Volunteers Ignore Rain to help clean up Tar-Pamlico River

 

On Saturday, May 24th, local citizens put their Memorial Day Weekend plans on hold to tackle pollution in the Tar-Pamlico River, as part of National River Cleanup Week 2008. The Pamlico-Tar River Foundation (PTRF) organized the cleanups in Greenville and Washington. Forty-eight volunteers ignored the rainy conditions and helped cleanup almost seven miles of the Tar-Pamlico River.

The Tar-Pamlico River is the fourth largest river system in North Carolina and is home to greater than 400,000 citizens. The river is a haven for sport fishing and recreational boating. The health of the Tar-Pamlico River system is vital in maintaining North Carolina’s billion dollar fishing industry.

“PTRF is dedicated to protecting the Tar-Pamlico River because a healthy community starts with a healthy river. Our volunteers are excited to pitch in because a cleaner river is a healthier river for all,” said Heather Jacobs, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper. Participating organizations included Boy Scout Troop 9, Girl Scout Troop 74, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Cypress Chapter of the Sierra Club.

National River Cleanup Week, presented by American Rivers, is an annual event, which raises public awareness of the magnitude of trash accumulating in our nation’s waterways. PTRF participated along withtens of thousands of volunteers taking part in hundreds of cleanups across the country to remove trash from local rivers and streams. Learn more about National River Cleanup Week at www.nationalrivercleanup.org.

Volunteers from Washington and Greenville collected over 120 bags of trash, estimated to weigh approximately one ton. Interesting items collected included a 55-gallon drum, oar, car and trailer tires, a kitchen chair and an inflatable raft. PTRF estimates that one-half of the trash collected was plastic, mostly bags and bottles. “A majority of the trash collected is recyclable. Aggressive recycling and improved containment of stormwater outflow can help with this problem,” states Ms. Jacobs.  

Since May of 2006, PTRF has organized five river cleanups. In that time, over 150 volunteers have removed approximately 5,500 pounds of refuse, including 53 tires from our waterways- from Rocky Mount to Washington.