Two Tons of Trash Removed From the
Guadalupe
River
.
Kerrville
,
TX
,
July 16, 2005
- Over 200
volunteers met early Saturday morning and throughout the afternoon to help
clean up the
Guadalupe
River
and its
tributaries at the UGRA’s Second Annual River Clean-Up Day.
Before
setting out to their assigned sites, volunteers met at Guadalupe Park and
Ingram Boat Ramp at
8:00 a.m.
for a free breakfast generously donated by Rita’s Tacos, a local restaurant
in
Kerrville
. The shore-side crew scoured the banks and descended upon parks and low water
crossings to clean up trash and debris. Other volunteers climbed into canoes
to get out onto the river to rid this picturesque waterway of the litter
collecting along its banks. The Hill Country Paddlers and Hill Country Fly
Fishers tackled the
North Fork
and South Fork while loading their boats with discarded bottles, cans, broken
toys, abandoned shoes, and pieces of Styrofoam.
“We
are very pleased with this year’s turn out,” said
Gretchen Reutzel
, UGRA staff member and River Clean-Up Coordinator.
“It
is very encouraging to see local citizens from the Hill Country and the
surrounding community having fun while helping keep our river clean and safe
for all to enjoy,” said Reutzel.
Employees
from Starbucks provided refreshments for other volunteers and then set off for
Cypress
Park
to clean up the banks and waterway.
Unity
Church
of the Hill Country also showed up in full force with a large number of
volunteers, including UGRA board member,
Janet Robinson
. "We were amazed at some of the larger items we removed, including two
TV's, a lawn mower, and old carpet,” stated Robinson
“Some
people do not realize that the majority of our drinking water comes from the
river. Illegal dumping into the
river and creeks is dumping into water you are going to be drinking,” said
Robinson.
The
Boy Scouts were also eager to participate, having selected the clean-up to be
part of their Good Turn for America Initiative.
“Scout
troops and packs came from all over the Hill Country and
San Antonio
area to clean a variety of parks. They
also removed truck loads of debris from
Legion
Bridge
at
Kerrville
Schreiner
Park
,” said Reutzel
Other
volunteers and contributors include: Kerr County Women's Chamber, Kerrville
Morning Rotary, Tukong, Big Brother Big Sister, Bear Creek Boy Scout Camp,
Kerrville Chamber of Commerce, Gibsons, Texas Master Naturalists, Keep Texas
Beautiful, and many local citizens too.
Ronnie
Pace, UGRA President said on behalf of the UGRA Board Members, “We would
like to thank everyone that participated in this year’s river clean-up.
I am always amazed and subsequently disappointed at the amount of trash
and junk that people knowingly or unknowingly deposit in one of our most
precious natural resources.”
The
Upper Guadalupe River Authority is the respected, efficient, responsive, and
forthright stewards of the
Upper
Guadalupe
River
and its tributaries.
_________________________________________________________________________
UGRA aspires to be respected for its efficient, responsive
and forthright stewardship of the Upper Guadalupe River and its tributaries.
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