Cleaning up the junk
Volunteers collect river litterBy HANS MADSEN, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
KALO - The Des Moines River is peaceful and quiet in the early morning. Water gurgles along the rocks, birds sing in the trees and the night's fog hangs in the air giving the distant scenery a gray wash to disappear into.
Then, like a ghost, the first canoe emerges from the cloudy silent veil. Gradually, it becomes clear as it gets closer to the Kalo sandbar above the bridge. The paddlers head for the shore as more shapes emerge behind them.
As pristine and beautiful as the scene is, as one looks closer, the signs of people's disregard for the environment become obvious. Beer cans, a broken bottle, the bright remains of a child's wading pool and old tires litter the shore and the sandbar.
Brad Messerly, of Fort Dodge, brought his kayak to participate in the annual Webster County Conservation River Cleanup Saturday. As he emerged from the mist, a chunk of debris broke up the graceful lines of his craft. It turned out to be a fiberglass chunk of a boat he had collected upstream.
''There's a plethora of junk in there,'' he said, ''air conditioners, boat parts, tires, you name it.''
Shanna Seltz, of Fort Dodge, and her friend Megan Johanson, of Badger, came off the first leg of the canoe trip with a semi tire as the third passenger in their canoe.
''It sounded like fun to be on the river,'' Seltz said. ''I didn't know I'd be hauling a 40-pound truck tire.''
Bill McAnally was kept busy on the sandbar hooking a chain around old tires then pulling them out with his four-wheeler. McAnally, who works with the green building initiative at Iowa Central Community College was participating for the first time this year. He not only pulled tires out, he used a trailer to haul debris brought in by the paddlers.
Clark Fletcher is an avid canoe and kayak enthusiast. He spends a lot of time on the river and has even been known to paddle to work. He has no use for the litter.
''I just detest it,'' he said. ''I see it all the time, especially along the roadways.''
Fletcher cites the stretch of the Des Moines running along River Road south of Fort Dodge as being one of the worst spots.
He believes it comes down to the choices people make.
''We as a society choose not to dispose of our waste properly,'' he said.
Matt Cosgrove, Webster County Conservation director, explained that the cleanup is a good way to promote use of the river and encourage people to help keep it clean.
''It's a real resource,'' he said. ''We want to help encourage people to take care of it.''
The Schneider sisters, Claire, 21, Paige, 16, and Zoe, who proudly says she is ''12 and a half,'' didn't need a lot of encouragement to come out to help clean the river. Avid anglers and canoeists, they frequently walk creek beds in Dolliver Memorial State Park on their own picking up debris. The trio even purchased matching swim shoes for their day on the river.
Paige Schneider thinks that cleaning up waterways would be a good thing for everybody.
''Others should do the same, it shouldn't be a junkyard,'' she said.
Miller Parsons-Foresi, of Raleigh, N.C., and Carl Gross, of Fort Dodge, shared a canoe as they paddled down the river picking up debris. Gross, who has never canoed before, also has a fear of being on the water,
''In spite of the fear of water, I still came out,'' he said. ''It's a good way to get involved.''
The daylong excursion, which set into the Des Moines just above Kalo, included the river all the way down to Dolliver Park. Following the cleanup, the volunteers were treated to lunch.
Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net
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VTwinJim
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09-08-08 12:35 PM
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It is always amazing to me to see Litter almost every where you go. What the heck is wrong with people that do this kind of thing. It's sickening. What will the next Generation think of us all if we don't get this all cleaned up. I wish we could catch the ones that are doing it. They are very selfish people not thinking of how sick they have become. Thank you all that took the time out of your lives to clean up the crap that other's chose to dump and litter up our Great World. God Bless each and everyone of you. You are stand up GOOD People. Thank You
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CHELLS
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09-07-08 1:48 PM
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THANK YOU on a job well done!!!
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thendrickson
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09-07-08 12:47 PM
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Fort Dodge needs to focus on the river as the asset it is with half the projects already designed and built by nature. Illegal dumping is a big problem everywhere so keep your eyes out people when out and about enjoying the scenery and hlep keep it clean.
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FDPOTHOLELOVER
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09-07-08 11:53 AM
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Why stop at the rivers? Why not just level Ft. Dodge and lets all start over. It's not like it can get much worse.
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InFocus
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09-07-08 1:50 AM
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Job well done everyone!
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verbiosa
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09-07-08 1:40 AM
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Kudos to all the volunteers!
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