Relief, 1 Army Corps of Engineers, 2 Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 4 Nebraska Game and Parks)
River Miles: 12 (10 miles on the Missouri River from river mile 728-738, 2 miles starting at the mouth of the Big Sioux)
River Level: 16.7 feet on the USGS real-time Sioux City gage
Landfill Tons: to be announced
Scrap Tons: to be announced
Tires: 7
Total Tonnage: to be announced

Trash Tally!!!!

97 bags of trash
7 tires
4 chunks of styrofoam
2 55 gallon metal drums
2 refrigerators
4 washers
2 hot water heaters
1 chest freezer
1 propane tank
1 microwave
1 microwave cart
1 mattress
1 box spring
2 bed rails
1 recliner
1 folding chair
1 1948 light blue Buick Roadmaster hood
1 1966 Iowa license plate
2 car bumpers
1 side view mirror
1 rearview mirror
1 auto grill
2 wooden pallets
1 pvc pipe
5 pieces of lumber
33 metal strips
3 metal pipes
5 metal hunks
36 feet of steel cable
3 pieces of chain link fence
6 pieces of rebar
1 water tank
1 burner
1 grill
2 8X10 sheets of plate metal
1 bridge decking
6 pieces of metal decking
1 metal fence with wood posts
Farm fencing
2 televisions
1 computer monitor
1 pogo stick
1 No Wake sign
1 Private Property Union Pacific Railroad sign
1 golf ball
1 doggie door
1 railroad car hand brake actuator
1 tin of wet snuff
1 pale yellow toilet bowl
1 duck decoy head
1 computer monitor
1 small U.S. Flag
stationary
1 polished native copper stone from Santa Rita, NM
1 minnow fishing lure
1 full can of beer-Miller Lite
1 football
1 plaid lawn chair
1 crab skeleton
Best darned find of the day, a rusty old pogo stick