ALBANY - The Lake Winnetka/Sugar River Improvement Association Inc. organized a cleanup for the lake and river the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend and through the month of June.
The river cleanup is part of the American Rivers National River Cleanup. This year marks the 18th year that the cleanup has been held and saw 56 people volunteering for the effort.
About 30 miles of river was covered by the volunteers, starting at Schneeburger Road on the Little Sugar River and at Attica on the Big Sugar River. Volunteers continued through the junction of the two rivers at Lake Winnetka to Albany and continued downstream, cleaning the river to Brodhead through the Decatur Lake Mill Race.
Some of the volunteers cleaned along the banks and under bridges or on the Sugar River Trail, while others cleaned from boats and canoes using long-handled dip nets. There were volunteers that used chain saws to help clear a path through fallen trees.
This year at the river cleanup, and over the month of June, the volunteers collected the usual trash composed of beer and pop containers, food containers, deer stand parts, shotgun shells, Styrofoam pieces and bait containers. Other, more unusual items included lawn chairs, a storm window frame, shelving, a propane tank, mag tires, brake drums, a toaster, parts from power lines, a Point Beer raft, a lantern, a swimming pool liner, underwear, several shoes, a hard hat, tennis balls, older beer cans with pull tab tops and an old 1950s-era toilet found in the Albany wildlife area.
The Lake Winnetka/Sugar River Improvement Association Inc. worked with area organizations including Albany Harvest Center Farm, which helped to organize the event, set it up, shuttled volunteers around, supplied food and helped with registration. The Albany Mini Mart supplied soda and donuts. The Sweet Minihaha Campgrounds supplied canoes and shuttle service for the whole day. Carter Machine supplied food to make lunches. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources supplied the dumpster and the game warden with his jonboat. The Albany American Legion allowed their building to be used as a base station for the cleanup and the Albany Police Department supplied some volunteers.
The next L.W.S.R.I.A. event will be the annual Carp Fishing Contest, held from Friday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 3. Prizes will be awarded to anglers with the most carp caught.
More information is available by writing to P.O. Box 348, Albany, WI, 53502; emailing lwsria@aol.com; or calling (608) 862-1698.
The river cleanup is part of the American Rivers National River Cleanup. This year marks the 18th year that the cleanup has been held and saw 56 people volunteering for the effort.
About 30 miles of river was covered by the volunteers, starting at Schneeburger Road on the Little Sugar River and at Attica on the Big Sugar River. Volunteers continued through the junction of the two rivers at Lake Winnetka to Albany and continued downstream, cleaning the river to Brodhead through the Decatur Lake Mill Race.
Some of the volunteers cleaned along the banks and under bridges or on the Sugar River Trail, while others cleaned from boats and canoes using long-handled dip nets. There were volunteers that used chain saws to help clear a path through fallen trees.
This year at the river cleanup, and over the month of June, the volunteers collected the usual trash composed of beer and pop containers, food containers, deer stand parts, shotgun shells, Styrofoam pieces and bait containers. Other, more unusual items included lawn chairs, a storm window frame, shelving, a propane tank, mag tires, brake drums, a toaster, parts from power lines, a Point Beer raft, a lantern, a swimming pool liner, underwear, several shoes, a hard hat, tennis balls, older beer cans with pull tab tops and an old 1950s-era toilet found in the Albany wildlife area.
The Lake Winnetka/Sugar River Improvement Association Inc. worked with area organizations including Albany Harvest Center Farm, which helped to organize the event, set it up, shuttled volunteers around, supplied food and helped with registration. The Albany Mini Mart supplied soda and donuts. The Sweet Minihaha Campgrounds supplied canoes and shuttle service for the whole day. Carter Machine supplied food to make lunches. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources supplied the dumpster and the game warden with his jonboat. The Albany American Legion allowed their building to be used as a base station for the cleanup and the Albany Police Department supplied some volunteers.
The next L.W.S.R.I.A. event will be the annual Carp Fishing Contest, held from Friday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 3. Prizes will be awarded to anglers with the most carp caught.
More information is available by writing to P.O. Box 348, Albany, WI, 53502; emailing lwsria@aol.com; or calling (608) 862-1698.
