By Frank Kapel
Lake Winnetka Sugar River Improvement Association
ALBANY - After a fairly mild winter, spring is indeed upon us. But in actuality, many days over this past winter felt like spring. During the typically cold weather months folks are normally out skiing, skating, snowmobiling or ice fishing. But instead, the unusually warm weather with snowless fields and trails, unfrozen lakes and rivers gave folks more of a desire to get out in a kayak or canoe. The "think Spring" mentality was with our association all winter as well and inspired us at that time to constantly reflect back on the past summer's warm weather accomplishments and fun while also thinking ahead to plan activities and events for upcoming seasons.
2016 kept our association busy with our annual Sugar River Clean-up, participating in the Albany duck races and Hooked on Fishing events, working with Water Action Volunteers taking water samples and doing tests on the Sugar River, organizing our annual Labor Day carp fishing contest and working with the Decatur Lake Millrace Association at the Covered Bridge Days and Fall Fest events at the Embrace the Race pontoon boat rides.
All these events are fun ways that our association works together with other Sugar River groups to help keep, maintain and promote the Sugar River and its small lakes. Working to keep the river trash-free and navigable, improving the fishery, monitoring the water for toxicity and partnering with other groups in fun events are just some of the cool activities our association is involved in. As our membership increases, we plan to do even more for the Sugar River, Lake Winnetka and the surrounding watershed.
Our most recent activity was our participation with Albany Community First and WAV in Albany's first annual Earth Day event. This was a great event allowing us to not only promote the village of Albany itself but to also promote good conservation on the lake and river. We had fantastic weather to have an outside setup by the new Albany Pier with displays of river clean-ups, carp contests and other past events. We even had a painted turtle (named Mini Murtle) along with some snakes and frogs and water insects to display, showing examples of some of the important wildlife in the Sugar River. We hope that by staying connected with other groups in Albany we can gain an interest for membership in our association.
On Saturday, May 20, our association's biggest event of the year will be happening - the annual Sugar River Clean-up. This will be our 23rd annual river clean-up and the result of all this work over the years has been extraordinary, so much so that portions of the Sugar River upstream of Lake Winnetka no longer accumulate enough trash in one year to justify ordering a dumpster for that area. Now we locate the dumpster further downstream to accommodate portions of the river that we have only in recent years begun to attend to. Also in recent years, our river clean-up has doubled in size, thanks to working together with the Decatur Lake Millrace Association.
Merging the work done at the clean-up with other groups enables a much larger stretch of the river to be attended to and brings a lot more volunteers to help out.
CLEANUP DETAILS
The Lake Winnetka Sugar River Improvement Association Inc. will hold its annual Sugar River clean-up in Albany from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 20. We will meet at the Albany American Legion Hall at 300 N. Water St. across from the boat ramp near the police/fire station. Our goal is to remove as much garbage as possible from the river and its banks. We also want to clear a path through fallen trees that totally block navigation of canoes and create hazards. The type of work varies from walking the banks or riding in canoes and picking up trash to cutting tree branches and handing them to people on shore. Equipment needed is canoes or small boats, chain saws, bow saws and waders.
The association will provide trash bags and local businesses will provide food and refreshments. We will get organized at 9 a.m. and begin cleaning up at 10 a.m. or sooner; however, a representative will be at the Albany American Legion to direct those who want to come later. Our clean-up is registered with the American Rivers National River Cleanup. Scout groups can earn community service points by helping out.
You can contact us for more information by email at lwsria@aol.com; follow us on Facebook; or call 608-862-1698 or 773-418-7123. Leave a message including your name and phone number and we will return your call.
Come on out and help us clean up while enjoying the great outdoors after a long dull winter. Food and refreshments will be served to all volunteers as a token of our appreciation.
Hope to see you there.
Lake Winnetka Sugar River Improvement Association
ALBANY - After a fairly mild winter, spring is indeed upon us. But in actuality, many days over this past winter felt like spring. During the typically cold weather months folks are normally out skiing, skating, snowmobiling or ice fishing. But instead, the unusually warm weather with snowless fields and trails, unfrozen lakes and rivers gave folks more of a desire to get out in a kayak or canoe. The "think Spring" mentality was with our association all winter as well and inspired us at that time to constantly reflect back on the past summer's warm weather accomplishments and fun while also thinking ahead to plan activities and events for upcoming seasons.
2016 kept our association busy with our annual Sugar River Clean-up, participating in the Albany duck races and Hooked on Fishing events, working with Water Action Volunteers taking water samples and doing tests on the Sugar River, organizing our annual Labor Day carp fishing contest and working with the Decatur Lake Millrace Association at the Covered Bridge Days and Fall Fest events at the Embrace the Race pontoon boat rides.
All these events are fun ways that our association works together with other Sugar River groups to help keep, maintain and promote the Sugar River and its small lakes. Working to keep the river trash-free and navigable, improving the fishery, monitoring the water for toxicity and partnering with other groups in fun events are just some of the cool activities our association is involved in. As our membership increases, we plan to do even more for the Sugar River, Lake Winnetka and the surrounding watershed.
Our most recent activity was our participation with Albany Community First and WAV in Albany's first annual Earth Day event. This was a great event allowing us to not only promote the village of Albany itself but to also promote good conservation on the lake and river. We had fantastic weather to have an outside setup by the new Albany Pier with displays of river clean-ups, carp contests and other past events. We even had a painted turtle (named Mini Murtle) along with some snakes and frogs and water insects to display, showing examples of some of the important wildlife in the Sugar River. We hope that by staying connected with other groups in Albany we can gain an interest for membership in our association.
On Saturday, May 20, our association's biggest event of the year will be happening - the annual Sugar River Clean-up. This will be our 23rd annual river clean-up and the result of all this work over the years has been extraordinary, so much so that portions of the Sugar River upstream of Lake Winnetka no longer accumulate enough trash in one year to justify ordering a dumpster for that area. Now we locate the dumpster further downstream to accommodate portions of the river that we have only in recent years begun to attend to. Also in recent years, our river clean-up has doubled in size, thanks to working together with the Decatur Lake Millrace Association.
Merging the work done at the clean-up with other groups enables a much larger stretch of the river to be attended to and brings a lot more volunteers to help out.
CLEANUP DETAILS
The Lake Winnetka Sugar River Improvement Association Inc. will hold its annual Sugar River clean-up in Albany from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 20. We will meet at the Albany American Legion Hall at 300 N. Water St. across from the boat ramp near the police/fire station. Our goal is to remove as much garbage as possible from the river and its banks. We also want to clear a path through fallen trees that totally block navigation of canoes and create hazards. The type of work varies from walking the banks or riding in canoes and picking up trash to cutting tree branches and handing them to people on shore. Equipment needed is canoes or small boats, chain saws, bow saws and waders.
The association will provide trash bags and local businesses will provide food and refreshments. We will get organized at 9 a.m. and begin cleaning up at 10 a.m. or sooner; however, a representative will be at the Albany American Legion to direct those who want to come later. Our clean-up is registered with the American Rivers National River Cleanup. Scout groups can earn community service points by helping out.
You can contact us for more information by email at lwsria@aol.com; follow us on Facebook; or call 608-862-1698 or 773-418-7123. Leave a message including your name and phone number and we will return your call.
Come on out and help us clean up while enjoying the great outdoors after a long dull winter. Food and refreshments will be served to all volunteers as a token of our appreciation.
Hope to see you there.
